The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-03-16

been deyolyed on the supreme Court tue language eA
planned by the eoniemporaneous debates on the pvos
ton n which the unness Of the judges for discussions
OF questions Of policy pressed the conyenondoes
any believe that that court would so restrain the
plain words of the section to reduce the subject OF their
revision 10 small class of bills when the article suggest
ed in its terms no distinction between class and an
oher2 If such would have been the power of the court
how could that of the Executive conferred in the same
TERMS be less and such would have been the power Of
the Executive under that state Of circumstances how
be less because the power proposed TO be given to the
judiciary not given
The language Of The constitution is "f be approve, he
shall sign t7 The right sign il is made 10 depend
his approval of it. If the language had been q" he da
prone be shall return III then in where the Pres-
dents Judgment in state Of suspension he tight sign
il for though he did approve yet he did not dsa
proVs il and it would only be in of dsapProsai
that he would be bound it, But the constitution
guarded carefully against such possible Interpretation by
selecting language that demanded his approval before it
should become law. And this language demanding this
approval adhered the proposition in whatever form 1t
adopted by the convention in all It's stages
After this had BEEN time and again. before the
convention after the deep regrets had been expressed that
the Legislature could not by more etectual means
than had been devised be placed under the control of the
Executive very significant alteration was made by re-
curing that the the reconsideration OF bill re-
turned by the President without his approval should be by
the yeas and nays which in each house should be entered
on the journal.
The trainers of the constitution by this amendment
secured responsible endorse to every law that was pass
ed If the President approved IT. he was held responsible
10 the country His responsibility was fixed, for he was
orbad TO sign the law except in testimony of his approval
His name was forever linked to it. to his everlasting dis
grace If the law improper one and this was deemed
sufficient guarantee But il be should refuse to approve
it. and it should nevertheless become law, who should be
held responsible No one, according to the original
draupht of the clause but amended each member who
voted for il had to do in form which recorded his con-
nexion with the law His vote was to be written down on
the journal there forever confronted with the dsapprov
of the President and there forever confronted with those
reasons by which the President warned them against the
measure The President only to refuse his appro
bation but he required to return IL with his objec
tons SO that the representative in Congress should not
have the excuse to plead that he had voted mprovdent
Thus not only was twothrds vote required to
the Executive negative but this vote was to be given in
such form that those who sustained the measure pledged
their regulations to its propriety.
Those who would interpret the clause as to require
the Presidents signature every bill that not in clear
violation of the constitution, that was not passed in in
considerable haste would virtually change the constitution
and we should have passed without the yeas and nays
and for which, therefore, the individual members could not
be held responsible the country and with the signature
of the President to it which did not import sanction
approval Of the law and for which, therefore, he would not
be responsible In word should have laws for which
one would be responsible Our fathers did not think this
wise They egsated for errng man. and therefore devised
plan by which responsible party, either the Pres-
dent or the individual members of Congress- should stand
forever responsible for the law The refusal to approve is
not the extreme medicine of the constitution So to
gard it is repeal this great safeguard of the peoples il is
emascuate the provision by reducing the President in
the exercise of this duty to automaton to be moved
he shall be instructed by wires II is continuance
to shift responsibility from every shoulder for who is
sponsble If the members who pass unknown and the
President who signs it merely acts as a clerk
Those greatly who suppose that the convention
animated by counses that betry dstrust of the Exec
tive Far from it. The dsyust wds Of Congress. Gouver
Norris in debate used this language when pressing
the necessity of comforting larger powers the Executive
to enable it to exercise greater control Congress
The most viruous citizens will often as members of
legislative body, in which afterwards in
their private capacities they will be ashamed Of"
The yeas and nays having been provided for in the
where the President should withhold his approval Of BILL
the hint further acted and still further check
Congress- it resolved that the yeas and nays of
the members of either house any question SHALL at the
desire Of oneh of those present be entered the Jour
nal and that the Journal from time 10 time should be pub
shed except such parts the public interest required
should be kept secret
This responsibility of legislator in his reputation to the
country and the world to his contemporaries and pos
terty is see highly favored in the constitution; and
though have all seen how frequently the oneh rule
has been abused to the purposes Of faction for the reardng
of legislation and divers illegtimate ends yet one
would be willing its exercise put under the least l
gal constran Its sautary operation better to
than the members themselves Judging from the
freedom with which it is applied
1t is the glory of constitution that when the provis-
ion in question interpreted make incumbent
the President to approve only those bills in which he
foolish wicked law shall pass which, by its OPP
Grafton shall not avenge itself of its
thors by consignng him them to obloquy derson.
Ii seems them that whether the language of the provs
ion be considered by itself in connection with the de-
bates in the convention the purpose to impose on
the President in every the solemn duty of considering
the BILL and according to his best Judgment approve or
ddrope it. So far from the exercise Of this negative be-
ing the administration of the exreme medicine of the
stitution" should pass into a law which does
not command the confidence of the President The
try disturbed by of the influence the novel
power Of bbysm exercises in the halls of Congress and
the people have right be assured that every sentinel
the constitution has provided shall be placed guard
their rights If the veo pocr becomes drowsy timd
laws May pass which shall be irrevocabe in their
sequences If alert and too bold the that can
come OF il is short delay in the adoption Of
The democratic party the side OF the constitution
has guarded this II has yet perform the task Of
asserting its full prerogaves and establish settled
that its exercise shall be free the OF
the veto by the Senate upon bill from the House by the
House bill from the Senate and by the Senate the
officers by the President The is