The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-26 00:00:00

IVIORNING EDITION.

In PO LIT AN T NEWS
FROM TiE
UNIT.ED STATES,

IIY the arrival of the Patrick Henry at Liver-
rel.° WedneEday afternoon from New York, we
le r,ee''ived American Papers to the Bth inst.
a-usive—being seven days later than the last
tir,r'vals• They bring the Inaugural Address of
itce Ilew President, General Harrison, on assum-
e: t ortice—a summary of a debate in the Senate
Gr‘a the relations between the United States and
Britain---.--and the strictures ofthe Journals
a:et,Pl,ol tie
ntllie same subject. -We subjoin the address
i ,
spirit of the journals, referring our
th'idei's to our leading columns for the debate in
ee Senate. We have great pleasure in observ-
that the tone of the whole intelligence from
united States is decidedly pacific, and that
I,lt ;e is every probability that Mr. M'Leod will
delivered over without trial to the British au-
tful'ties in Canada. We may here state that
yle Patrick Henry made the voyage from New
A?rk to Liverpool in fifteen days and ten hours.
the Patrick Henry was clearing out the
du'rs.eitis entered, having sprung her mainmast
Ing' a severe gale in her passage out.

INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
tittCa 11e4 froth a retirement which I had supposed was to con-
• rshe residue of my life to fill the chief executive officessos:', great and free nation,
e,' appear before you, fellow citi-
os,° take the oaths which the constitution prescribes, as a
is oils:2' qualification for the performance of its duties. And
• i'l'ence to a custom coeval with our government, and
to y„ti oelieve to be your expectations, I proceed to present
the (1201 in-nary of the principles whieh will govern me in
Pors,;;W:arge of the duties which I shall be called upon to
of o 4
It .
as the remark of a Roman Consul, in an early period
olse,tteelebrated- Republic, that a most striking contrast was
trust, her.in the conduct of candidates for awes of power and
to , ' re and after obtaining them—they sr lthm carrying
fprisertt'e 1-tter e .se the pledges and promises made in the
is too' However much the world may have improved,
'ate rsleets, the lapse of upwards of two thousand. }ears
Itoo. ''e rsmark was made by the virtuous and indignant
osthean, I fear that a strict examination of the annals of some
ofsiol_eleatite gove
rnments, would develope similar instances
itialted confidence.
tae th,;%tgh the fiat of the people has gone forth, proclaiming
,hair Part Nlagistrate of this glorious Union, nothing upon
tise remaining to he done, it may be thought that a mo-
de stT.IY exist to keep up the delusion under which they may
'Pinot): sei to have acted in relation to my. principles, and
*hobo and perhaps there may be some in this assembly
as der come here either prepared to condemn those I shall.
trh eh e,s"rer, or, approving them, to doubt the sincerity with
toss, ley are uttered. But the lapse of a few months will
.rirtria. or dispel their fears.
tdopttoi"otline of principles to govern, and measures to be
" "3' an Administration not yet begun, will soon be
ttsta 'ged for immutable history ; and I shall stand either
thos:ras'ed by my countrymen, or classed with the mass of
the of °0 promised that they might deceive, and flattered with
II
,lention to betray
osioetvever strew.. ma; be my present purpose to realize the
4des..lt'uns of amanhanimous and confiding people,l too well
°to testand the infirmities of human nature, and the danger.-
tilde JiiPtations to whi b I shall be exposed, from the magus-
cosl ''e Power which it has been-the pleasure of the people
the ai jmit to my hands, not to place my chief confidence upon
and that Almighty Power which has hitherto protected
kit enabled me to bring to favourable issues ather im-
bY ia‘st'sbut greatly' inferior trusts, heretofore confided to me
ii)ountry.
iletag *read foundation upon which our Constitution rests
t tin 'e people--a breath of theirs having made, as a breath
rtloelooake, change, or modify it—it can be assigned to none
ischs!'eat divisions of government but to that of democracy..
mart e
is its theory, those who are called upon to administer it
s'eir r;?segl'ise, as its leading principle, the duty of shaping
4-'sures so as to produce the greatest good to the greatest
1e But, with these broad admissions, if we would corn-
ittoic e sovereignty acknowledged to exist in the mass of our
tlise with tbet;ietere".o claimedgb other sovereignties, even by
1114 hia have
hud nsidered3 most purely democratic, we
sates i; 4 most essential difference. All others lay claim to
• s''"'ted only by their own will. The majority of our
o'''4‘P en the contrary, possess a sovereignty with an amount
ietr Precisely equal to that which has keen granted. to
n'ond Y the parties to the national compact, and nothing
Z.4liel.inn.We admit of no government .by Divine right
steatss sn that, so far as power is concerned, the beneficent
sloe „"as made no distinction amongst men—that all are
equality, and that the only legitimate right to
13 express grant of power from the Government.
tZiuonstitution of the United States is the instrument con-
-4 the thii grant of Rower to the severabdepartments compos-
nte Government On an examination of that instrument,
si)",. be f"und to contain declarations of power granted. and of
roser' wstheld. The latter is also susceptible of division into
I.`",,hieli the majority has the right to grant, but which
tqici UOt thinkproper to intrust to their agents ; and that
emselo they
could not have granted, not being possessed by
Emsti 'yes. In other words, there are certain rights pos-
"rt each individual American citizen, which, in his ems
tinro vf;ith the others, be has never surrendered. Some of
ilt(3ll;tlr,'Do''daesettedir he is unable to surrender, being, in the language
Thss,Ysteni, unalienable.
privilege of a Roman citizen was to him a shield
r'Ppot.f tZ4iest a petty provincial ruler, whilst the proud
formademocrt
,es Could console himself under a sen' ence of death
Itvid "t violation of the national faith, which no ore under-
til, and which at times was a subject of the mockery of
ests,"tr ef banishment from his home, his family, and his
14, Icith orwithout an alleged cause • that it was
'at r, not or a single tyrant, or hated' risto.cracy,
Nf ,bis assembled countrymen. Fsr different is the
1-Itther,b' our sovereignty. It can interfere with no one's
• ,r4scrihe forms of worship for no one's observance, in-
!ttl, t Punishment but after well ascertained guilt, the re-
`ttels. 'ilvestigation under rules prescribed by the Constitution
hert hese precious privileges, and those scarcel
s' °f giving expression to his thoughts andopinions,
iisis''Y 'writing or speaking,- unrestrained but by the liability
I,'ataot„'"PY to others, and that of a full participation in all the
o'ag g's which flow' from the Government, the acknow-
terl"laerty of all, the American citizen. derives from no
their him granted by his fellow man. He claims
.thembeeause
stself a man, fashioned by the same Almighty hand as
"Rt4-4,°f his species,' and entitled to a full share of the bless-
e'lowt which he has endowed them.
Mplel'AStandinß the limited sovereignty possessed by the
terl the United States, and the restricted grant of
3 to the Government which they have adopted, enough
;o4ate'o'n given to accomplish all the objects for which. it was
riso"haft. has been. found powerful 1 in war, and, hitherto
t7estie
t' then administered, an intimate union effected,
t•!1 razquilli preserved, and personal liberty secured
ittre citizen
, • As was to be expected, however, from the
4, 34 of
No Janguage and the necessarily sententious man-
ps_lsett -Itch the Constitution is written, disputes have
ritat,da' to" the amount of power which it has actually
thoer Was intended to grant. This is more particu-
th'eli case in relation to that part of the instrument
14; ee,rse.'s of the legislative branch. And not only as regards
Ft, bpd se of powers claimed under a general clause, giving
is net th" authority to pass all laws necessary to carryi inton
otiv.; sPeoilied powers, but in relation to the latter also.
censolatory reflect, that mo3t of the instances
deParture from the le'ter or spirit of the constitu-
cilso.'e ultimate' received the sanction of a majority of the
q,jlßsish awed the fact that many of our statesmen, most.
tso'r of',-
,-o.r talent and patriotism, have been, at one time or
A3t 'new political career, on both sides of each
_of thee
it 1;,1.111Y disputed questions, forces upon us the inference
t if' errors there. were, are attributable to the
oouons ',reality, in many instances, of ascertaining the in-
ottes..e7i. the framers of the Constitution,. rather than the
the any sinister or unpatriotic motive.
the it us great danger to our institutiens does not appear to
sr' Poois,°' pationy the Government of power department, anted b
IktiatrZ... but by the accumulation in one of the.
tis‘l,e's nua,l•el's was assigned to others. Limited as are the
steed t have been granted, still enough have. been
_
d ° Lonstitute a despotism, if concentrated in one 1
ash liartmstits. This danger is greatly heightened, as it
Nasje" alwa
•ys observable that men are less jealous of
of
one deoartment upon another, than upon tneir
hert ed rights.
!"4'44, 3 of tTeConstitw ion of the United States first came from the
*t'lltliea lie Convention which farmed it, many of the sternest
k.::111143of the day were alarmed at the extent of the power
been granted to the Federal Government, and more
too-t..eatio-e'Ybof that portion which had been assigned to the
tstomi ranch. 'There were in it features
.which appeared
den harmony with their ideas of a simple repreen-f
o-eera's-, or republic. And knowing the tendency o
gle oid.inerease itself, particularly when exercised by a
kiktte, per; 1...,dua1, predictions were made that, at no very re-
Nott the Government would terminate in virtual mo-
-4;l,ts would not become me to say that the fears of these
for that-se, been already realized. But, as I sineerely bes-
ot; klo, toe tendency f measures, and of men's
.op
o"rilie,eta.rs past, helsobeen in that directisn, it is, I con-
tiss proper that I should take this occasion to re-
te -24rances I have heretofore given of my determi-
kae `s• sa'rest the progress of that tonedency, if it reall.y
ts•-4ev.igsZ t 9 restore the' Government s pristine beans'
I 14 os'oas tar as this can be effected by any legitimate
tiool'ree,,ootne power placed in my hands.
%is 'tie of, to state in as summary a manner as I can, my
hi sourc'es of the evils which have been so eaten-
thsdo °O'ilined of, and the correctives which may be ap-
ktoVes,-rne of the former are unquestionably to be found in
;eatail °tithe Constitution • others, in my judgment, are
lsrt;'4ltifirl a misconstruction' of some of its provisions. Of
's the eligib lityof the same individual to a second
kit? residency. sagacious mind of Mr. Jefferson
Nato'llo Ist! lamented this error and attempts have been made,
t • -.out amendatory power of the
A o its success, to apply the
correeth
tes uwever n"
une mode of correction is in the power of every
Ilit),llDs tr,,10 consequently in mine, it would be useless,
and
fthmed koo 'ens, to enumerate the evils of which, in the
vphro
-Z our fellow citizens this error of the sages s_
tlianraio .I.42ristitution may have been the source, and the bit-
ligare our'ell we are still to gather from it, if it continues
eo
tt' se, 'ettiark sY,s_tetn. It may be observed, however, as a
_g
.Itlgit,t that republics can commit no greater error than
th 'llayl(.°lltiutle any feature in their system: of government
e calculated to create or increase the love of powe.r
t 41aosrils of 'hose to lom necessity obliges them to commit
gent cf their affairs.wi_ And surely nothing is more likely
tiot.-e, at hi" 'ich a state of mind than the long continuance of an
tits
..etdesst.t.t.rust. Nothing can be more Lorrupting, nothing
INN.,.4l•trati:esr`tve of all those noble feelings which belong to
iritit`'s:,.°! a devoted republican patriot. When this
dYi Iss ''''ston once takes possess'on of the human mind,
kne Ivor eot 'told, it becomes insatiable. It is the never-
ttos44thee4"l 41';•'3 bosom, grows with his growth, and
tiee~ist declining-'-
years of its victim.. . If this is
'ais,'" drat`e j)art oi" wisdom for a republic to limit the ser-
k44 tPrecoi °j art
;east, to whom she has entrusted the
at to •e °f her foreioes relations, the execution of her laws,
114 iPi'ev hirnia.'"'d of and navies, to a period so short
oktetd ol•gettiog that s:e is "
.1
41'
e—
f • el.'
'• accountable agent,
'ay s-e'4,ent ‘0.11V,0,--osthe s.ervant,
ire
tb4iseri‘tet
heretofoteobjectihl
'4- Ire the desired"e uonstitution can be effected, public opinion
renewing
will
he
I 'at ° Sere given, a undertgli:"mtnafter. Until
an
ttard • there : a second term. no dtoit
circumstancesby
the acknow-
No. defect Is danger to pubtie liberty from . .
ii of the s , • •
•• I s Ince of e Constitution, in the want of limit to the
44,1r,"PPreh "'e Executive power in the same haoLls, there
end,l,ot much less from a misconstruction if that
preta4 eiveallt regards the powers actually given. I Fan-
the le.rts wQ ,it, by a fair construction, any or either of As
to eitisiativ usa be found to constitute the President a part of
it i:"Tit,en! D?wer. It cannot be claimed from the power
eitiza stnee, although enjoined as a duty upon him,
Eiden 11. of, which he holds in common with every other
'etto" in rii4 although there may be something more of con-
ease ths2 .Propriety of the Measures recommended in the
the other, in the obligations of ultimate do-