The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-12-15

p Is moi deemed inappropriate TO review III
principles and considerations which haV
s governed my actions. deem inns We rior
, necessary. because after Tic lapse ct siNt
: years since the adoption At the consiituiinn
the proriiety Of the exercise oi tins uncouot
ed constitutional power Of the President ha
for the first time been drawn seriously int
question 10y n portion Of my fellow cil'7ths
The constitution provides that "cvcry bil
which shall have PASSED the House oi Rep
rcscnta'ives and the Senate. shall. brfrr i
becomes law, lie presented 10 the Presi
den, Of the Uri'cd States: II he approves il
then he daN sign t.. Tut if not he shall rc
turn il with his elections. to tie ll"use il
which it originated, who shall enter the ob
jcttions al large int their journal, and iocce'
to reconsider it,
The preservation &C \ constitution ICn
Iinf,acticn i the Presidents highest Grtv
He i, bound tc discharge that DUTY nj whal
ever hazard Of mourning the 3i>rlca>ure o
those who may differ with Him in opinion
lie is cuud TO discharge II as well ly oAlI'
cations to the people who have clothed linn
I. with his exalted tru.t, rs by his cath ct Of
fec. which he nav not disregard. Nor ere
the obligations Of the President IN any de-
gree leSSencd by the prevalence Ct views
l,rert from il ov in one or both Houses
rc'' c., cross Il is rot alone 81 asty and in
,corsidtr,ie legislation" that he is required
/ 70 check Int ira,,.v time Congress shall,
( ar crarrarcn,lyr IllleIib,r a'ior. ass mea-
sure which he deems suLvcrsrvf OF The con
Stintiou or Of the vital interests OF IT." c'uH'
try, il is his solemn duty 10 stand in tn
breach and resist them. The President i
bound TO approve or di>arrrovc every I'LL
which passes Congress, aud y presented 4"
him for his signature. The constitution
makes this his dutv. and he annotrscapc
/ tiff he would. He has no election OF drcid-
/ ing uron bills presented to him; he must cN-
ercise his own best judgment, aud II he can
not approve il, the constitution commands
him 10 return the bill tuthc source IN which
it originated. with his objections; md il lie
/ fail. to 10 this within ten Sundays
cycprtcd-it should become a law without;
/ his signature. right or wrong. He may lie
ovcriulrd by two.tlirrS Of each llon>e, ard
in that event, the bill becomes law with
out bis sanction. fhi> objections be then
overiulei. the subject is only postponed or
is referred to the states or the people for
their constellation ard decision. The con.
sideration il, however, negative. merely,
3 ia,,
~" no, ""n,h'au,'' anu '"', :'.' w. '"'1
ing his appreciation Of the hill paSScdby Com
greS>, s'o suffer- the existing law TO remain
unc! arerd. and the delay occa>ioncd i only
that rcnuired To enable the states and the
Tecp!e 10 consider and act uTon me SUBJECT
in tie election Of public agents, who shall
show their wishes and Instructions. Any
attempt 70 Weld his sanction ~ measures
w, ich he cannrt arrrovc. would tca ,inl.
ton Of tho spirit Of the constitution. palpa
tie and rar-ap., and il successful. would
break down the indepeudercr &C the Exec.
utivc Department, and make the President
elected bv the vcrple and clothed by the
constitution with rover n defend their
rights, the mere instrument IF the majority
of Congress. and would he surrender On
his Ialt Of the power With which the conn
try has invested hm--h, Office wCull eff
feet practical alteration Of that INSTRUMENT
without resortrc to the prescribed process
of amendment.
With the motives or considerations which
may Induce Congress io pass any hill. the
President can have nothing TODD. lie mu.t
presume them TO be rs pure as his own. and
look cnly to the,rractical effect Of their inca.
surCS when compared With The constitution
or the Public good.
Bntitha, been urged by those who object
20 the exercise Of this unidentified con>ntu-
tlona power. thai i; assaiS the representa-
tiv, principle and the capacity Of the people
to govern themselves; that there is greater
safety in numerous representative body.
than in the single Executive. created 10y the
constitution: and that tho Executive is ga
one man rower." drspotic in It's character.
To expose the faliary If this objection, it is
only necessary "a consider the frame and
true character Of our system, Ours is not
consolidated Cmuirr. hut corr-, 'eratsd
Union. The States before the adop,inp o.
tie constitution were So ordained cn.foual.
separate and indcrcndent sovcrern,e>:
and by its adoption they did not lose that
character: they clothed the federal govern.
ment with such certain pow c,s. and reserv.
ell III Others, including their own sovereign
,y. 20 themselves. They Guarded their own
rights as States. and the rights Of the pso-
pie, by the very limitations which they in.
corpnrated into the federal constitution
whereby the different DEPARTMENTS Of the
general government are checks upon each
other. That the majority shonld govern. is
A general printipl controverted by none,
but they must govern according 70 the con.
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