Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-16
M EXECUTIVE rowEa-rHE vETO.

TuE EXECUTIVE POEEE-THE VETO
How generally the Present falsiBes the
predictions and overturns the theories OF
the Past, and shows how little real wis
dom there IL in what's called statesman
shin He who shall now read the dis
cussions of the Convention of 1887, and
those of the State Conventions that de-
hated the Constitution, will be surprised
TO see that no man among all the states
men Of the day foresaw the real dangers
TO be encountered by the Government
they were creating; that none of the
evils and mischiefs predicted by them
have occurred, but altogether others,
which none Of them foresaw. The lily
balanced machine which they manufac-
tured has not in any way worked accord
ing to their expectations. Nj. HAMIL-
TON was in favor Of a strong Executive +;
but the chief danger anticipated by al
most all the others, was usurpation OF
powers on the part Of the President. So,
when General JACKSON made himself
! virtually Dictator, Mr.. CLAY devoted all
his energies to the destruction OF the veto
power; and under his lead the Wing party,
pretending nevertheless to be conserva-
tive, made it a tenet Of its creed that this
power was contrary to the genius of re-
publican institutions.
To-day we have learned that the Pres
ident is powerless, when Ia opposition to
a Congress supported by a majority Of
the voters. They may enact any laws
they please, Notwithstanding his veto.
They may deprive him Of the powers Of
| dismissing members of his Cabinet and
Of appointing men 10 office. The House
Of Representative may impeach him,
on loose and vague charges, and he may
/ thereupon by law be for the time de-
prived of his office. The Congress may
consolidate the government, ia despite
| Of the Constitution, and violate that in
/ strument in the grOssest manner in de-
! fanee of the Supreme Court. There is
indeed no limit to its powers. We see
them now, while daily usurping powers
not granted them by the Constitution,
threatening and preparing to impeach
the President for exercising G%neonstitu-
tionsl powers and concentrating in the
hands Of the Senate those more uneOn-
stitutionsl, and most %exorbitant anddan-
gerous. And we now see that the prerOg-
atives Of the President are unreal that
he is at the mercy of Congress, and that
when il is on one side, and he and the
Constitution on the other, his defeat and
destruction are inevitable. 1t is Row
evident that, to have ensured any degree
of permanenceto the Government and of
independence to the Executive, his
er Of veto should have been absolute,
and that of the appointment and dis
missal Of his Ministers vested without
qualification in himself. It is equally
evident that the power of Congress to
increase the number of the Judges of the
Supreme Court, enables the former to
revolutionize that Tribunal when they
please and that, as an expounder of the
Constitution, it is a failure, and its decis-
ions finally settle no important question
on which the Congress also can act,
The Congress must in the end swallow
up the other Departments, az the Trier
Efat in the French National Assembly
finally swallowed up the other two
Estates, the clergy and the nsbles.
It will then probably purge itself Of
H" factious" members, and declare itself
en- pcrHJGHeacs. After that the fate OF
the country may easily be foretold; for
history always reprOduees itself.