Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-03-18
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF PRE-
SIDENT HARRISON.
WhsIrNaToN, March a, 1871

WAsHIHGToN, March a, lS4l.
Called from retirement which ] hat
supposed was 10 continue for the residue
of my life, 10 fiI the Chief Executive OF:
fee Of this great and free nation, | appear
before you. fellow citizens, 10 take the oath:
which the Constitution prescribes, as lie.
cessary qualification for the performance
Of its duties. And in obedience to Gus
tom coeval with our Government, and
what / believe to be your expectations,
proceed to present to you Il summary o
the principles which will govern me, ia
the discharge of The duties which / shall
be called upon to perform.
1t was The remark Of The Roman Con-
sui, ia an early period Of that celebrated
Republic, that most striking contrast
was observable in the conduct oicandidales
for offices of power and trust, before and
after obtaining them-;hey seldom carry.
ing out in the latter case the pledges and
promises made in the former. However
much the world may have improved. IN
many respects, in the lapse of upwards ol
two thousand years since the remark was
made by the virtuous and indignant Roman,
fear that strict examination of the an
mails of some Of the modern elective Go
vernments, would develope similar inssan.
ces Of violated confidence.
Although The fiat of the people has gone
forth, procIaiming me the Chief Magistrate
of this glorious Union, nothing upon their
part remaining 10 be done, il may be
thought that motive may exist TO keep up
The delusion under which they may be sup
posed 10 have acted in relation 10 my prin
cples and opinions; and perhaps there
may be some in this assembly who have
come here either prepared to condemn
those / shall snow deliver, or, approving
them, 10 doubt the sincerity with which
they are uttered. But The lapse Of few
months will confirm or dispel their fears.
The outline Of principles 10 govern, and
measures to be adopted, by an Admins
tration not YET begun, will soon be ex.
changed for ilnn,utable history; and shall
stand either exonera,ed by my countrynen,
or classed with the mass of those who pro-
mised that they might deceive, and latter
ed with The intention Ia betray.
However strons may be my present pur-
pose 10 realize tile expectations Of a mag.
-.::----,.---...d--."f' =: f'i"sP.UPtvI- TOO
well understand The infrmities Of human
nature, and The dangerous temptations TO
which shall be exposed, from The nragni.
lude of the power which it has been the
pleasure Of the people to commit to my
hands, not 10 place my chief confidence
upon The aid of that Almighty Power
which has hitherto projected me, and ena-
bled me 10 bring to favorable issues other
important, bur still greatly inferior trusts,
heretofore confded to me by my country.
The broad foundation upon which our
Constitution rests, being the people-a
breath of theirs having made, as breuth
can unmake. change, or modify tit can
be assigned TO none Of the great divisions
of government but to that Of Democracy.
If such is lis theory, those who are called
upon to adminsieril il must recognise, as its
leading principle, the duty Of shaping their
measures so as to produce the greatest
good to the greatest nnmber.-But, with
these broad admissions, If we would CO m.
pare the sovereignty acknow lodged to ex-
ist in the mass Of our people with the pow
er claimed by other sovereignties, even by
those who have been considered most pure
ly democratic, we shall find most esseu-
tial difference. All others lay claim to
power limited only by their will. The ma
jority of our citizens, on the contrary, pos.
sess sovereignty with an amount OF pow
er precisely equal 10 that which has been
granted 10 them. by The parties 10 the ma
Iional compact, and nothing beyond. We
admit of no Government by Divine right
believing that, so far as p1wer is concern
ed, the benefcent Creator has made no
distinction amongst men, that all are upon
an equality, and that the only legitimate
right to govern is an express grant OF pow
er to the several departments composing
the Government.-On all examination of
thai instrument, it will be found 10 contain
declarations of power granted, and of pow
er withheld. The latter is also susceptible
of division, into power which the majority
had The right 10 grant, but which they did
not think proper to intrusl 10 their agents,
and that which they could not have grant
ed, uol being possessed by themselves. In
other words, there are certain rights posses
sed by each individual American citizen,
which. in bis compact with the others, he
has never surrendered. Some ofrhem in
deed, he is unable 10 surrender, being. in
the language Of our system, unalienable.
The boasted privilege Of Roman citi.
zen was to him shield ouly against a
petty provincial ruler, whilst the proud
democrat of Athens could console himself
under sentence of death, for supposed
violation ofthe national faith, which no one
understood, and which at times was the
subiec, of the mockery Of all, or of banish-
nlent from his home, his family aud bis
country, with or without an alleged cause:
that i, was tho act, not of single tyrant,
or hated arislocracy, but Of his assembled
countrymen. Far different is the power
of our sovereienty.-lt can interfere with
no ones faith, prescribe forms Of worship
for no ones observance, inflict no punish
men, but after well asceFtained guilt, the
result of investigation under forms pre-.
scribed by the Constitution itself. These
precious privileges, aud those scarcely les:
important, Of giving expression to hi
thoughts and opinions, by wiring or speak
| -, ,,nr,s.y,inpd hnt hv ibe Tiabiluy In