Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-03-11

GEN. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON.
MARCH 4, 1sii,
o" entering upon tie duties IF Ire office Of Pres
iSsnt Of Tie United S.uts,,

\.
life. to fill the Chief Executive office of this |
great and free nation, appear before you, |
tellow-citiZons, to take the oaths which the |
Constitution prescribes as a necessary quail |
hcatiou for the performance Of its duties.--l
And in obedience to custom coeval with our
Government, and what believe to be your
expectations, proceed to present to YOU
summary of the principles which will gov.
ern me, in the discharge of the duties which
l shall DO called upon to perform.
1t was the remark OF a Roman Consul, in
an early period Of that celebrated Republic,
that most striking contrast was observable
IN the conduct Of candidates for Offices of
power and trust, before and after obtaining
'hem--they seldom carrying out in the latter
eass the pledges and promises made in the
former. However much the world may have
improved, IN many respects, in the lapse of
upwards of two thousand years since the re-
mark was made by the virluous and indig-
nant Roman, l fear that strict examination
CT the annals OF some Of the modern elective
Governments, would. develope similar ins,an-
cNs Of violated confidence.
Although the fiat Of the People has gono
forth, proclaimng 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 delu.
sion under which they may be supposed to
have ncted in relation to my principles and O.
pinions; and perhaps there may be some In
this assembly who have come here either
prepared to condemn those shall now de-
liver, or, approving them, to doubt the sim
cerity with which they are uttered. But the
lapse Of few months will confirm or dispel
'heir fears. The outline Of principles to gov
ern, and measures to be adopted, by an Ad-
inin'stration not yet begun, will soon be- ex-
changed for immutable history and shall
stand, either exonerntod by my countrymen,
or classcd with the mass of those who prom.
ised that they might deceive, and fattered
with the intention to betray.
However strong may be my present pur-
pose to realize the expectations of q marnan-
imous and con6ding People, too well un-
dersiand the inirmities Of human nature, and
The dangerous temptations to which shall
be exposed, from tho magnitude Of the power
which 1t has been the pleasure Of the People
10 commit TO my hands, not to place my chief
confidence upon the aid Of that Almighty
Power which has hitherto protected me, and
enabled me to bring to favorable issues other
important, but still greatly inferior trusts,
heretofore con6ded to me by my country.
Tho broad foundation upon which our Con-
sutution rests, being the People-a breath of
'aeirs having made, as breath can unmakc,
change, or modify tit can be assigned to
none OF the great divisions of Government but
to that Of Democracy. If such is its theory,
those who are called upon to administer il
innst recognise, as its leading principle, the
3aty es oh~Piay thair ,naasuroe CO &C to pra-
dros the greatest good to the greatest number.
but, with these broad admissions, If we would
compare the sovereignty acknowledged toex-
l.t in the mass ofour People with the power
claimed by other sovereignties, even by those
which have been considered most purely de-
mocratic, we shall find most essential diff
ference. All othors lay claim to power limi-
ted only by their own will. The majority of
our citizens, on the contrary, possess sov-
ereignty with an amount Of power precisely
equal 10 that which has been granted to them
oy the parties to the national compact, and
nothing boyond. We admit of no Govern.
neni by Divine righ:-be!ieying that, SO far
as power IS concerned, the benefcent Creator
mas made no distinction amongst men, that
all are upon an equality, and that the only le-
gttmste right 70 govern is an express grant
Ct power from the governed. The Constitu.
ton Of tho United States is the instrument
containing this grant Of power to tho several |!
departments composing the Government. On |
an examination Of that instrument, it will be !
found to contain declarations Of power grant |
ed, and OF power withheld. The latter is al |
SO susceptible Of division. into power which !
Tie majority had the right to grant, but which |
they did not think proper 10 intrust to their |
agents, md that which they could not have
granted, not being possessed by themselves. |
In other words, there are certain rights Dos |
ssssed by each individual American citizen, |
which, IN his compact with the others, he has |
never surrendered. Some Of them. INDEED. |
fs Is unable TO surrender, being, in the Ian |
gaage OF our system, unalienablo.
The boasted privilege Of q Roman citizen
WAS to him shield only against petty pro-
tincial ruler, whilst tho proud democrat of
Athens could console himself under sem
fsnoe otdeath, for supposed violation Of the
national faith, which no one understood, and
which at times was the subject Of the mock
cry OF all, or of Punishment from his home,
his family, and bis country, with or without
an alleged cause; that il was the act, not of
a single tyrant, or hated aristocracy, but of
his assembled oountrymen. Far different is |
tbs power of oar sovereignty. 1t can inter-
fore with no ones faith, prescribe forms of
worship Tor no ones observance, inflict no |
punishment but after we'll asceItained guilt,
the result of investigation under rules prs.
scrbed by the Constitution itself. These
precious privileges, ard those scarcely less
''HPN'e"',W SiriHS cApitSSioD W DIS IhOuGntS
and opinions, either By writing or speaking,
but by the liability for injury to
o'hefs, ana tina: Of full participation IN all
the advantages which flow from the Govern.
'neni,. the acknowledged property Of all, the
American citizen deserves from no charter
granted by his fellow man. He claims them
because he Is himself Man, fashioned by the
same Almighty hand as the rest Of his spe-
oiss, and entitled to full share OF the bles.
sings with which he has endowed them.
outstanding tie limited sovereignty
by tie People Of the United States. e.;
and the reaiticsed grant Of nowsr To tha Co.