Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-02-26

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Judgment imposes upon him the duty If with
holding his signature if be do not approve. Ia
the execution of his official duty in this respect
/ he is not to perform a mere mechanical part. but
/ Is tn decide and act according 4 conscieutiol-
convictions Of the righffuness or the wrongful
ness Of the proposed law. In matter M 10
+ which be i doubtful in his own mind, be may
well defer Ia the majority Of the t~a hoascs. indl.
vidual members of ihc rp.ptcfiyn. houses. nsglu-
10 the the natural variety aud amount If ba-ue--
/ pending, must necessarily feiy, Tor Their gal
guidance IN many, perhaps most cas'-. wi'.I
ths matters Involved are Mt Il popular interest.
upon the Investigation ct appropriate oeWuit.
+ tee. or. II, may be. that Of single member.
! whose attention has been particularly directed 90
the subject ior similar reasons, bat even T. %
/ greater extent. from the number and variety uE
subjects daily urged upon hi, attention. thr Pr.
i ldent naturally relies much upon the iuye-' g.
! ton had. ual ihc results arrived at y thrtR-,
houses. uua hence thp-r results, ia large e,.--..-
i of cases, cont ute the basis upon which his az
! prosal fr-fs. He Presidents responsibility D..
/ to the whole people If the United states. = az
Of a senator to thr people OF particular ~ta't.
that ola representative to the people of >fa ;
or districts and 1t may be- -aieIy Assumed thu
will not resort To Tire clearly defined and linz. /
power ct arrt- sting legislation. aud calling Tor
collaboration ct any measure, except in "hsa
enee to requirements afdHty. Whom, howoF...
he eutertain~ decisive aud fixed conclusion. ~
merely Of In" ancan-t iiu'ioualty, hut of the I'm
proprety.ar injustice iu other re-. oct-. # uiy
measure. Il be declare TINT he approves it, j. f.
/ ial-c to his oatb. aud lac deliberately dr-reEafl-
his constitutional obligations.
chreriuly recognise the weight OF authority
which attaches to the action ot "a majority 81 Tie
| two houses. But IN this case, ~ in sum- III
crs the tranrrs o our constitution. for WISE cs4-
siderations Of public good, provided that u9fr-
ing less than two third, vote Of one or both #
the houses ut Congress shall become ehrciIv, 10
bind the coordinate departments at the govern
ment, the people. and the several States. II
there be anything of seeming iuyidiousnc-z in
the official right thus conferred on the President
IT Is IN appearance only, for the same right OF
approving or d,approyinga bill. according to
each ones own Judgment, /, conferred on every
member Of The senate. aud If the House of l'ep-
rcscnfhiiyos
From the obstraso yerbiage If these passages,
two propositions may be induced first, Tia, thu
appreciation OF Tn President is Il necessary ,le
ment NALL esl-Ia'ion: second that the President
is presumed 10 reflect the will of the whole poo
pie. The first proposition constitutes the presi
dcntinl Office ordinate branch If the lrgi-la
tive power; md the second tran,untes thu Er
tcHtirs INTO a Representative departments BE
hcyiug both wrong revolutionary, and rcpl,te
with danger 10 the Republic, if admitted by the
people, we take isaac with the message aud pro
test against it, Interpretation al the constitution.
The very terms euployed IN that instrument.
(which We hn,e lDai.csed ahoYe) would seem -lf
fciently 10 denote the class of powers and duties.
with which they were meant = BIZ invested. l}u
We are not left t. the definition Of their import
to ASCERTAIN tn ...i,nt of tha-e powers aud du
ties. tha constitution itself pro,c.ioes and lin
"a Il i Il