Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-07-29

Executive veto. and thai they should shrink from doing their
dusy II they did 4 would find themselves in this in
stance greatly mistaken IAs House haa aseasa n on, ms
nue. Il in this bill and they recede from for lear OF the
Pesidents veto they unworthy OF the seats winch hey
occupy In such they would fit only TO be the slaves o
despo trembling bis presence and shaping their votes
suit his But he thought who believed to be
right and proper would shrink for fear Of veto even though
the friends Of the President with the President at their heels
thundered veto in their ears
But he desired TO make few remarks as TO the exercise OF
this power He desired TO make some remarks on TINS
subject because the exercise Of the veto power becoming
of the alarming circumstances in the history Of ns
country It of the most dangerous 70 encounter ana
there Is danger Of its sappng the foundation OF the principles
on which this Government rests Il was overshadowng the
land with desposm which placing its hand on the entire
power Of this Government.
veto every bill the expedency which he does not entirely
approve The gentleman from Virginia (Mr BArLr) told
us that whenever the President thinks bill not such as ne
would have wished pass he ought to veto It, Sir these
doctrines are they the doctrines urged by
the Federas the Convention which formed our constitu
ton These the arguments and opinions brought
and pressed by the who in that memorable assembly,
conhded that necessary strengthen the arm OF the
Executive that heght be enabled check the turbulence OF
the people, This the very point which the difference
between the Federasts and their opponents mainly turned
It conended that the people were mpulsise
refractory and that wanted strong Executive who should
be able to them and keep the passions OF the people IN
check The doctrines preached BY the tories IN
the revolution which established British freedom II was
proclaimed then that the good Of the country required that pre-
ogatve should be eecuay guarded and the Of the
monarch strengthened And now, here, ~ this House Of
Representatives and in the year grace s4S these sesame
old exploded doctrines Of subsevency to Executive power are
brought again newvamped and urged on the American
people doctrines of democracy The truth that the great
danger system arises not from the weakness but from
the strength Of the Executive power power ever prone 10
all ages and countries usurpaon, and skul in encroach-
ing on the freedom Of the people under thousand forms
There the point Of danger is alarming EVIL
threatens all holear and ought speedily TO- De arrest
ed and prevented from accomplishing any further mischief
Let ne ask my Democratic friends whether they believe that
the people capable of government Are the Demo-
Gratis on this floor willing to say they are
[Mr. GaEEsE here wanted liberty to reply, but Mr.. ,.
said he could not spare him the time now ne would have
ample opportunity afterwards
You tell the people on the stump There you are all
most ardent friends to the people and their rights but wnen
you come here, how do you act Who are the people How
their wishes TO be known Who appointed TO express
them Is it their representatives chosen expressly
for that purpose They this hall from every dis
trct of this UnoD fresh from the people, having had in
opportunity for interchangng opinions with them and hey
know what their wishes Well sir how do these wishes
of the great body of the American people stand upon ques
ton of internal Improvements Look at their votes IN this
very House, and you will find them in favor of them by votes
Of BY that majority they have recently decided
that the power of appropaing for works of internal improve
does reside in this Government and that should be
exercised How have these wishes been expressed on bills
which have passed this House since the present Executive
few days since upon the resolutions adopted at the Chicago
Convention, andkepored this House from the Committee
on Commerce In all these those who charged TO
express the wishes Of the people have voted in and the
same way. Yet here is party, Democratic party, too,
which tells the nation that their wishes shall not be complied
with which tells them their faces that they ampng
the constitutions and which nvokes the aid Of President
who is himself the peoples creature whom they have made
that he might accomplish their WILL thwart that will and
traple il down the dust And this is Democracy Might
not here repeat the words Of the gentleman from Georgia.
(Mr. IvERsoS and exclaim, Shame shame where thy
blush - when doctrines such these are put forth under the
and guse Of Democracy They might as well at once
tell the people that they dos and idiots and need Ex
ecutive guardian to curb them Will gentlemen here say
that the President understands the wishes Of the people better
than the peoples representatives is his wisdom greater than
the united wisdom of the members of this House In what
schools Of craftsmanship has be been trained that his know
ledge of constitutional law and the true policy of this nation
should be far paramount that of the whom the
pie nseves have selected and here give expression
their sentiments and desires Where is his commission
say that do know what the wishes of the people
my Democratic friend the way, who intro
ducej resolutions in favor Of internal improvements whether
bis Constituents against the power They voted for MI
Polk
Here Mr.. WENTWORTH made some remarks, not heard
by the Reporter.
Mr. SMITH How is it in Illinois A majority Of the
people Of that State favor Of Mr. Polk yet after that
gentleman denounced the President for bis veto OF the river
and harbor bill they sent him here as their Representative
Have they not confded the Of their true interests to him
and not the President
Mr. WENTWORTH here spoke as before, with his back
to the Reporters and heard.
Mr.. SMITH. l admit that that gentlemans here
has been perfectly consistent in all things with only
cepton The gentleman has been the uniform, constant
nchng advocate Of internal improvements, yet he votes for
a President who them all Much laughter think
bis past experience ought teach him lesson this sub
ect BY the by, should greatly like to know Of the gentle
whom he is going to vote for at the coming election
Mr.. WENTWORTH, hesitsting.
Mr.. SCHENCK said "there much noise and con-
fusion here that the gentleman could not explain himself
bursts Of laughter
Mr.. SMITH, (resumng) believe in the sentiment 80
well expressed by Edmund Burke when describing the cha
racte Of Wing in bis day GA Wing should be jea
louy watching the OF the Executive, having his
eyes ministers and his toward the people, This ad
mirabe definition, given by that iIlusrious man, will well
apply to the Wings Of this day who desire to preserve amongst
Republican Government But how is II now with too
many Of the Republicans in this ball We them with
their eyes occasionally turned askance their shoulders
the people, but with both eyes and directed steadily to
the White House, ready catch the first and slightest int
nations Of the Executive wilt
will be obliged my friend from Illinois will tell me what
the opinions Of General Cass the subject Of internal inn
provemcnt'
Mr.. WENTWORTH wished to know f the gentleman
would let him raUN now
Mr. SMITH sad yes; he would allow him three minutes
out Of his time to reply
Mr.. WENTWORTH said that be bad been In Congress
with Gen. Cass this the third session. and they had
ed exactly alike the river and hnrbor bill this all he
knew about It, If Gen. Taylor would do much he should