Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-03-11
majority Of two-thirds in the Congress o
the United States.

AL appear W tuo HdtlUus uUWcttT, Is
attended with too much delay 10 meet an
emergency while if left free to act, the
people would correct, in time, such evils
as might follow legislative usurpation,
there is danger that the same power which
disregards the constitution will deprive
them Of the right to change their rulers,
except by revolution. We have already
seen the jurisdiction of the judiciary cir.
cumscribed when it was apprehended that
the courts would decide against laws have
ing for their sole object the supremacy of
party, while tho veto power lodged in the
Executive by the constitution for the in
terests and protection OF the people, and
exercised by Washington and bis success
ors, has been rendered nugatory by par
tisan majority of thirds in each branch
Of the national legislature.
The constitution evidently contemplates
that when bill is returned with the Pre-
sident's objections it will be calmly recon-
sidered by Congress. Such, however, has
not been the practice under present party
rule. 1t has become evident that men
who pass bill under partisan influence
are not likely, through patriotic motives,
to admit their error and thereby weaken
their own organization by confessing it
under an official oath. Pride of opinion
if nothing else, has interviewed and pre-
vented calm and dispassionate reconsid-
Grafton Of bill disapproved by the Ex-
ecutive. Much as I veneratc the constl-
tuition, it must be admitted that this con
dition of affairs has developed defect
which, under the aggressive tendency of
the legislative department of the govern
ment, may readily work its overthrow. 1t
may, however, be remedied without dis
turbing the harmony of the instrument.
The veto power is generally exercised
upon constitutional grounds; and when
ever it is so applied. and the bill returned
with the Executives reasons for withhold
ing his signature, it ought to be immedi-
ately certified to the Supreme court of the
United States for its decision.
IF it's constitutionality shall be declared
| by that tribunal, it should then become a
law, but if the decision is otherwise, it
should fail, without power in Congress
to re-enact or make it valid. In cases in
which the vetoe rests ubon hasty and in
considerate legislation, and in which no
constitutional question is involved, [
would not change the fundamental law,
| for in such cases no permanent evil can be
incorporated into the federal system. 1t is
obvious that without such an amendment
the government, as it existed under the
constitution prior to the rebellion, may be
totally subyerted and overthrown by a
two-thirds majority in Congress. 1t is
not, therefore, difficult to see how easily
and how rapidly the people may lose, shall
not say have lost, their liberties by an
unchecked and uncomfortable majority in
the law-making power, and when once de-
prived of their rights how powerless they
are to regain them.
Let us turn for moment to the history
of the majority in Congress which has
acted in such utter disregard of the con-
stitution. While public attention has been
carefully and constantly turned to the
past and expiated sins of the South, the
servants of the people in high places have
boldly betrayed their trusts, broken their
oaths of obedience to the constitution, and
undermined the very foundations of liber-
ty, justice and government.
When the rebellion was being suppress
sed by the volunteer service of patriotic
soldiers, amid the dangers of the battle
field, these men crept, without question,
into place and power in the national coun-
ellis. After all danger had passed, when
no armed foe remained, when famished
and repentant people bowed their heads to
the flag and renewed their allegiance to
the government of the United States,
then it was that pretended patriots appear
ed before the nation and began to pirate
about the thousands of lives and millions
of treasure sacrificed in The suppression of
the rebellion.
They have since persistently sought to
influence the prejudices engendered be-
tween the sections to retard the restora-
ticn of peace and harmony, and by every
means to keep open and exposed to the
poisonous breath of party passion the ter
rrible wounds of a four years war. They
have prevented the return of peace and
the restoration OF the Union, in every way
rendered delusive the purposes, promises
and pledges by which the army was mar
shaded, treason rebuked ana rebellion
crushed, and made the liberties of the
people and the rights and powers of the
President object of constant attack. They
have wrested from the President his con-
stitutional power of supreme command of
the army and navy they have destroyed
the strength and efficiency of the Execu-
tive department by making subordinate
officers independent of and able to defy
their chief, they have attempted to place
the President under the power of bold,
defiant and treacherous Cabinet officer,
they have robbed the Executive of the
power Of pardon, rendered null and void
acts of elemency granted to thousands of
persons under the provision of the consti-
tuition, and committed gross usurpation by
Legislative attempts to exercise this power
in favor of party adherents. They have
conspired to change the system of our gov
ernment by preferring charges against the
President in the form of articles of i'm
parchment, and contemplating before
hearing Or trial that he should be placed
in arrest, held in durance, and when it
became their pleasure to pronounce his
sentence, driven from place and power in
disgrace. They have in time of peace in
creased the national debt by reckless ex-
penditure Of the public moneys, and thus
added to the burden which already weigh
unon the neonle thew have nerm;ttea the