<br />3
<br />
<br />day becnnsc of my malting nn nllllslo.n to It. The provision Is
<br />as tollows:
<br />A fL'E'<]Uelll tecUlTcnce to. the prIncIples of tbe confltltlltlon is (llle of
<br />the things absolulely neCC!l~(\ry to preserve the advuntages of Ii"Jcr{y
<br />aud to m~lnt.aln it free government.
<br />MI'. President, I thITl)~ I mny ~ay withont any disrespect to
<br />the Scnllte .thnt we bn\'c \'(>1')' lm'gcry ('eased to discuss consti-
<br />tutional <1l1e~tions in tllis bod)', mal wIleil we difl discuss (me
<br />Yl~stCl'dny thfll'c seems 10,lmve been a contl':ll'iet;\' of opinion
<br />and SOllie confusion of ideas. nnd when we J!:ot through I om
<br />pretty sure 'uob.ody, unless he lwd tho Rli;CORD before him,
<br />could dehn'mlnc cxnctly wllfit cOllclusion Senatol's bart como to.
<br />r (10 lIot know that i can tbrow any light .npon the COllfititn-
<br />tiOll except lJy refcrence to the decif;iolls, nnel thnt hi what I
<br />desire to do. I shall not nttempt to put fortl1 my views, except
<br />as the;}' nrc supported by tl1e decisions of the SUIll'ewe COllrt of
<br />the United Sin Les. III my early experlellce in thiH bOdy, al-
<br />most n generation ago, it was fl COllllUOIl thill4: to discuf>s the
<br />Constitution or tbe United States. It wns ,diHr.uHsetl III those
<br />dnys by mell h~a1'lled in tile Jaw, oy men WIlD IUlll natiollal .repu-
<br />tatiolls os lnwyers UUII who were ImoWll 111 the cOlllmtmities in
<br />which they lived (lfo; great le~nl Jigilts. And ",hi,le there WOlS It
<br />contrariety of opinion, fiS there always will he ns to some pro-
<br />;visions of the COllstitution, there are some tl1il1g~ tbat do out
<br />ndmiL of contrOY01'sy and do not ndmit of interjJrctatioll amI do
<br />not ndmlt of n {juoHtion.
<br />I think it may bc soirl that tlle relation exi!>tillg; between the
<br />I';tat.es and the General GOI'erllmellt has been vrnclicnlly set-
<br />tled. I kllow thnt the doctl'ille which pren'liled at one time as
<br />to tile relation of the Stntr.>s wlth tlle GOV(>l'Il.111~Jlt lias entirc]y
<br />changed, or has cnlil'e]y. 1 may fllY, lIee-ll [lhtltldol1e~: And ~o I
<br />come to this (]Uestioll wltl1 no special hle-ilS to' l111t forw:\l'(],
<br />,but ~illlply to declare wllnt tIle Constitntion, I thInk, ill CX.IH'P.SS
<br />terms does clcc]nre and wl1at tIle Supreme Court ou mnny occa-
<br />siolls bus declnl'cd. ~ '
<br />'.l'llis GOYCI'Il111ent, If I may be permitted to repent an o]ll nnrl
<br />trllp. sl1ylug, is aile or tllree depfll'tments-the..legi8Iutire, the
<br />Judicia], ulld the execuUye, And tile greatest. of lIll lllust be
<br />the legislntive, lJeCfluse tbnt is the !Jo(ly whicb lletermin(~8 what
<br />shall lie the pollc)', wlmt shnll be the system, wbat shall be
<br />U1C IflwS under wh1ch we Ih'e. Of eourse In maldug- these lawR
<br />we have to comport to tile ConstItution itself, to see tllat we uo
<br />not invnde it, flnd, secondly, we must j1l'oceeclin sncll a way ns
<br />to meet tile nll'iOll~ views of tile membership here; nnd whe(l
<br />wn Itave cry~tlllliz~d our yiews here find ill the other body we
<br />'rull the gantlet of 'IGxeClltl\'f~ eXfllllimltlon,
<br />'I'he Pl'eshlent of the United Stutes, nnder our Constitution,
<br />lins the [lower of \'eto. He can say, wilen the wl!;'tlolJl of this
<br />body bns been exet'clsetl I,) US fullest extent, that ,he floes not
<br />think it is wise to ellllc:t thAt law. 'l'ben we 113"\'0 the llOwer
<br />t,1 say tlwt w'e will, ill Sl)ite of his objectioll, create tI Inw of
<br />that charucter.
<br />It !l,u., he('ll ~Hill, and 1 b€'!nrd It f1nid within a few <lays, that
<br />1 hp. leglslll ti'"e de[lfil'tment of this Gon~rlllJlcul consists of, the
<br />HOllse of Hepresentntires, as l'elll"e!'lentlllg' the L)eople, ull(\,~1:liE\,
<br />body, us l'eJll'ef;elltin~ tile StRtCS, nnd tlwt tho .Presldent if! til~p
<br />a l)tut of tlle 1(~gi$lati\"e de]llll'tll1('nt of tile GOY€'l'lIment. rl'lii~
<br />1 deny. He i~ 110t It part of the legls]uU"ve department of tOE"
<br />H40G-781Q
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