Andrew Jackson - Each public officer who takes an oath to support the Constitution

On July 10, 1832, in the middle of the year in which President Andrew Jackson was standing for re-election, he vetoed an attempt to create the Second National Bank of the United States.He wrote a message to go with the veto, called his Bank Veto Message. Here are the excerpts most interesting to the mission of Texas Constitutional Enforcement: "[7] . . . It is maintained by the advocates of the bank that its constitutionality in all its features ought to be considered as settled by precedent and by the decision of the Supreme Court. To this conclusion I can not assent. . . [8] . . . The Congress, the Executive, and the Court must each for itself be guided by its own opinion of the Constitution. Each public officer who takes an oath to support the Constitution swears that he will support it as he understands it, and not as it is understood by others. It is as much the duty of the House of Representatives, of the Senate, and of the President to decide upon the constitutionality of any bill or resolution which may be presented to them for passage or approval as it is of the supreme judges when it may be brought before them for judicial decision. The opinion of the judges has no more authority over Congress than the opinion of Congress has over the judges, and on that point the President is independent of both. . . . [9] . . . There is nothing in its [the Bank’s] legitimate functions which makes it necessary or proper. . . ." Texas Constitutional Enforcement was formed to urge Texas elected officials to support the Constitution with their own independent judgment. We are persuaded that if they do, we can start getting our liberty, our state, and our Constitution back.