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increases his taxes in inverse ratio to his apl
lty to pay Every additional month that he has 70
feed adds to the contribution he is obliged to make
for the support of Government. It rs only py
determinations in favor of articles necessary TO
his comfort, that the injustice to which he 10 en-
posed can be mitigated 1t is therefore power
the constant and faithful exercise Of which Is IN
my Judgment demanded by considerations OF JUS
tice, humanity and sound policy.


! am satisfied with the veto power as it exists
by the CONSTITUTION, and opposed to any modihca-
ton which shall materially change the principle
upon which it rests.


| To frame an organic law for the establishment
of one General Government for thirteen independ-
ent soveregnties already in existence, and accus-
toned to the use of power, with satisfactory pro-
visions for the admission Of new States to be there
after carved out of the national domain, was
work of great difficulty. To obstacles, unavold-
ably attendant upon such an undertaking under
circumstances the most favorable, were, IN our
case, to be added embarrassments of the gravest
character These consisted, among others: OF d.
versties of climate and consequently of staple pro-
ductions- the facilities for the prosecution OF
foreign commerce, and other business pursuits,
which belong to different portions of the country;
and to no nconsiderable extent also, to differences
in their origin and i'll the political preferences OF
the inhabitants of the respective States-preferen-





and protracted civil war.


| The success with which this great work was
Notwithstanding accomplished by its immortal au-
thors has surpassed even their own most sanguine
! expectations and elected the admiration and ap-
plause Of the ftiends of freedom throughout the
world. 1t has given stability to republican prlncl-
Piles, multiplied and strengthened the proofs Of the
! ca apacity of man for selfgovernment, and disap-
pointed the hopes of the enemies of free institu-
tons. No instance of written constitution Is to
be found which has undergone so little change
since it came from the hands of its trainers, or
which possesses in so eminent degree the conf
dence the respect, and may add, the reverence
ofthose who are subject to its operation 1t is
from the general prevalence Of such feelings on
the part of our citizens that the constitution derives
much not to say most of its efficiency; and it is
by doing all in power to increase and strength
en- them that we can alone hope to make its exis-
tence perpetual. Although successful beyond
example, one pretends that it is perfect. Per
fiction is attribute which docs not belong to the
works of man. Defects must therefore, be correc-
ted as they show themselves in the practical work
ing of the system. 1t is to such, and it might per-
haps be safely added, to such only. that the hand
of reform can be usefully applied That the pro-
vision OF the constitution under consideration
be more easily rendered obnoxious to prejudice
than others, is undoubtedly true. There is never



the general scope of our peculiar system of govern
ment, or anything which is calculated to lead to
bad results. Although absolute acquiescence in
the decisions of the majority is, in the language of
Mr.. Jefferson, cardinal principle in republican
government, it is yet to be remembered that it is
to the will ofthe majority, expressed according to
the forms of the constitution, that he refers; and
that there is no channel provided by our constu-
ton through which the sense of the people ofthe
United States, IN the aggregate, may be taken
Such provision was deemed incompatible with
full enjoyment by the States of the rights of sove-
reignty which they reserved TO themselves, and
with which it was neither the intention of the fra
mers of that instrument, nor of the people who a.
dopted it, to interfere. The qualification of the
power of the majority, and the restrictions upon
the authority of the Federal Government, which
pcrvadcs the constitution, are doubtless to be traced
to this source.


The right of the President to suspend the oper-
alton of an act of Congress by Withholding his as
sent from it, and in the absence of the requisite
majority to defeat it for the time being is therefore
IN harmony with the split and design of the entire
system l say for the time being, because all ex-
perience has shown that objections to public
measure on the part of any branch of the govern
ment, are, in the end, always made to yield to the
settled and well ascertaned wishes of the people,
in whatever mode they may be elected; the effect





cure fuller and more perfect reconsideration Of
the whole subject by the people. Nor was this
power bestowed upon the Executive without ade-
quate consideration, and full view of the benefi-
cial effects it was capable of producing in the ad- :
lrinistration Of a government to which such vari-
Gus, momentous and not unfrequently contrary, in
terests were to be entrusted The President is the
only efficient officer, and with the single excep-
ton of the Vice President the only in the Fed,
eral Government in the election of whom all the
States, and the electors of each State, take part
All others are comparatively local. we'll in re-
spect to the constituencies by whom they are cho-
sen, as TO their immediate responsibilities The
President is the. only efficient representative in
the federal system, between whom and the whole
confederacy there exists that common sympathy
which arises from the relation of elector and rep
reSentative, and the obligation it imposes 1t is to
him, therefore, more than to any other functonary
Of the Federal Government, that the people of all
the States look and have right to look, for an
impartial attention to the interests of every section
ofour greatly extended Union. To enable him
to perform his important duties, portion of the
powers necessary to good government is by the
constitution vested in the Executive department
The veto constitutes an important, and, in my O.
pinion, very useful part of those powers 1t is


