Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-03-14

Il JOURNAL
r. r. WALTON, JR, EDITOH
MONTPELIER, FRIDAY, MARCH Ia, 1916.
THE INAUGURATION POLK'S ADDRESS.

| THE GURA1lON-fOLhS ADDhESS'
We give up most of our inside columns this week
to an account of the Inauguration of President
Polk, and his Address. While bright sun cheer
ed the good Wing State of Vermont, it seems that
Nature reserved some Of her worst frowns for the
ceremonial of inducing Mr. Polk into the Presi-
dental office His address is well enough in form
and style and some of its sentiments would doubt
less have been expressed by any President, be his
politics of one sort or another There are points
in it, however, somewhat remarkable. What, for
instance, can be more malapropos than the clear
and strong expression of the doctrine OF Stdte
Rights i. c. the right of the States TO all poperS
not delegated TO the U. S. by The Constitution nor
prohibited by il 10 the STATES, --irom man who is
for the annexation of Texas, toittOm constitutional
authority, and tcihom the consent OF the States /?
State rights, forsooth what rights can the States
have, when Congress usurps powers never delega-
ted, to bring in new States to cat up the old E.
qually maapropos, and for the same reason, are
President Folks pledge sacredly to regard the Con-
stituton, and his eremiad about the dissolution of
the Union. The heaviest blow ever yet aimed at
the Constitution and the Union, is this same viii
famous Texas scheme.
A striking feature, to us of the Inaugural Adj
dress is this it procaims that the Constitution re-
cogniSes and protects sare'y-aye, for this it is him
ted were "thc compromises of the Constitution"
made and yet, this same Constitution allows no
protection to feemen or to The interests Of rcemen,
cept that which is purely incidental alias acciden-
tall to the raising of revenue. In other words, the
# In
ed, while the Protection of every thing else is to
be left entirely 10 accident This view is original
no other Inaugural Address ever limited at doc
trines like this. But Mr.. Polk is most emphatica-
y the SHAREHOLDERS President albeit elected by the
third party-for which service he politely dubs
them as enemies of the Union and guilty of " NOR
al treason" AS to the Tariff, President Polk reit,
crates his electoneering letters, which were con-
strued for Protection at the North, and against it
at the South. He has himself given a construc
ton-the Southern constructions toby the APP
pointment of one of the ultra enemies to Protcc
ton to be Secretary of the Treasury
For the rest, Texas and Oregon are the main
topics of the address for annexation he offers ar
guments which have been oft refued, including the
claim that the majority of the people of this coun-
try demand it. OF course, then, he counts in this
majority the very men whom he has slgmatised as
" moral traitors!'
1t will be observed that President Polk very kind.
y promises TO regard the interests I" of the whole
people," Notwithstanding his pledge to maintain the
principles of his party: we should like to see him
do il, to be sure-but are at a loss to conceive
how he is to serve two masters. If his support of
annexation is specimen of this devotion to " the
whole people," it is more than probable that pref
ty respectable portion Of them will pray speedily
to be delivered from such friend. Throughout the
Address the President sticks close to the distnc
tive principles of his party, and VIC expect him to
be merely the tool of that party, maugre this fair
promise.