The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-27
New YORK, Oct. 10, 1912.

GENTLEMEN | have received your communica-
ton of the l4th instant, inviting me to extend my
Journey into " estern New York--a region halowed
in my afections-to give an explanation of the
of the administration and an exposition OF its policy
and to remove misapprehenson misrepresentation
in reference TO my own position. When consider
the state Of the public press, portion of it
poyed in continual assaults upon the President and
many of the measures of his administration, and the
other portion rendering equvocal defence Of some Of
those measures only and condemning others, cannot
he surprised that you and your intelligent fellow-cit-
should desire other and means Of ntor-
nation to enable them to form impartial Judgment
not aware of any rule Of official duty that for
bids compliance with your request but, the con-
rary, it seems to me congenia to the spirit of in
sttutions that those to whom the powers of govern
ment entrusted should on all proper occasions
AMI when it can be done without interference with
official obligations, be willing to give account Of
the execution of their trust to those who ask il in
the spirit Of fair inquiry Although it would give
me the greatest pleasure 10 crafty you and myself by
personal visit, for the purpose indicated by you, yet
my duties at the seat of Government forbid ab-
sence so potracted as would be required perform
journey of such extent shall endeavor, there
fore, to comply with the substance of your wishes by
written, instead of a personal communication ;
which, trust, will be nearly, if not quite, accept
able.
The policy of the Administration is indicated by
the measures which the President has adopted when
the power rested with him, or has recommended to
Congress when legislation necessary. Its gene
raj scope and aim have b. en-, equal and exact JUS
lice to each and every norton and interest of the
whole country. He takes these interests he finds
them, secured and protected by the Constitution and
laws, and his greatest pleasure consists in his great
est duty, to uphold and maintain that Constitution
it was delivered to us by our fathers, and to
cute those laws in their fair and full force and
spirit.
The course of the Administration Of President Ty-
Ter cannot be understood without adverting to the
his tory of its commencement. by dispensatlon of
Providence which plunged the whole nation in grief,
the individual who had been chosen Tor the Vice Pre-
sidency succeeded to the Presidency. The dsap-
pointment which such event would naturally pro-
duce in the minds of the party who had fixed their
hopes and expectations ON another, the arrangement
Of schemes and combinations, which had been formed
for d iieren contingency and II may he, the want
of that confidential Intercourse and unreserved oon-
sutaton with the leaders of the party which would
necessarily xist with the anticipated Chief Magis-
rate, placed the Vice Pr sident in a peculiar and
most trying situation. Not having been the leader
during the contest he could not be said to be the
knowedged head Of the party that had attained pow
err. That post was vacant. As | mean TO abstain
from any mere partisan reflections, forbear TO
merate the actual political consequences of such
state of things. They are, doubtless, familiar TO
you.
But the fact that the actual President without
organized party in Congress was as extraordinary
as il was new. Ii was the first time history
that an opportunity had been presented TO test the
strength of our institutions and ascertain whether the
country could be governed simply by ftbe pow
ers conferred by the Constitution and the laws whc
Their the adventurous aid of Presidential party In
Congress was necessary to carry on the Government
successfully President Tyler has been compelled TO
try that experiment. The most portentous conse-
q,Iepces depend upon the result II il fails then
will it be deemed settled for all future time that who
ever succeeds to the Presidency in any Of the modes