James Madison Quotes
No Man would be so daring as to place a veto on a Law that had passed with the assent of the Legislature
James Madison, 1751-1836, 4th President of the United States (Democratic Republican, VA), Debate, Constitutional Convention, 1787, Quoted in the notes of Georgia Delegate William Leigh Pierce, ~1740-1789
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
A veto power for the President would be absurd because
This was the case where the Supreme Court reversed its earlier opinion and declared the Income Tax Unconstitutional.
Though not very dramatic or succinct, this is a very important quotation in American History. The original drafters of the Constitution concentrated on limiting the powers of the executive—the role of the King. But the Congress had no limits placed on them. In Britain, to this day, the Parliament can do whatever they wish as there is no restraint on them other than their prudence and reasonableness. Madison used the example of the Alien and Sedition Acts—huge infringements on the rights of Americans—to show why the legislative branch must also be more restrained and limited. And that was the logic behind adding the Bill of Rights to our Constitutions.
The drafters of the Constitution were well aware of this view of Montesquieu’s which was one of the main bases of separation of powers and checks and balances in America.
In 1949 the NATO treaty was signed. There was concern that a phrase in the treaty authorizing signatories to take "such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force" would undermine Congress's powers:
President Abraham Lincoln had pocket vetoed his own party's reconstruction bill in the midst of an election year.
This notion seems to have first been expressed by Edward S. Corwin in 1940
Seven states was then a majority of the states.
The issue of impeachment and termination of the executive also found little agreement.
There was much argument over the desired relative strength and power of the three branches of government. Wilson suggested equality. We argue about it to this day.
James Madison Jr. was an American statesman, diplomat, expansionist, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the United States Bill of Rights. He co-wrote The Federalist Papers, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party, and served as the fifth United States Secretary of State from 1801 to 1809.
