The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-08-21

cation, so VIGOROUSLY destitute of foundation,
and even OF color. that it seems hardly to de-
| serve a reply At no period OF his life has Mr..
/ FILLMORE favored such agitation. lie has al
ways held. from the time that he first had oc-
casion 10 examine the subject, that, by the
! Constitution Of the United States, the whole
mower over the question was vested in the seve-
raj States where the institution exists. The
! charge thus revived by Gov. McDoNALD was
repeatedly made during the last Presidential
canvass, and was so completely reiuted that
Governor GAYLE, of Alabama, ventured to
affirm that no respectable man of either party
in the North would endorse ip'-and asserted,
upon his own knowledge and responsibility, that
on the subject of slavery "no man is sounder
than Mr. FILLMORE" The Southern States,
indeed, have already passed upon this charge
against Mr.. FILLMORE, and GEORGIA herself,
as well as her neighbors, LOUISIANA, KENTUCKY,
and TENNESSEE, have given him their votes
and their confidence in spite of it. The result
has indicated the prudence and propriety of
their course. The sentiments of his annual
message, and his acts during his occupancy Of
the Presidential chair, have so entirely estab-
lishsd the nationality of Mr.. FILLMORE, and
his entire freedom from abolition sympathies or
associations, that we supposed the time had
| come when no respectable man of either party"
| whether at the South OF the North, would ven
ture to "endorse" the calumny which has re-
ceived the sanction Of Governor MCDONALD.
| But Governor McDoNALD objects that Mr..
FILLMORE claims too broad powers for Con-
gress, and denies too much power to himself;
| whereby he renders himself a fit instrument in
| the hands of a corrupt and wicked ma
jority" of the representatives of the people
and of thessStates, to sanction 'unwise, unjust,
and oppressive measures" Governor McDoN-
AID, it would SEEM places more confidence IN
the judgment and integrity of Mr.. FILLMORE
| than in that of Congress; and would be better
pleased with his than with their single voice
or vote on any measure. This is sufficiently
complimentary to President FILLMORE, and we
are glad to believe that he deserves this mark
of Governor MCDoNALD's confidence. But we
think that the Governor does great injustice
to the people of the United States when he
| assumes that they will elect Congress
| so wicked and corrupt as to perpetrate all the
| enormities he suggests. Moreover, it is not
| true that President FILLMORE is Opposed to
the exercise of the power Of the veto, except
in cases of unconstitutional or haSty Legislation
| by Congress-" AS good republican, DESTROYS
of giving effect to the will of the people as ex-
pressed by their representatives, President
| FILLMORE is, of course, averse to the exercise
of the one-man power, the monarchical veto
which arrests the will Of the people. But i
any act should pass the two Houses which
should appear to him unconstitutional, or ar
encroachment on the just powers of other de-
partments, or with provisions hastily adopted
and likely to produce injurious and unfore
seen consequences"-he would not shrinl
from the duty of returning it, with his
reasons, for their further consideration.
| would be indecent in a Chief Magistrate
to act upon the assumption that majority 0
Congress had united in the passage of an un
wise, unjust, oppressive, corrupt, and wicked
bill and, in our judgment, experience has de-
monstrated that the people are much less exposed
to injury from this source than they are from tn,
"unwise, unjust, oppressive, corrupt, and wick
ed' employment of the VETO