Presidents come here boasting of their authority when the people are resisting an invasion of the rights of society against which every instinct of their nature rebels. That is the attitude in which we are left. I am not disposed to inveigh against the exercise of lawful authority by the President of the United States or by any other official of this Government within the purview of hisjurisdiction. but it seems to me that on an occasion like this. when the people have twice expressed their abhorrence of Chinese immigration. their dissatisfaction with this inoculation of the virus o paganism into the very heartblood of their social organization. it is a harsh. unwise. unjustifiable exercise of this veto power by the President of the United States to obstruct it. He has in this regard too much power to set himself sternly and inflexibly against the will of the people thus solemnly expressed. too much power to be indulged in a course of this kind. and the Senate in its representation of the people through the States. it seems to me. owes it to itself at least to yield to that which the people have voted and have twice demanded. and to say to the Chinese lazzaroni. as they said when they enacted the anticooly laws. "You cannot come here any more. treaty or no treaty." Has the power been denied. or will any Senator hero rise in his place and deny it. that the Congress of the United States by the enactment of a statute has the right to repeal any treaty that has been adopted and ratified by the treatymaking power ? Will any Senator undertake to say that the treatymaking power of this country is not after all subordinate to the legislative power?
Keywords matched
immigration