Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-03-27
Ina UG URAL AID DRESS
PRESIDENT WA. II HARRISON, DELiv-
Erred MARCH a Hail. j .tEsa

t DSAs' svF. ~ HARRlSJN DGl4i1
Erred MARCH a, fa4I.s 4 Ks
Called from q refinement which | had suppos,
WAS II continue fcr the residue of my lille, 10 &
The Chief Executive Office Of this great and ft
nution, ! aPPem iiefore you, fellow citizens,
take the oath which the Constitution vrssetil,e
as a necessary ataiGcatiou for The performances
its duties. And IN obedience to . custom eaev,
with our Govesnaneut, and VITA, | believe Ia L
your ex peclatians. proceed To present 10 You
SUMMARY Of the duties which will eavetn mo !
the di 4cbarg. Of tho duties which | shall be calie
upon to p%efform. st st.
It was the remark ofa Roman consul, in a
carly period OF that celebrated republic, That
most striking %eentrast was observable 10 the con
duct Of candidates for Offices Of power. aad trust
before and after obtaining them they seliou
carrying out, insshe latter case, the pledges aa.
promises made III the former. However muel
the world may have improved in many respects
IN the lapse OF upwards 81 two thousand year,
since the remark was made by tho %vittunus AM
indignant Roman, | fear tina. q stric! examination
Of the annals Of some OF tho mpdetn elective gov.
crntnrnis, would doyalope similar Instances Of vi
oIaied ceaGdchee.s
Although the fa. Of the people has gone foilb,
proclaiping me the Chief Magi,,ra Of this gis-
'ions Union, ,mthiug upon their part remaining 10
be done, II may he thought that a motive may
exist To keep up the delusion undor which they
may be supposed 10 have acted in relation 10 my
principles aud opinions; and perhaps there may
he some ia this assembly who have come here e-
Their prepared to condemn those | shall now de-
liver. OF, approving them, daubt the sincerity with
which they are uttered. But the lapse of a few
mouths will confirm or dispel their fare. The
outline Of principles to govern, aud measures to
be adopted by al Administration not ye, begun,
will coon be exchanged for immu,al,le history and
| shall stand, either eSoDerated Ly my country
men, or classed with the mass Of those who pro-
missed that they might deceive, and aattsrcd with
tho intention 10 brlfay.
However strong may BIO my present purpose IL
realize tho expectations ola magnaninons and
c%onfding people ! too well understand tie dang.
erous temptations TO which | shalt BIO exposed,
from tho magnitude of tho power which il has
been the pleasure ofthe people 10 commit TO my
hands, not 10 place my cliicf confidence upon the
cid of thai Almighty Power which has hitherto
protected inc, and GRABBED me to bling to favora-
bic issues other important but still greatly iuferi
or trusts, heretofore coniided to me by my conn.
try. s1
The broad foundation upon which our Consti-
tuition rests being the people, a breath of theirs
having If AIDE, as d breath can unmake, change, or
modify it, il can BIZ assigned to none Of the great
Of Government, hat to TINT of Democra-
cy. lf such is its theory, those who arc. called
upon to administer it mus. recognize, as its lead.
so as TO produce the greatest good 10 the greatest
number. But with these broad admissions, If We
would compare the sovereignty ACKNOWLEDGED to
exist ia the mass of our people, with The power
by other soyefeiguties, even by those
havo been considered most purely demo.
we shall find a most essential difference.
others lay Claim to power limited only by their
will. The majority of our citizens. on the
possess a sovereignty with an amount of
power precisely equal TO tia. which has been
TO them By the parties ~ the national
compact, and nothing beyond. We admit Of no
eminent by divine right; believing thai, SO
lar as power is concerned, The Bene6cent Creator
,as made no distinction amongst men; that NIL
sre upon an equality, aud that the only legili-
mate right to govern ~ m express grant of pow
er from the governed. The Constitution of the
States i tho instrument containing this
grant Of powert To the several departments con-
posing The Government. On an examination Of
fatinns of power granted and poser withheld
latter is also susceptible of divi>ion-inio
power which the majority had the right to gfsnf,
but which they did not think proper to en,rust To
heir agents, and that which they could not have
granted, not being possessed by themselves. In
words, there are certain rights possessed by
zach individual American citizen, which, in his
compact with the other, he has never surrendered
Some Of them, indeed be is unable to surrender,
,eing in the language Of our system unaliena-
lie. @".5a g
The boosted privilege ola Roman citizen, was
% him a shield only against a petty provincial
'uler, whilst the proud democra. Of I could
console himself under q sentence of death, for a
ppposed violation of the national faith, which no
te understood. and which at times was the sub
u Of the meekery Of all, or the Punishment
fin his home, his family and his country, with
Oh i,hout an alleged cause; that il was the act,
nott a single tyrant, or hated atistccracy, but OF
his aemhled conntrymen. Far different is the
poweaf our sovereignty. 1t can interfere with
no ont faith, prescribe forms of worship for no
ones oervance, in6ict no punishment bu, after
well asciained guilt. the ,esul. of investigation
under ru, prescribed by the Constitution iiself
These p'f'eges and thore scarcely less important,
Of giving e~ression TO his thoughts and opinions,
either BY wing OF speaking, unres,rained hu, by
the iiahi'ity injury TO others, and that of a
full participant 10 all the advantages which flow
from the G~ovslmeh., the acknowledged property
of oil, the AHiican citizen derives from no char
ter granted BY fellow man. He claims them
because he Is hiselfa man. fashioned by the
same Almighty md as The rest of his. species.
and entitled 10 q y sbare of the blessings with
which he has ended Them. g5 ara
Notwithstandingle limited SOVEREIGNTY pos
sessed by the reopleShe United States, and the
restricted grant oil pow TO the Government which
they have adopted, cnah has been given TO &C.
complish oil the ~objecisr which it was created
II has been found poweh in war. and, hitherto.
justice has been edminis'ssd; an intimate union
Effected; domestic ifangnh preserved, and per-
sonaf liberty secured 10 ~shetizen. As was to be
expected, however, from Iheefeet of lanouspe.
md The naceSsariiv senicntin . 1T