Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1869-03-27


calmly TeeOhsidercd By Congress,
Sueh, however, has not hean the
practice under present party rule,
/ ID has become evident that men who
pass a bill under partisan influences
arc not likely, through patriotic
motives, TO admit their error, aud
/ thereby weaken their own Organi-
Eations by solemnly eonfessing II
under an official oath. Pride OF
opinion, IL nothing else, has inter
yened, and prevented calm and
dispasslOnato reconsideration OF a
bill disapproved hy tho Executive,
Much as yenerate tho conslitn-
liOn, il must be admitted that this
condition Of affairs has developed u
defect which, under the aggressive
tendency of the Legislative depart.
ment OF tho Government may
readily work its ovorihrlw. 1t
may, however, bc rcmodied, with
out disturbing the harmony Of the
instrument.
The veto power is generally ex'
ercised upon constitutional grounds,
aud whenever Il Is so applied, and
the bill returned with the ENccu,
tive's reasons for withholding his
signature, 1t ought to bc immcdi'
atoly certified to the Supreme Court
&c the United States for its decision.
II It's constitutionality shall be de-
clarcd by tho tribunal, II should
then become n law; but if tho dc
cision Is otherwise. IL should fail,
without power in Congress to ro-
onact and make IL valid.
In cases in which tho veto rests
upon hasty and inconsidcratc lcgis-
lation, and in which no constitu.
tional question Is involved. would
not change tho fundamental law;
for in such cases no permanent evil
can be Incorporated into the Fcdc-
raj system.
II is Obvious that without such
nm amendment, the Government, as
il existed under the Constitution
prior to the rebellion. may be Who'll.
iy subvcrtcd and ovcrthrown by
two-thirds majority in Congress. 1t
is not, therefore, difficult 10 see how
easily and how rapidly the people
may lose-shall / not say, have
lost ?-their liberties by an un-
checked and uncomfortable MAORI
ty in the law-making power; and,
when once deprived of their rights,
how powcrlcss they .rc to regain
them.
Let us turn OR n moment to tho
history of the majority in Congress,
which has acted in such utter dis
regard of tho constitution. While
public attention has been carefully
and constantly turned to tho past
and cxpiatcd sins of the South, the
servants ofthc people, in highp places,
have boldly betrayed their trust,
broken their oaths of obedience to
tho Constitution, and undermined
the very foundations of liberty, JUS
ticc, and good government. When
the rebellion was being suppressed
by tho volunteered services Of patri-
OF soldiers amid the dangers Of the
battlefield, these men crept, without
question, into place and power in
tho natiocal councils. After all
dangers had passed, when no armed
foe remained, when punished and
rcpentant people bowed their heads
to the flag and removed their nile
gianco to the government Of the
United States, then it was that pre-
tended patriots appeared before the
nation and began to prato about tho
thousands of lives and millions of
treasure sacrificed in the suppros.
sion of tho rebellion. They have
since persistc"tly sought to iuaamo
the prejudices engendered between
tho sections, to rotard tho restora-
tion OF peace and harmony, and by
every means to keep open and ex-
posed to tho poisonous breath Of
party passion tho terrible wounds
of four-years' war. They have
prevented tho return of peace and
the restoration of the Union, in
every way rendered delusivc the
purposes, promises, and pledges by
which tho army was marshalled,
treason rebuked, and rebellion crush
ed, and made the liberties of the.
people and the rights and powers
of the President objects of constant
attack. They havo wrested from
tho President his constitutional
power of supreme command Of the
army and navy. They have dcs-
troyed the strength and efficiency
of the Executive Department by
making subordinate officers indc-
pendent of and able to defy their
chief. They .havo attempted to
place the President under the pow
or of q bold, defiant, and treacbcr-
GUS Cabinet officer. They have robb-
cd the Executive of the preroga-
tive of pardon, rendered null and
void acts of clemency granted to
thousands of persons under the pro-
visions ofthe Constitution, and com
mittcd gross usurpation by legisla-
tive attempts to exercise this power
in favor of party adherents. They
have conspired to change the sys-
TEN of our Government by prcfcrr-
ing charges against the President
in the form of articles of impeach-
ment, and contemplating, before
hearing or trial, that he should bo
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 incrcas-
cd the national debt by a reckless
expenditure of the public moneys,
and thus added to the burdens which
already weigh upon the people.
They have permitted tho nation to
suffer the evils Of a deranged cur
.-....- A. a. o,oh r,<or,,opf in .a,.ica