Life of James Buchanan, Fifteenth President of the United States. v. 2 (of 2)Curtis, George Ticknor
History
Life of James Buchanan, Fifteenth President of the United States. v. 2 (of 2)
Curtis, George Ticknor
Buchanan, James, 1791-1868
Let us never forget that a Bank of the United States is a fixed idea
with the Whig party, which nothing can ever remove. On this subject,
like the old Bourbons, they forget nothing and learn nothing. They are
inseparably joined to this idol. They believe that a concentration of
the money power of the country, in the form of such a bank, is
necessary to secure the ascendency of the Whig party in the
Government; and there is nothing more certain in futurity than that
they will establish such a bank, should they ever obtain the power.
Experience has taught us a lesson on this subject which we ought never
to forget. Throughout the political campaign of 1840, which resulted
in the election of General Harrison, it was nowhere avowed by the
Whigs, that they intended to charter a Bank of the United States. This
was carefully concealed from the public eye. On the contrary, many of
their distinguished leaders declared themselves hostile to such an
institution, and one of them, Mr. Badger, afterwards a member of the
cabinet, indignantly pronounced the assertion that General Harrison
was in favor of such a bank to be a falsehood. But mark the sequel. No
sooner was Harrison elected and a majority secured in both Houses of
Congress, than the Whigs immediately proceeded in hot haste, at the
extra session, to pass a bill establishing a Bank of the United
States, which would have become a law, but for the veto of John Tyler.
What we have witnessed in 1841, we shall again witness in 1853, _the
veto_ only excepted, should General Scott be elected President and be
sustained by a Whig majority in both Houses of Congress.
2. “The Executive Veto.” To abolish this veto power is another article
of General Scott’s political faith, as announced in his letter of
October, 1841. To be more precise, the General would have the
Constitution amended for the second time, in the same epistle, so as
to overcome the Executive veto “by a bare majority in each House of
Congress of all the members elected to it—say for the benefit of
reflection, at the end of ten days from the return of the bill.” What
a farce! An Executive veto to be overcome and nullified by a bare
majority of the very Congress which had but ten days before sent the
same bill to the President for his approval! Better, far better, adopt
the manly course of abolishing the veto altogether, than to resort to
this subterfuge.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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