The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-19

lie, 20 I'LL the Chief Executive D1ice of
this great and free nation. appear before
you, fellow, citizens, a take tie oaths which
the Constitution pgesclibes. 50 necessary
qualification for the performances 81 iis du-
ties. And b obedience to custom co-eYaI
with our Government, and What believe Is
be- your expectations, proceed 10 present
70 you summary q The principles which
will govern me il he discharge Sc The du-
ties which shall be called upon to perform.
n was the remark Of Roman Consul ia
an early period Of thai celebrated Republic,
that . most striking contrast was observable
IN the conduct Of candidates for Offices 81
power and trust, before and after obtaining
them-they seldom carry out, IN the latter
case the pledges aud promises made il the
foEmer. However much tie world may
have improved, il many respects, in tho
lapse OF upwards Of two thousand wears,
aince The remark was made By the ,piftuons
andlndlgnant Roman, fear That strict ex-
animation 81 the annals Of some Of the mod.
eEn elective governments, would deveIope
similar instances Of violated confidence.
Although the fat Of the people has zone
forth, ptoclaimtg me the Chief Magistrate
OF this glorious Union, nothing on their part
remaining to be done, It may be. thought
that 9 motive may exist 10 keep up the de-
fusion under which they rnay be supposed 10
have acted 10 relation 10 my principles and.
my opinions; and perhaps there may Be
some IN this assembly who have come here
either prepared 70 condemn those shall now
deliver, Or, approving them, 10 doubt The
sincerity With which they may be uttered
But the lapse Of q few months win confirm
OF dlspel their fears. The outline Of princi-
pies @ govern, and measures 10 be adopted,
by an Administration not vet begun, will
soon be exchanged for immutable history,
and stand, either exonerated By nv coun.
Iymens Or classed with the mass of those
who promised thai they might deceive, and
battered with The intention 10 betray. How
ever strong may be my present purpose To-
realize the expectation Of maonanimons|
and con6ding People, / too well understand
the dangerous temptations g which shall
be exposed, from the magnitude Of the pow
or which It has been the pleasure or the peo-
pie @ commit to my hands, NOT TO place my
Chief confidence upon the aid of that Al
mighty power which has hitherto protected
me, and ENABLED me TO bring to favorable
issues other important but still greatly infe-
rior trusts, heretofore confded % me BY my
country.
The broad foundation on which our Con-
stithtion rests being The Peoples breath
Of theirs having made, IS 4 bTeath can IN
make, change Or modify it--can be assigned
g none Of the great divisions Of Govern
ment, but that Of Democracy. IF such is
its theOTys those who are called to admins
ter i must recognize, as its leading princi-
Gle, The duty Of shaping their measures 50 as
to produce the greatest good to the greatest
number But, with these broad admis-
si0ns, if we would compare the sovereignty
acknowledged TO exist in the mass Of our
People, with the power claimed BY other
soVeFeignties, evenly those which have been
considered most purely democratic, we shall
find most essential difference. All others
lay claims ID power limited only By their
own will. The majority Of our citizens, on
the contrary, possess sovereignty with an
amount of power precisely equal to that
which has been granted them by the parties
to the national compact, and nothing beyond.
We admit Of Government By divine
right. Believing that so far as power is /
concerned, the BeniGcient Creator has made
no distinction among men, that all are upon
"a equality, and that the only legitimate |
right TO govern Is an express grant Of power
from The governed. The Constitution Of the
United States IS the instrument containing
this grant Of power to the several departt-
ments composing Che Government, On an
examination Of that instrument, il will be
found to contain declarations ofpower grant
ed and of power WITHHELD The latter IS az
20 susceptible Of division, into power which
the majority mad right TO grant, but which
they did not think proper toentrust 10 their
agents, and that which they could not have
granted, not being possessed BY themselves.
IL other words, there are certain rights pos
lessed by each Individual Ameriea ii citizen
which, ID his compact with others he has
lever surrendered. Some Of them, indeed,
le IS unable to surrender, being jnlthe LAM
Iuage Of our system unalienable The boast.
q privilege Of Roman citizen was to him /
shield only against petty provincial ru
e, whilst The proud Democrat of Athens
'ould console himself under sentence or
leath, for q supposed violation of tie nation
I faith, which no one TODD, and which 9
{ times vas the subject Of the mockery of
Il, Of the punishment from his home, his
,mily and his country, with OF without an :
legged cause; that 4 was the act, not ol q 6
ingle tgEantoF hated aristocracy, butof his
ssembled countEymen. Far different is the
over 81 our sovereignty. Il eau interfere .
Iith no ones hi1 prescribe forms of wos- G
Up loF no ones OBJ rYance, infict no pun /.
Ihmen4 but after well ascerlained guilt, The B