Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-10
a"a1-1|7"7-77----1--
Look 10 the senate!

A stern and whitening rebuke has just been ad-
ministcred, by Democratic Senate, to n Demo
cratic President. Three bills for the Improve
ment tho Mouth of thu Mississippi,tho st. Clair
Flats, and the st. Mary's River had becn passed
by Congress-but the President, assuming TO be
better versed in constitu tional law, or more cog.
infant Of the wants Of the country. opposed his
individual will to that of the National I4egsla-
ture and vetoed The bills. Tuesday the Senate
took up those bills again and passed them over
tho head of the Executive, by more than two
thirds vote. We do not remember that this ever
occurred before in the history Ct tho COVE rnmont
We rejoice that at last, in spite of the bondage
and serviity of party, the Senate have bad the
courage to assert their dignity and power, and to
beat back the invasion Of tho Executive into the
domain of the Legislative Department Under
the unrestricted and unrebuked abuse which
Democratic Presidents of late years haze made
of the veto power, our government has cen rap
idly verging towards monarchy Tho Executive
has assumed TO be the representative of the pop
ular will, empowered by his Office to exercise his
individual judgment, in matters of expediency
we'll of coustitutionality, in determining
what laws should or should not be pas sed. Tn
der this theory, our whole system OF government
has been well-nigh revolutionized. A large por.
ton of one of the leading parties of the country
have como to consider tho Preside mt the foun-
tain of power and source of legislation. What
he recommends is to be adopted by Congress,
and what, from caprice. prejudice or ignorance,
he dsapproves, is to be forbidden! Tho practice
of modern Democracy has reduced Congress to
a subordinate and ministerial position, making it
the mere register of tho edic,s of the Executive
while it has invested the latter with prerogatves
but little short of royal and defe nded them as if
under the supersttious aud slavs belief that the
king Gun do no wrong" Such devotees ofpow-
or and prerogative win be shocked at the course
of the Senate in daring to disregard the will of
the Executive. 1t is not impossible that they will
desire to every Senator voting in the aflirma.
tive on these bills prosecuted for treason scan
mag. How will the President himself, regard
this action of co. ordinate branch of the govern
ment! In England, where the veto power has not
been exercised for generations. 1t is customary
for the ministry (the real govermnent) to resign
whenever a government measure of importance
fails. This would seem to be still moro appropriate
in government based on the popular willard,
If appropriate, it would be in the highest degree
| obligatory, when measure vetoed by the Exc.
cutive had again passed, in spite of bis objec-
tons, by q two thirds vote. But, we have no
desire to see the President and his Cabinet re-
tire at this time. The people have already Civ
en- them notice to quit, and, in due time, the pla-
| ces that know them now will know them no more
forever. Let them remain where they are, the
more kcenly to feel the humiliation of this sena-
torial censure. But this event has signifcancy
in another aspect. We have heard much of late
| about the unity Of the Democratic party and the
identity of the Democratic creed. The late Con.
vention in Cincinnati adopted and Published a
series of resolutions which were said to be ex-
pository of Democratic principles and policy,he
country over. These resolutions received the
unanimous approval of the Conventions They
were declared to be clear, ineligible and une-
quivocal; to admit of but one construction; and
TO be understood in the same way by the party
IN every quarter of the Union. Among these
resolutions was one relating TO this very ques-
ton OF appropriations by the Federal Govern
inent for purposes of internal Improvement. and
defining the policy of the party touching the sub
ject. The original debate in the Senate on tbose
bills, which we took occasion to spread hef,ro
the readers of this journal. exposed an utter and
irreconcilable diversity of sentiment arnonr tho
leaders of the party upon the very question. ,bo
right and the wrong of which they undertook dis.
tinctly to deliueate at Cincinnati Nevertheless