Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-07-21
LANCASTER, June so, 1913.

the committee.
LANCASTER, June 80, 1848.
Dear Sir: have your esteemed favor of the
23d inst. and much regret that am unable TO
attend the Convention al Carthage. But though
ABSENT 60 with you heart aud hand for Gen.
Taylor; and though do not know his opinions
on all the questions of policy which divide us,
know enough to satsl ly me that the Country
will be safe if he is our President. We have
had many and startling evils to complain of;
but so far as the General Government is con-
cerned, they have all originated from one source
the exercise of unwarrantable power by the
Presdent--lst. BY the unrestraincd exercise
Of the Veto-2d. By using Executive influence
to control the legislation of Congress. have
| looked upon these us the sources from which
all our political msloruncs have flown. The
people have not been allowed to govern them
selves by their representatives. 1t was the
great abuse against which the Wings most srug-
gIed during the stormy period in which repre-
sented our noble State in the Senate. We felt
that under pretence Of asserting popular rights,
] IN The name OF Democracy, al power was cen.
tering in the hands Of one man-and it is so
sllIl--sulI the paramount political evil of our
Union, During all the period Of this struggle
for and against the extension of the Veto pow
cr and for and against tho exercise of Execu.
tive influence over the two Houses Of Congress,
General Taylor was Wing. On this subject,
he united with us in opinion and participated
with US in feeling. As to the dotails--tho mca.
sures which the two houses of Congress passed,
and which the President destroyed with his We.
to--and the measures which he chose to bring
about by this influence of his upon the mem.
bers of either house--Gen. Taylor did not stu.
dy them, or form an opinion upon them. But
he saw and understood tho great points of at.
tack on the principles of our free institutions
and he formed his opinion upon them, and he
maintained ii. In the first article of his poIiti.
cal creed, given to Capt. Allison, he says; II an
a Whig." In his second, he says:
1.-THE power given by the Constitution to the
Executive to inlerpose his veto is high conser
vativo power, but in my opinion should never
be exercised except in cases of clear violation
of tho Constitution or manifest haste and wan
of consideration by Congress. Indeed, have
thought that for many years past, the knowr
opinion and wishes of the President have exer
cised undue and injurious influence upon the
legislative department of the governments and
from this cause, have thought our system wa,
in danger of undergoing great change from it.
true theory.
The personal opinions Of the individual who
may happen 10 occupy the Executive chair
ought not TO control the action of Congress upor
questions of domestic policy, nor ought his OBJ
lection to be interposed, when the question o
lrnn ctitntipOul huVa hnop cpttla1 b,,t al,
various departments of government, and acqui
esced in by the people,"
Now this, inmy estimation, covers everythin!
that we really and practically want Of Whiy
President. We want Tariff that will protec
American industry-but do we want II through
the influence Of the President, exercised owe
, members of either house of Congress, by bribs,
votesl We would spurn the boon if obtaine
r by such corrupting influence. We want tn
Improvement of our Rivers and IIarbors-but d
we want ii in connection with Presidentia
4 vetol We have had enough Of that sort Of as
;, sociation already. We want the WiH of til
r people on these suble expressed through thei
representatives, and that is all we want; and i
:. choosing representative would take care
i choose no one that was not committed fully t
o the anti.slavery principle extended over all tn
I newly acquired Territories ofthe United States
i. 1t must be done by the Senate and House {
d Representatives. Those who earnestly, and i
It faith and truth, desire this, must be careft
h whom they place in those bodies to represer
II them. The Vice President may indeed tur
@ the scale, one way or The other. on this quesuo
70 but the President, whatever be his private opir
n ions, ought to exercise no influence over eitht
house on this, no more than on any other sui
ID jecG aud Gen. Taylor is opposed to the exc
es else Of such inhuence-and he has, in etfec
ID pledged himselfihat he will exercise none, al
Ill interposo no veto to such bill. Mark his wort
o. in the closing sentence, above quoted.
le This question Of Constitutional power h
dr been settled from the very commencement