Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-06-30

for one. He was the advocate of the Tariff OF le4S
produced some sensation among the Whigs,) he had
no objection to Equal Suffrage, the people wanteo
it, but thought had the very best ton ever
devised by man; stated that he preferred ConVen,
lion, and held that majority OF the people couio
chance their form OF government when they saw prop
er; and that for one he would never give up the ma,
oriiv doctrine. He stated that the Legislature would
he bound carry the will of the people, and pro-
vide for the calling of Convention, if majority
said So -.
MI Kerr then sat down amid the plaudits of his
friends.
was human being completely used up, John Kerr
was that He admitted that in some instances
there had been departure, by some RePuoican
Presidents from the principles OF the party but tnat
in the main, they had adhered to them, and that the
country from its birth to the present time with but
small interegnum, had been governed by the Repuo-
lican party and had prospered lie showed what were
the fruits in those times when it was administered
by the party to which his opponent belonged. Under
! the elder Adams, had the alien and sedltlon
| law, under his John Quincy, most ruInous and
prodgal system of Internal Improvement, condemn
ed and killed by his successor Gen. Jackson-under
Harrison and successor, the Bankrupt law and the
! protective system-a, all, said the Governor trlum-
! phantly, have been condemned again and again oy
the People; and YET at this late day. after the Amer
lean system has been exploded by all enlightened ma
lions, Mr.. Kerr stands up and openly advocates IT,
and expresses his preference for the tariff OF 1912 TO
| the tariff of 1876 !!
! Gentlemen, said Governor Reid, marx that-yes'
mark that.
| The Governor then took up his majority doctrine.
showed its danger-thati it nothing but 'Dorrlsm
He stated that minoriries had rights, well as ma
iorties and that although abstract prop ostlon,
he admitted that majority could rule and change
their government; yet, that when a Constitution was
once made covenants entered into that majority was
bound by them, until they changed the Constitution
in the way pointed out He said it was true, that
they might revolutionze; that all people could resist
oppression when too intolerable TO be borne but
III OlntiO RIGHTS fQrw
Kerr commended. He stated how dangerous the doc
thine when applied to the federal government, tor
if it was true in the State government, 1t was true
througho Who doubted that majority of the Peo-
pe of the United States were fast becoming aboli-
tionisis and freesoers! Now, II Mr.. herr's ma
jority doctrine be true. the South is in danger.
The Governor showed the doctrine to belong to the
Webster school of Federasts-the g we the people
doctrine" urged stIeneuously by Webster, in his
debate on the Foote resolutions. When the Governor
came to that portion of MIR. kerrs speech which al
luded to the veto power, he equally triumphant.
He showed that the veto power was highly con-
sentative that all the Presidents, with two
ceptions, had used it and he might have shown, Mr.
Editor, that as early 1874, Gen. Washington in
two several instances exercised his constitutional
rights in direct opposition the known will Of Con-
gress. Yes sir in instance in direct opposition
TO what he believed to be the will of the people of
the United States, which may be gathered from what
he SAYS in a letter to his friend, General Knox, in
1894.
alIude to the following, which know you will
recoect as soon stated In 1898, when the war
broke out between France and England, such was
the gratitude of the American people toward the for
mer, for the assistance rendered them in the war of
the revolution that it required all the prudence, yea,
and 6rmness of Washington TO prevent an immedi-
outbreak by the peoples representatives In Con-
gress-the whole country was camorous for war
with Eng land.
The war between the late enemies and friends Of
the United States revived revolutionary feelings, and
enlisted the strongest passions of the people in behalf
of the and aga inst The other wish for the
cess of France became almost universal
Washington considered that The true interest of his
country called loudly for " non-interyention, and
accordingly issued his proclamation of neutrality.
Congress met, the excitement ran high, his course
openly denounced in the House OF Representa-
Iives, and Congress was actually about taking
such steps must inevitably have led 10 with
Great Britain. At this critical juncure, for the
press purpose of afording breathing time an
excited people. General Washington nominated John
Jay as envoy extraordinary Great Britain.
Now this exercise of his Constitutional right
gotate. virtually suspended all hostile legislative
measures, for they could not with decacy proprie-
ty, enter into any hostile legislation. so long the
President negotiating for an adjustment of some
the posts the Northern lakes.
The retention OF those posts contrary TO the treaty
stiPuIaons of 1888 was the osensible, but not the
real cause OF the sudden flare up, against Great Bri
tain in the United States; but the real cause was
desire TO assist her old ally.
This stroke of policy on the part Of Washington, !
TOT II mas been declared 10 De Such by his historians
saved the country from
1t resulted in what is known as Jays treaty.
and here again do you the old General interpos-
ing bis veto Constitutional right, in directly refus
ing to lay before Congress. upon resolution to that
effect, copy of his instructions to Mr.. Jay.
The old General replied that he would take time |
to consider it, and actually in lengthy
in which he fatty denied their right to ask it, and
told them that the Constitution had vested the treaty.
making power with the President and the Senate,
and that with it the House of Representatives had
nothing to do. Now in this latter instance, although
it was no law vetoed. yet there veto of the
peoples representative WILL for the representative
House had. by very large majority, asked for the in
formation, which refused.
Yet, according to Mr. Kerr, land recolleet that he
claims to be Washingtonian Whig) any man. who
would veto The deliberately expressed will of the peo-
pies representatives, was tyrant, and ought to have
his head chopped off
Now what is the Wing argument They say,
( poor souls that the will of the people expressed
through their representatives ought be carried out
and that the veto is tyrannical, &C. But the people,
in their Constitution, have said differently. They
say something more than majority is necessary to
make law They say, in the Constitution, that be-
fore any measure shall become law, they will have
an additional guaranty that it is both sound and ex-
peden and the offspring of hasty, and passionate
and unconstitutional egisation that before any law
shall be valid, they will have the approval of their
President, or failing in this, they will have two
thirds vote.
1t is mistaken notion, and quite mischievous
error, that the Wing leaders trying ins into
the people in relation to the veto power In order to
excite the Prtudices of the people against it, and for