The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-04-10

country and 10 lessen its ability to meet any great
emergency which may arise. All sinecures
should be abolished. The appropriations should
be direct and explicit, so as to leave as limited
share of discretion to the discussing agents as
may be found compatible with the public service
strict responsibility on the part of all the agent:
of the Government should be maintained, and
peculation or defalcation visited with immediate
Expulsion from office and the most condign pun
ishment. 4E
The public interest also demands that, if any
war has existed between the Government and
the currency, il shall cease. Measures of a
financial character, now having the sanction OF
legal enactment, shall be faithfully enforced un.
til repealed by the legislative authority. But ]
owe It to myself to declare that regard existing
enactments as unwise and impolitic, and in a
high degree oppressive. I shall promptly give
my sanction to any constitutional measure which,
originating in Congress, shall have for its object
the restoration OF sound circulating medium,
so essentially necessary to give confidence in all
the transactions Of life, to secure to industry its
just and adequate rewards, and to re-establish
the public prosperity. In deciding upon the
adaptation OF any such measure to the end pro-
posed, as well as its conformity to the Conslitu-
tion, shall resort to the Fathers of the great
Republican school for advice and instruction, to
be drawn from their sage views of our system
of Government, and the light of their ever glori-
Gus example,
The institutions under which ue live, my
counnymen, sec5re each pe,v9n in the perfect
lslrsSsis, The spfctsal4,;. !
exhibitedfto the kord ofa Government deriving
tits powers from the consent of the governed, and
having impaired to it only SO much power as is
necessary for its successful operation. Those
who are charged with its administration should
carefully abstain from all attempts to enlarge the
range of powers thus granted to the several de-
partments of the Government other than by an
appeal to the People for additional grants, lest
by so doing they disturb that balance which the
patriots and statesmen who framed the Consti-
tuition designed to establish between the Fede-
|ral Government and the States composing the
Union. The observance Of these rules is en-
Joined upon us by that feeling of reverence and
affection which finds place in the heart of every
patriot for the preservation Of union and the
blessings of union-for the good of our children
and our children's children, through countless
generations. An opposite course could not fail to-
generate factions, intent upon the qualification of
their selfish ends; to give birth to local and sec
|tonal jealousies, and to ultimate either in break
ling asunder the bonds of unicn, or in building
|up central system, which would inevitably
end in bloody sceptre and an iron crown.
In conclusion, l beg you to be assured that !
shall exert myself to carry the foregoing princi-
piles into practice during my administration Of
the Government, and, confding in the protect
ling care of an everwatchful and overruling Prov
idence, it shall be ray first and highest duty to
preserve unimpaired the free institutions under
which we live, and transmit them to those who
shall succeed me in their full force and vigor
~. @E JOHN TYLER
WASHINGTON, April 9, 1s41.