The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-06-07


L. :. % be unconstitutional and, upon /
! call froa Geh. Washington on certain
members Of his Cabinet Tor their views
apoa that sabjeet. Mr.. Jefferson sent
hin avers decided opinion thasthe pro-
posed bin was Unconstitutional. Mr.
jefferson. AZ the close VI that paper.
makes these remarks:
-rhs negative q he Pfssi5sni is The shield
psevi3el by NJ Consultation 10 psssesi. sgsinst
me inrssions a the i.ssislas1rs Ia. The nights
of he EreeuiiFe. "a. of Inc Ja.icisp. 81 OF
he States snd STATE Legislatures The present
is the elsr af nghi remaining exclusively with
the States"
That Was the point which Mr.. Jelfer-
son had sought to establish IN his rea-
soning.
- And Il consequently one q those intend
ed by The Constitution % be placed under his
protection"
Me-. Jefferson confines the rightfui
exercise Of the veto power to cases IN
which the President uses il TO protest
against inyasions of the Legislature.
either upon the Executive or the judi
ciary, or upon the States and State Lee
gislatyres. lie adds:
III must be a6Ird. however. that unless the
Presidents mind. ON view Of everything which
Is urged Cor and against this bill. % iolrrsbly
clear, that IL Is Unauthorized by The Constitution;
IL The pr0 end the con. hang even a. 10 balance
bis judgment. Just respect fr The wisdom Of
the Legislature would naturally decide the has
lance in favor Of their opinion. Il Is chiefly Tor
cases where they are clearly misled By error, nn-
bilion. or interest that the Constitution has placed
a check in the negative ofihe President
Nov, Mr.. President. Whatever might
be the INCLINATION of the Presidents
opinion, | appeal TO you. sir. Il. upon
looking at the authorities to which |
have referred the Senate-(the autbo-
rites ofjurists and statesmen. the So
Tenn exposition given to this Consti.
tuition by the Congress Of the United
States in the year sac BY decided and
overwhelming votes in both Houses.
the great mass Of legislation standing
for It's support upon principles which
alone are required to support this)-
they might not aud ought not to have
produced a pause. and doubt. aud he
sitation in the mind Of the Executive
whether this measure might not be Goa
stiiational . The opipinn which the
President of the United States is to cx-
press is not to be The mere sugge stion
of his own mind. When this matter
was brought before General Wishing
TIM, at the Incorporation Of the frst
Bank of the United States, there were
no presidents in the history Of the
country to which appeal COULD be bad.
il was a question 81 6rst impression.
1t had to be decided BY Washington
upon the argument and debate OF the
members uf his Cabinet. lie was oblig-
ed to rely upon these. aud upon his own
reflec ions, for he had nothing else
upon which to RELY. But suppose he
bad had precedents in abundance; sup
pose il had been question arising six
ty years afterwards; suppose the pow.
er had been exercised aud acted upon
i'm unnumbercd instances, would the
President of the United States have
been at liberty to bring his individual
judgment against the concurrent aud
repeated action Of Congress. Of the ju.
dietary, aud Of the former Presidents
Would it not produce, at least, in the
mind Of any man WIN was not a Presi.
dent Of the United States. an idea thai
possibly, yes, probably, he might have
fallen intu mistake that it was con
ceivable, after the opinions Of so MANY
men--men whose names have called
to the attention of the Senate--of the
highest eminence in the country, men
OF the first talents and known patriot
ism, men who, though thes never filled
the station which he now occupies,
were elnincnlly qualified to adorn it,
that it was quite possible that it might
be far subject Of doubt and il fan
subject of doubt, then, according to the
doctrine Of Mr.. Jefferson, little re-
spect was to come in for the existing
Congress that passed the bill, and he
was to presume that when that doubt
existed, the measure might be consti.
tutlnnal. and therefore give it his APP.
proval.
Iwish the President of the United
States had taken this view of the sub
ject; for surely. nothing can be SO un-
happy as to have one Constitution to-
day and another tomorrow. We talk
about amendments to the Constitution.
We are all opposed to changes Of it.
We realize it as great evil TO have
repeated or incessant changes made in
the fundamental Law OF the land ; but
! pray you. sir, if one President and
one Congress do not pay >uitabl. re-
spect to what has been decided aud
done BY preceding Congresses and pre-
ceding Presi,lents--it the affairs Of the
Government are TO be decided upon
constitutional grounds. irrespective Of
precedent, upon the individual opin-
n