The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-07-27
WASHINGTON, July Is, 1s41.

WASHINGTON, July IT, 1s41.
My DEAR Sir
have said that "unon, decision and enegy
are all indispensable, but UNION is first And
why should there not be union among us-among
oil who united originally in opposition 10 the po-
licy and the practices Of the late Administration
and Of that by which II was preceded2 What
has occurred either IN the action or in the avow-
ed principles OF the present Administration, to
impair that confidence fortified with which il
entered upon the discharge of its great duties TO
the people
Two classes of complaint are brought forward
and urged against the Administration, by as
many classes Of the dissatis fed-one directed
mainly against the President the other against
his Cabinet. First Of the former
IL is objected against the President by some
that he adheres pertinaciousy TO his own views
and opinions on certain constitutional points, on
which, it is alleged the Wing party has formal
ly declared its opinion, and that opinion adverse
to the Presidents. BY Others on the contrary
it is complained that the President manifests a
want Of decision-that he does not avow his
principles and opnlons-and that he stands too
much in the attitude Of one watching the course
of events, with view to the shaping of his own
conduct, not upon definite and clearly recog
nzed principles, but upon considerations Of ex
pedlency more or less personal to himself. The
very contradiction between these two alega
tons OF complaint serves 10 excite at least
suspicion that neither is we-founded but il is
worth while to consider whether there is not
something stronger than suspicion to be urged
against them both.
The first yet rests only on rumor, impress
sion or conjecture. No occasion has vet pre-
been called upon or has had an opportunity to
declare his opinions save in the most general
terms-certainly not specially on any controvert-
ed point, in relation to either of the particular
questions on which he is alleged to be at issue
with the great Wing party of the country SO
far as he has yet had occasion to avow him
self his declarations have certainly been open,
if TO any charge, to that of over great Difference
10 the popular will as constitutionally expressed by
the representatives OF the people. am at a loss
then, to imagine on what evidence or on what
foundation this charge is brought against him,
unless it be that he is a son OF Virginia, and
therefore must be believer in and an upholder
of what some are pleased to call 50 Virginia alb
stractons." Such reasoning may do very well
for bar-room discussion, or Tor an elecuoneerng
harangue, but 1t is not worthy 10 be advanced
by reasonable men in grave consideration Of
high and important and weighty national ques-
tons on the decisions of which the welfare of
the country may depend.
The second charge against the President is
made thong htessy and without proper est
mate of his situation and circumstances. Ger
talnly there is nothing in his past life or his poll
tica career To give II the shadow Of foundation
IL should be remembered that his accession TO
the Presidency was as unexpected by himself as
by the country That he was not obliged, or
even encouraged, like all our other Presidents to
consider, long before his elevation to the chair
Of State, what should be his conduct there-what
the people expected of hm-and what it would
be most for their interest that he should do. Ii
should be remembered too, that he became thus
suddenly the President of the United States as
the successor TO President OF uneXampled po-
pularIty-one upon all whose acts the people
were disposed tolook with favor and from whom
they expected the most eminent and the most
beneficial services. 1t was obviously the inte-
rest the inclination and the duty of successor
thus coming into power to follow, as closely as
he might the path which his predecessor would
have taken had he lived but the removal of that
predecessor had occurred so quickly and unex-
pectedly that, as yet there had been neither time
nor opportunity TO indicate distinctly his line Of
conduct. The path which he would have pur-
sued was not plainly marked eut-its commence
ment even, was no more than family traced,
and of all the rest there was nothing known but
the point TO which il was designed to lead. That
point--the greatest good of the people and of the
coun TWAS indeed clearly designated and the
obligation of the new President, coinciding doubt
less with his wish and hope, was single TO ar
rive thereat but the way hither was left for him,
unprepared as we have seen him, TO explore and
TO discover.
Thus situated it was clearly incumbent on him
to move with EXTREMIST caution. He had to
consult, not merely his own views of policy or
duty-not merely the interest and wishes of the
people, as he could learn them from the ordinary
indicatons-but also, and perhaps above all, the
views, the opinions, the wishes and the action OF
his lamented predecessor, or what would have
been such if Death had not cut short the term
from which so much was expected by the pco-
Pile. II was AT once his duty and bis desire to
conform, IN every particular of his public con
duct, TO that of the President in whose name the
great work of reform was so noby begun TO
carry out all his principles, to accomplish all ms
objects. But those principles and those objects
were known only in their general features and
the application of the former to each particular
case was to be conlectured, examined and veri-
fed before action could be taken. The simple
statement of this position in which the new
President was placed, | conceive 10 be suili.
cient answer to the charge Of ndecision, Of
wanting in promptitudc, of hestating in the clear
and explicit avowal Of his opinions, or inaction
in accordance with them.
come now to the objections expressed against
the Cabinet. These are, in substance, nothing
less than venal sacrifice of their own convc.
tons and OF the interests of the great Wing