Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-03-29

Of the many checks and balances of Govern
nent. Exercised, as is the case, in our
National and State Governments, by Ex-
ecutives elected by, and responsible to the
whole people, il can seldom be, OF, at least,
has seldom been connected with cireumstan-
ces detrimental to the public welfare.
At future day We will give some attention
TO the manner in which the veto power has
been used by the Presidents of the United
States and by the Governors of Indiana, with
the purpose Of exhibiting the wisdom of those
provisions of our National and State Consti-
tutiOns, which vest the veto power in Exeeu- |
tive authority While the character of this I
power is the same in the State as in the /
National Government the extent to which |
that power NAV be exercised IS not so great
in the one as in the other The veto of the
Governor of Indiana virtually requires merely
A reconsideration BY the law making power,
which may be done and the act sanctioned by a
bare majority of the Legislature. The effect of
tEs Presidents veto, however, is widely diff
ferent, and can only be over-ridden by vote
of two thirds of the members of each of the
Houses of Congress. There is then wide
discrepancy in the extent-of the veto power
with the Executive Of the State. aud the Ex-
eeutive OF the Nation,-and, this discrepancy,
We think. is founded in correct principle and
iastiee. I'm the State, the Executive repre-
sents the same people that are represented in
the Legislature, and all of whom are living
under one system of government The right
then vested in him. 10 positively arrest legis-
lstive action unless over-ridden by twO-thirds
vote. would be in discord with the general
spirit of our constitution and in conflict with
our general idea of democratic power. The
President however, not only represents the
whole people. but he represents the people of
the different States in their sovereign capacity,
who live under as many different systems of
Government as there are States in the Con-
federacv. He lands as the guardian, not only
Of the rights of the whole people. but also, of
the constitutional rights of the Individual
sovereign States. As such he acts, under his
vested authority, in harmony with the spiIit
Of the National Constitution, which cannot
he changed except by a vote of two-thirds of
the representatives, of all the States.
Had the Constitution of our State given the
veto Of the Governor a more extended power,
it is more than probable that the Bank Bills
which received his two vetoes during the
session Of the late Legislature could never
have received the sanction of legal enactment.
Whether this would have been for the public
veal or wo, is a matter which time alone will
decide. The question of cuneney.-that
question in which is involved the vital inter
ests of all the people, has already received a
share of our attention. We Relieve in the
recognition of the only currency which the
constitution acknowledgements sound metallic
currency, recommended to the people By
ANDREW JACKSON, and which money shavers
cannot corrupt, nor moths, nor rust destroy.
Upon the two laws enacted by the late
Legislature, opinions have also been ex-
pressed. The act upon Free Banking, though
bv no means what it should have been, Is we
are disposed to think, an improvement upon
the law of which it is amendatory. The law
creating a Bank with Branches is not, we
must confess, very democratic in character OIL
in principle. Many of the best men of our
party however, supported the measure as a
matter of expediency, and one which the ex-
igencies of the times seemed to them to require,
Without such support to the State Bank sys-
TEN, the Free Banking law would have re-
ceived 10 amendment whatever.
But, we have wandered from the legitimate
scope of our subject and will now return TO it,
only to call attention, as we set out to do
TO the following able article upon the subject
of the veto power, which We take from the
Journal Of Commerce:
The VETO PowER-In article /, section
Of the Constitution of the United States, it j:
provided that every Bill which shall have
passed the House of Representative and the
Senate, shall, before it become a law, lie pre-
scented to the President Of the United States
III he approce, he shall sign it, but II not, h
shall return it, with its objections, to tina
house in which it shall have originated
The Constitution, moreover, provides tha
before the President enter On the execution
of his Office, he shall take the following Oatl
or affirmation II do solemnly swear (or af
firm) that / will faithfully execute the offic,
of President of the United States, and will
10 the best of my ability, preserve, protect
and defend, the Constitution of the United
States" If words, Therefore, have a meaning
the Executive ofthe United States prejure
himself unless he "retum with his objec
tons " every Bill which he cannot "approre
he also violates the solemn obligation impos
ed upon him by the wise foresight of the fra
mers Of the Constitution, and which he ha
voluntarily accepted, if he does not arrest tn
passage Of a law until it can be more mature
" considered, whenever, according TO his hes
Judgment, the legislative power bestowed up
on Congress has been used by ii to the Diet
riment Of the country.
The first Section Of the first Article of tia
Constitution enacts that d" ALL legislative pow
ers shall lie vested in Congress of the Uni
Ted States, which shall consist of Senate an,
House of Representative" The President
therefore, can make no law. Neither can h
prevent measure from becoming law f; 70
il, after he has returned Bill with his obiec
tons, two thirds of both Houses of Congress
shall agree to pass it, it thereby becomes
law, notwithstanding his disapproval. Tn
influence OF the President is surely negative
He can temporarily check, but he cannot orig
mate a Bill. He is untrue, however, to hi
duty if he do not faithfully consider eac
measure which shall have been passed by tn
National Legislature decide, according to hi
best judgment, whether t meet his approva
or not and in conformity with such decisio
either raise it to the dignity of law, by sign
ing the same, or make known his objection
to its enrichment. The question in his min
may not even be, whether an Act of Congress
is constitutional or unconstitutional bu
simply and solely, the Constitution estat
es, whether, after conscientious consideration
he approves or disapproves. In the latte
case no option is left him he shall retur
the same with his objections to that Hous
in which it shall have originated"
The enemies of fha Veto ,,ou,ar ,.-atar