The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-06-14
Correspondence of the Madisonian.

-, N. ", June 9th, l842.
DEAR Sir Our free institutions, that have surpass-
ed in their admirable adaptation to the wants Of the
People, the expectations of the most sangune of their
distinguished and patriot framers being subjected
after lapse of fifty years, to new trial Another
political problem is about to be solved The expert
ment is now making whether the Government can be
successfully administered by an individual who,
clothed with all the prerogatives and authority of
Chief Magistrate by the Constitution, is nevertheless
without that direct commission from the People that has
been possessed by ALL except one, of predecessors
and which constituted no inconsiderable portion of
their strength and eficency-either for good for
evil Can there be rational doubt of the result of
this experiment? No one, l think, who has spark
Of patriotism within his bosom, can contemplate the
present struggle of partisan leaders to harass, perpex
and oyerwhelm the Executive, without an indignant
sense Of its injustice, yet | look upon it without
Administered as | am that there is a redeeming
spirit in the People that will triumphanty sustain
public servant in the faithful performance of his duty
and rebuke every attempt to embarrass for sinister
purposes the operations Of Government.
But the experiment making has twofold aspect.
II is not alone whether the Government can be sue
cessfully administered by an individual who, chosen
the second Office under the Constitution, has been
called, by an act of Providence, to the higher and
more responsible station of President but involves
the important question whether it can be administer
ed without sacrifice Of all manly independence Of action
and entire ubserpiency to The piews Of el-consu
ted and irresponsible dictatorship.
The charge has been repeatedly made that the
President has been guilty of treachery to the Wing
party; but is accusation unsustained by shadow
Of evidence The President has been faithful to
hnseB-to his declared principles and it is for his
firm adherence to them that he exposed to the bit
ter luminosity of his assailants The party that raj
lied under the Wing banner in l840, was not one
homogeneous mass but it was composed of allies,
united to effect certain object, which when attained
left them at perfect liberty to act they might think
expedient and proper. Mr.. Tyers opinions were
well understood he was known to have been State
Rights Republican, disciple of Jefferson-most de-
cidedly hostile to United States Bank and all the
doctrines of the atudinarian Federal school but
the Office of Vice President considered of little
consequence, far the action of the Government
is concerned and he nominated to secure to the
ticket strength at the South, where it was supposed
Gen. Harrison stood most in need of it. The result
fully indicated the wisdom of the selection but how
unjust is it to Mr. Tyler, that by act of Pro-
violence he is placed in more elevated and impor-
tant position than that to which he was elected and
refuses to abandon his principles to accuse him of
tyeachery. Had he been less honest, patriotic and
firm, he might have received the plaudts and not the
denunciatons of those who are now laboring to de-
stroy public confidence in his integrity and capacity
Could he have forgotten what belonged to his own
character and to the country, and sunk the rcputa
ton Of the fearless Chief Magistrate and devoted
public servant in that of the subservent instrument
and INSCRIPTIONS supporter Of some ambitious aspi-
rant to the Presidency, he would have furnished and
rendered gnomnious his Administration in the eyes
of impartial posterty, but he would have been eulo-
gized by his present calumnators. The path of
duty would not have been made more plain to him by
the light of burning efigies"
The position of the President of the United States,
under the most favorable circumstances is of
great responsibility and embarrassment but never
has Executive been compelled to contend with so
many and formidable and discouraging difficulties as
Mr. Tyler in the performance of his official duties 1t
seems to have been the determined purpose Of clique
OF politicians to intimidate him by the boldness and
feiceness of their assaults int a surrender of bis
power or submission to their commands and the more
resouely he has maintained his principles and indie
pendence, the more upsparing and ferocous have
been their attacks upon him more reckless and
persevcrng their efforts to vex and harass and hway,
him in his course