The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-21
THE WARFARE UPON THE VETO.

The Philadelphia North American leads the column OF
attack upon the veto of the French spoiation BILL and
opens the warfare upon President Pierce with volley of
bitter personal epthes undgnifed they are iberal
and unjust That journal denounces the act of the Pres
dent as "emneny audacious and wicked whilst II
wives and repeats the stereoyped abuse of the oneman
power with which the country has been familiar
since the days of Andrew jackson The experience of the
past ought to taught the North American that such
mode of warfare is impoten whether directed against
democratic President the constitution To call the veto
power the autocratic privilege If the President is to inn
peach the wisdom and patriotism of the fathers of the
public who introduced into the constitution To char
acterze its exercise in the conscientious discharge of
utive duty as audacious and wickedis to inter and
propagate an unmitigated calumny.
When Congress in 1884, passed bill to discharge from
the military establishment few Dragons without Prov
ding for them such compensation President Washington
deemed adequate he vetoed the bill and the of that
day readily acquesced in the legitimate exercise Of
undoubed constitutional power Although his reasons
were not deemed conclusive by some yet then
capable Of ouagng decency and proprety by denouncng
the act as auacous and wicked by characterzng
the veto power the autocrac privilege of the Presi-
dent 1t was reserved for later day witness the
tacle of President being assaed with such pithets for
the conscientious discharge of his duties and Of seeing the
constitution denounced comforting autocrac prvi
lege on the President
We took occasion yesterday to state with distinct
ness our views upon the question whether the present.
ed in President Perces message furnished proper ground
the exercise OF the veto power The constitution having
conferred the power without restriction and there being
defined rule for the Of the Veto the question as to
the propey ofresorng to it in any given case must de-
pend mainly considerations both of which address
themselves to the conscience of the President First Does
the public interest require the President to look beyond
the evidence furnished by the fact that the bill has
ccyed msoritiss in both houses Second Does his
investigation fully satisfy his mind that the public inter-
ests would be injured By his approval Of the bl2 The
views Of President Pierce these points stated by
him in his message with much cearness and force and
ut the time conclusive the duty imposed
upon the Executive by the constitution and fully vindi-
cate him against the charges OF improper to the
veto power that reproduce tho following paragraphs
While the constitution thus confers the Legislative
bodies the complete o: legislation in all
ceed In the spirit of Justice to provide for the protection Of
the responsibility Of the President 1t does not compel him
Ax the signature of approval to bill unless actually
have his appreciation for while requires him to sign IL he
approve it, in my Judgment imposes upon him the duty Of
withholding his signature II he do not approve In the
cation his official duty this respect he Ia not to perform
mere mechanical part but IL to decide and according
conscientious convictions Of the rghuness the wrongful
ness proposed Law. In matter to which he doubt
full his mind he may well defer TO the majority Of the
houses Individual members of the respective houses
owing the nature variety and amount Of business pending
necessarily rely for their guidance in many, perhaps
cases. when the matters involved not Of popular inter
est upon the investigation Of appropriate committees
be- that Of single member whose attention has been
cuary directed to the subject For similar but
to greater extent from the number and variety Of subjects
daily urged his attention, the President naturally
lies much the investigation had and the results arrived
at, by the two houses and hence those results in large
classes Of constitute the basis upon which his
rests The Presidents responsibility the whole people
OF the United States that of Ia the people
particular State that Of representative the people
State district and il may be safely assumed that
will the clearly and limited power Of
resting legislation, and calling for reconsideration Of any
except In obedience 10 requirements OF duty When
however he enterains decisive and fired conclusion
merely Of the unconstuonav. but Of the improprety
injustice other respects OF he declare that
he approves IT, he false 10 his oath, and he deliberately dis
regards his constitutional obligations,