Your friend, as ever,
A. LINCOLN.




GENERAL TAYLOR AND THE VETO

SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JULY 27, 1848.

Mr. SPEAKER, our Democratic friends seem to be in a great distress
because they think our candidate for the Presidency don't suit us. Most
of them cannot find out that General Taylor has any principles at all;
some, however, have discovered that he has one, but that one is entirely
wrong. This one principle is his position on the veto power. The
gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Stanton] who has just taken his seat,
indeed, has said there is very little, if any, difference on this
question between General Taylor and all the Presidents; and he seems to
think it sufficient detraction from General Taylor's position on it that
it has nothing new in it. But all others whom I have heard speak assail
it furiously. A new member from Kentucky [Mr. Clark], of very
considerable ability, was in particular concerned about it. He thought it
altogether novel and unprecedented for a President or a Presidential
candidate to think of approving bills whose constitutionality may not be
entirely clear to his own mind. He thinks the ark of our safety is gone
unless Presidents shall always veto such bills as in their judgment may
be of doubtful constitutionality. However clear Congress may be on their
authority to pass any particular act, the gentleman from Kentucky thinks
the President must veto it if he has doubts about it. Now I have neither