The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-11-04

.NeU York, October 10. 1912
Gentlemen-l have received your communca-
ton of the l4th inst, inviting me to extend my
journey into Western New York-a region hal
lowed in my ailecons-to give an explanation OF
the course of the administration and an exposition
of its policy; and to remove miSarprehension or
misrepresentation in reference to my own position,
When consider the state of the public press, one
portion of it employed in continual assaults upon
the President and many of the measures of his ad-
ministraton, and the other portion rendering
cquvocul defence Of some of those measures only
and condemning others, cannot be surprised that
you and your intelligent fellow citizens should de-
sire other sources and means of information to en-
able them to form an impartial judgment. am
not aware ofuny rule Of official duty that forbids
compliance with your request, but on the contrary
seems 10 me congenial TO the spirit OF our insi-
tulions that those to whom the powers of govern
mcnl are entrusted should on all proper occasions,
and when it can be done without interference with
official obligations, he willing to g i've an account OF
the execution of their trust to those who ask it in
the spirit Of fair inquiry. Although j. would give
me the greatest pleasure TO crafty yon and myself
by personal visit, for the purpose indicated by
you, yet NY duties NJ the seat of government for
bid IN absence so pro,rac,od as would be required
to perform a journey of such extent. shall en-
deavor therefore TO comply with the substance of
your wishes, by written instead of a personal
communication; which, trust, will be nearly if
not quite AS acceptable.
The policy of the adj inisralion is indicted by
the measures which the President has adopted
when the power rested with him, or was RECON-
mendcd TO Congress when legislation was ncces-
sary Its general scope and aim have been, equal
and exact Justice to each and every portion and in
tercss as he finds them secured and protected by
the Constitution and laws, and his greatest pleas
ure consists in his greatest duty, to uphold and
maintain that constitution as it was delivered TO US
by our fathers, and TO execute those laws in their
fair and full force and spirit
| The course Of the Administration of President
Tyler cannot be understood without adverling TO
the history of its commencement. BY dspcn-
saion Of Providence which plunged the whole ma
ton in grief, the individual who had been chosen
for the Vice Presidency, succeeded TO The Presi-
dency. The disappointment which such an event
would naturally produce in the minds Of the parry
who had fixed their hopes and expectations on an
other, the arrangement of schemes mud combna-
| iions, which had been formed for u different CON
tingency, and 1t may be the want of That conlden-
linl intercourse and unrcserved consultation with
the leaders of the party which would necessarily
exist with the anticipated Chief Magistrate placed
the Vice President in peculiar and most trying
situation. Not having been tho leader during the
contest, he could not be said TO be the acknow
edged head of the party that hid attained power,
| That posi- was vacant. As mean to abstain from
any mere parzan reflections, | lorbear to enuner-
ale the actual political consequences of such a state
Of things. They are doubtless familiar to you.
But the fact, that the actual President was with
ont an organized party in Congress, was as extra
ordinary as it was new. 1t was the first time in
our history that an opportunity had been prcsen-
ted to test the strength of our institutions, and as
certain whether the country could be governed
simply by means of the powes conferred by the
Constitution and the laws, or whether The adven-
ious aid of Presidential party in Congress was
necessary 10 carry on the government successfully
President Tyler has been compelled to try that ex.
pertinent The most portenlous consequences de-
pend upon the result. lf it fails, then will it be
deemed settled for all future time, that whoever
succeeds TO the Presidency in any of the modes
prescribed by the Constitution, other than Il direct
election by the People, must make terms with one
or the other OF the parties in Congress aud prob
ably with that which at the time has the majority
Thus Congress will in fact govern the country, by
an union Of the Legislative and Executive powers.
The system which was tried under the Conledera-
ton, and was universally condemned, will be re-
viycd and like powers will be exercised by
Congress in II form more dangerous, because it
will be indirect and irresponsible. ! am sure
need not pursue the considerations " hich this top
ic suggests. Disorder aud anarchy must follow the
destruction Of any one of the important balances
and checks of the Constitutions; and us we would
avoid the horrors which have elsewhere attended
the abolition of the Executive power, we must en-
deavor TO preserve it here, in the last ciiidal of
freedom.