Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-08

Where did the veto power originate :.
It was established 20 enable the people to
resist ard repel encroaehments on their
rights. The veto power had its origin in
old Rome, 3507 Ammo Mundi, and before
Christ 497, and from the building Of the
city of Rome 255, which would make
since its origin 2345 years. These dates
viii show that the people of Rome had
been submitting to gradual eneroach-
ment two hundred and flfty-hye years,
until further submission was insupporta-
bic. At this period the levies and laws
Of the Roman Senate We're so enormous
and oppressive that the people were com
PEELED TO employ means 10 resist their
further enCrOacnmeut The people en-
HldsSs retired 10 q mountain three miles
distant from Rome, called MOnsaeer, and
We're there addressed by Junius Iuciu-
and Sicinius Belierus with masculine ell
uQuence, ALWAYS the child OF nature,
which induced the people 70 compel the
Roman Senate 10 yield the power 70
them 10 establish five trihuues from
among themselves, which, in process Of
time, were increased 70 ten, who should
be clothed with the veto power. These
tribunes were placed at the Senate door,
and all laws passed by the Roman SEN
ate were presented to them for their APP
proval or rejection. If they approved a
law il was signed with the letter 7, but
ITnot approved theF used the word veto,
which signifies % / forbid" This is the
origin Of the veto power; and so long as
Il was exercised by tTbunes or officers
Immediately responsible 70 the people
for their election or appointment the
end that the people designed was sue
cessfulIy accomplished that Is, resistance
10 encroachmeut on their rights. And
80 long as this power was preserved i'm It's
original purity and simplicity II was eX-
arcised 10 the advancement Of the peO-
pies rights and interests.
/ will now pass 10 a point of time when
this power returns 10 its original source,
the people. The patriots and sages Of
the Revolution, who were perfectly Ia
miliar With the veto power a. II existed
in the cslOnies and mother country, af-
ter effecting cur separation from Great
Britain, were called upon TO form con-
sritution, and in that constitution we
find the veto power established, and 10
be exercised by the people. The cOnsti- !
tuition was submitted 10 the States, and
after mature and deliberate cOnsidera-
ton by them il was adopted. On the
4th Of March, l7S9, George Washington, 4
the father Of his country, delegate 10
and president Of the convention that
framed the constitution, was inaugurated
President Of the United States, and, for
the first time under the constitution, the
veto mower was eNeFcised-Or, according
10 our opponents of this day, the zone
man or despotic power and that,
too. upon the ground Of convenience and /
economy, and the second time upon con- ]
stitutionsl grounds. And IN this con- /
nectiOn, although Mr. Jefferson never |
exercised the power while President, We /
can adduce proof which shows that he /
supr0ved Of the incorporation Of the /
power into our constitution snd Of its eX- /
ercise afterwards. In his letter to Mr.. /
Madison, written when he was in Paris, /
dated December %, 49,, he takes de- l
cided ground in favor Of the veto In |
his opinion, as written Out while SeeTe- 4
tary Of State during Gen. Washington's /
administration, he urged It's exercise /
upon the ground that its omission might /
he construed into a nOnuser or an official .
negligence. We find, then that these /
two men, whose patriotism and purity 4
OF purpose no mortal man can doubt /
were in favor Of the veto power as estab- 4
Iished In the constitution James Madi- 1
son, the third republican President, and, I
as he is called by some, " the great Apos-
tie of IIbertv,n who was a member Of /
the convention that framed the great I
chart OF American liberty, and after .
wards President Of the United States, 1
and that, too, while all was fresh and .
and outrages that had been committed |
by the British Government, under every |
UretcDre whatever, exercised this power
six times during his eight years admin
istratiOn. Next We come 20 Mr.. Mon
roe: and during his administration il viii
he remember that il was called "a the
era Of goodwill and Cancellation Of all
parties who, it may be said, came into
power almost without opposition, and
Z g. D
almost merged. a man that no onewill
charge with possessing the first element
81 the tyraut or the despot, and Of whom
il might be said, that he was war
hating and peace-loving man. he ven
tured to exercise this power once. We
then pass over Mr.. J. Q. Apams' admin
istrati0n 10 that Of Andrew Jackson
and. Notwithstanding he has been de-
n0unced as arbitrary and tyranical-that
his viii was iron and his nerves were
steel-even he, in the use Of this power
always exercised il in defense Of the PeO-
pIc's interests and in resisting encroach-
ments on their rights. BY this man IL
was exercised nine times, and the people
said, Well done, thou good and faithful
servant We will pass by the admin
i-tratiOn Of Mr.. Van Buren 70 that Of
John Tyler, called by some, but not by
me. in deri>ion, " the accidency Presi-
dent who exercised this power four
times: and under his administration is
the only instance in which a Law was
passed over veto, by two-thiTds Of the
two houses Of Congress, siBce the origin
Of the Government, and that an unim-
portant law. Next comes Mr.. Poik's
administration, and since ne came into
power IL has been exercised three times.
Thus il viii he seen, that from the origin
OF the Government 20 the present time
this power has been exercised twenty
FIVE times. The whole number Of laws
passed from the organization Of the Gov
ernment, and approved Is about seven
thousand; which would make one veto
10 every two hundred and eighty acts
very smah proportion; ana tnlnk
may appeal with confidence to all those .
who are conversant with legislation here, /
whether il would not have been better /
FOR the people and the country If i've
thousand OGI Of the seven thousand mad 1
been vetoed. have been thus parucu- 4
lar IN giving the origin and exercise -
the veto power 70 prove that whenever
70 has been exercised ia compliance WITH I
the popular viii by q tribune or pfesl-
dent, o. by any other name you may
think proper 20 give him, 50 that lac IS
immediatelv responsible 10 the people, il
operates well. And 20 show, further,
that whenever this power is retained IN
The hands OF the people, men entertain
ing certain principles, without any re-
gard 20 their party name, make war upon
This power when ~ this end Of the line
I,yt whenever il is transferred d. the
other end and placed in the hands Of ir-
responsible persons they become Its de-
Tenders and advocates. BY an eGamlna-
tioD Of the constitution we find the veto
power lodged ip another department OF
80. snHsafH az A O.
ecutire. and this department is irrespon-
slide to the Beopiei ! Iaeap thai She Judi
ciarv who are appointed for llfe-or tan
fsnoaut thereto, during good behavior
aVercige the veto power absolutely. They
are men. and subject 10 all tbe preJuniaes
and Influences OF other men, according
10 their construction Of the constitution.
They can veto every act OF Congress
after its approval by the President, and
that veto Is final. But against the eAer-
else Of this power by this department. pl
the Government the federal parry Hiahe
40 complaint, but think Il a pefleeuy
safe place for the lOdgment OF the power
- IL j. beyond the reach Of the people
which will at once show 90 every reflect
ing and intelligent mind the sincerity oi
the opposition in making war on the eA-
ercise OF the veto power, when exercised
boy thar department. Of the Government
Immediately responsible 10 the people.
bJ-The Rochester Democrat says; 4
few weeks since a young man. named
Charles Davis, alias CarringtOn, was
hung in Baltimore for murder. Since
that time his mother, Mrs. Darlington,
hRs been deprived Of her husband By
death IN the ordinary course Of uature
OF disease and one day last week she
married, in this city, another husband,
the corpse Of the previous husband being
al the time in the receiving vault az
Mount Hope cemetery, awaiting inter
menL
b6~ The most common disguise of
fnyy is the praise Of what is subordinate,