The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-05-09
TUESDAY MORNING ,:::::::::::MAY
The Pre.ident,. Veto message.

The President's Veto Message.
This extraordinary document, containing
the Presidents objections and constitutional
scruples against the INDECENT Insane Bill, az
ter he had "maturely considered" the same,
was delivered to the Senate on the Sd of
May, and is now before the country. There
10 something disagreeably repulsive in the
very idea of the word "veto," and there is
perhaps no branch of executive authority,
the exercise of which exposes the act to 80
much scrutiny, criticism and animadversion as
the exercise of the veto power. The legitimate
objects of placing this arbitrary control over
the action of Congress, in the hands of the
Executive, are defined as being exclusively
and solely for two purposes, uiz: to prevent
unconstitutional and hasty Legislation. 1t
has become a grave question with many
statesmen of the present age, whether SO
frequent an exercise of this "one-man-pow.
er" as has been INDUCED in by several of our
latter-day Presidents has been productive of
the greater good or evil.
The so-called message is very labored
document, and reminds us of an anecdote
which is told Of a certain other distinguish
ed Yankee, who is said to be a very bad chy-
rographist. An important legal documen,
containing several pages of his own manus-
cript was returned to him for Interpretation
with p. g., that 'not''a word of it could be
read.' The distinguished legal gentleman at
hac that
he could not interpret it for the same reason,
and adding with emphasis-"You ought to
know what it means!" We suppose that the
U. s. Senate, when a bill is formally return
ed, unsigned, and accompanied with some.
thing purporting to be the Presidents OBJ
jsctions, sought to know what it means
but in this instance many Senators, upon
hearing the message read, confessed them
selves so unfortunate as to be unable to un-
derstand what the President meant"by his
objections" The Senate are not at liberty
to go behind the document itself, and ask
the President to explain, else he would be
found in more humliating labyrinth of diff
6cultes than the great Yankee lawyer.
The chief objection urged by the Presi-
dent, without shadow Of argument or rea-
soning upon that point, 10 "that he can find
nothing in the constitution which warrants
the grant of public lands to such purpose"
To base objections to a bill upon constitu-
tional grounds when its passage is demanded
by the common good of the whole country
and by the most benefcent of all human OBJ
jects, because nothing can be found in the
constitution specially authorizing it, is too
silly sn idea for any man outside an insane
asylum to offer. The President places his
objections upon constitutional grounds, and
in the same paragraph virtually acknowl-
edges that he can find no such objections in the
constitution. If nothing is found in the
federal compact specially authorizing this
bill, there is certainly nothing prohibiting the
appropriation which it embodies, while the
history of Congress furnishes innumerable
precedents involving the very principle,
which have unhesitatingly received execu-
tive sanction-and measures, too, Of infinite.
Iy less importance in their beneficent OBJ.
jscts.
The granting of land to the construction
of canals, railroad, schools, colleges, public
and scientific surveys; the making generous
appropriations to the merito,ous acts of able
bodied and sound minded seamen, require an
equal stretch of constitutional fancy, vet
none of those objects present the strong
claims upon just and liberal sympathetic
consideration that the support protection, md
reclamation Of the unfortunate "indgent in.
sane of the country demand. 1t is remar-
kable fact, that the frequent and indiscrimin-
ate exercise of the veto power has been con,
fined almost exclusively TO the secondary, OF
lower order OF planets in the Presidential
constellation, and the great constitutional
huns5ug has generally been the subterfuge tc
which they few for refuge and Justification
The veto of the INDECENT Insane bill is one
of ths very few distinctive measures of the
Pierce administration. In this matter, tn:
President has been free from all official die
tation from any other branch OF the exscu
tive department., and If another act was ne
cessary to render him more VIGOROUSLY in
capable and unfit for the position he occu
pies, it is to be found ia bis ridiculous, feeble
illogical and incon sistent veto message.
a. The arsenals of England have beer
-