The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-05-11
The veto of the Insane Bili.

INDECENT Insane Bill, that the President was
when he usurped the power of blocking the
wheels of Congressional Legislation by using
II. The mental vision Of the President and
his supporters is sadly at fault just now
The President vetoed the bill because he
couldn't see anything in the constitution
specially authorizing such an appropriation of
the public domain. The Washington Senti-
mel says:-"We cannot see any foundation
for successful reply to the position assum-
ed by the President" &c. Our worthy
neighbor of the Enquirer appears to be Attic
ted in the same way. He declines to say
anything "upon his own hook" by way Of
justifying the President, "for wagt Of space"
and Immediately following this apology he
finds more than half column Of space for
mystic article from the Washington SENT.
nel-~the whole gist Of which, and the only
argument contained in it, is, that the editor
cannot see but that the President has done
perfectly right, nor how his position can lie
successfully controverted. We would much
like to see our neighbor occupy his space with
some of his own views, not upon the merits
of the bill, but upon what he is pleased to
term the admirable Message of Mr.. Pierce"
II you can see clearly the beauties of the /
Presidents veto-message, even to admiration,
don't fail, neghbor, to point them out at
once. 1t strikes US, however, that if we
were Democratic editor, we should say no
more about the affair than duty to our posi-.
ton required, for several reasons.
In the first place we do not believe the
President has any business to exercise the
veto power, except as the last and only al
tentative to prevent constitutional infraction,
or the enactment OF bad measures through
haste or excitement. 1t was for those two
purposes alone that this power was delegated
to the President. In this instance the veto
is not supported by either Of these objections.
The objection is, not that the President finds
anything in the constitution that either d.
rectIy or constructively prohibits the pas
sage.o this bill, not that its passage was eff.
fected in the least degree under haste or ex-
element, shut that he can find nothing in
the federal compact specially authorizing
such appropriation"
The Presidents logic may at first view
only appear weak and ambiguous, but upon
q closer scrutiny it becomes absolutely and
ridiculously absurd. Not content with the
executive authority with which he is mantled
by the constitution, he arrogates to himself
also that which belongs to the legislative
department. Congress determines by large
majorities in both Houses, to support and
protect the INDECENT Insane of the country,
and accordingly make provision therefor
The President confesses that the cons,itu-
ton does not prohibit such provision, yet he
vetoes it. The modest assumption Of power
then, which Mr.. Pierce usurps, is nothing
less than making the two branches of our
National Legislature and the constitution
itself subservient to his own will. Instead
OF cooperating with the former, and permit
ting himself to be directed by the latter. he
simply sets both at defiance in interposing
his veto to this BILL 81
The constitutional authority for this APP
preparation, and which Mr.. Pierce pretended
he could not find, is all in a nutshell, and so
plain "Ihat he that runs may read:'
"The Congress shall have power to dispose
Of and make all needful rules and regulations
respecting the territory and other property
belonging to the United States"
Now, If this provision Of the constitution
means anything, it leaves the whole matter
of the disposition of the public domain to
Congressional discretion. Acting under this
view Of that provision, Congress has, during
the last twenty years, appropriated over fifty
millions of acres of the public land to benev-
olent and other special purposes. The OBJ
jects for which Congress granted this land
are severally these: For the establishment
OF Schools and Universities; for Deaf and
Damo Asylums; grants for individuals and
companies. These grants are entirely aside
from all grants for military service, internal
or coast improvement. These grants furnish
practical and rather humiliating common
tary upon the soundness of the Presidents
views. These lands have been dispensed
to the Southern and Western States, in over
forty distinct acts of Congress, all of which
have met with executive sanction. Yet Mr.,
Pierce fails to see such power in Congress.
o. The Indianapolis Journal says that
the gap in the Ohio Liquor Law, excepting
native wine, beer. etc., from the yisitations
of its wrath, is wide enough to let whisky