The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-22
MORE MIsREPREsENTATI cOR-
HECTED.

4 ne Union 81 NeNtINdA ithNsei's ~
charge, that the President las openly ayow-
ed, in the Inaugural, his intention to aban-
don entirely the execution Of that clause Of
the Constitution, which prescfibes his duty
in relation to the legislation Of Congress,
and that he has also openly avowed his pur-
pose to be guided, in his Interpretation d
The Constitution, solely by the decisions o!
the judicial tribunals established by is au-
thority
Now the President has not only not made
any such ayowals, in his Inaugural, but The
doctrines, sought 10 be assembled to him BY the
ipse diait Of the Union, cannot be deduced
from the Presidents language, by any pos
sible rule Of construction. Let us see what
The President has really said on these points.
He says: SIN the discharge oil these the
Executivel duties, my guide viii be the
. Constitution, which this day swear, 80
Z preserve, protect and defend ;" Is there
any thing ike an ayo.al, in these words, Of
IN abandonment o. the execution Of any one
Of the duties prescribed by thst instrument:
Is j, possible to infer such q. result from
these words His guide in tie discharge
Of his duties, being the Constitution, he
must obey its prescriptions, orit would cease
to be his guide.
There is NOT only No avowal Of dsterHi-
nation to abandon the execution Of any Of
his Constitutional duties, in these words Of
the Inaugural, but they are an express an
nouncement Of his intention to execute every
one Of his Constitutional duties, without fear,
favor OF affection, and he confirmed his word
by an oath which he swars before the Most
High
again, the Inaugural says: "For the in
depreciation Of that instrument the Con-
stitution] shall look to the decisions Of
" the judicial tribunals, established by its
" authority and to the practice Of the Gov
9 eminent under the earlier Presidents, wko
:" had SO large a share in its formation" Ia
the face Of this declaration, the Union has
the hardhood to assert, that the President
has avowed his purpose TO be guided solely
by the decisions Of the Federal Courts in hi.
interpretations Of the Constitution!
He says nothing at all about being guided
by the judicial decisions Of the Federal
Courts his Interpretation Of the Constitu
ton. On the contrary, he says, he will
look TO those decisions Ior the Interpretation
Of that instrument We submit, whether
looking 10 source Of knowle dye for inior-
nation as 10 given course Of conduct, Is
the same thing az being guided by the in
formation thus derived; 1t requires no ar
gument to prove that the two operations are
entirely distinct.
But, the President does not coniine him
sell TO looking 10 the decisions Of the Fed
sral Courts for the required information.
He says, he viii also look 10 the practice Of
the Government under the earlier Presidents
for the Interpretation Of the Constitution.
He has avowed his purpose to 60 TO two
sources ui knowledge for information upon
the interpretation Of that instrument. Does
not this ayowal involve the exercise Of OIL
eisl judgment, in determining whether the
question OF Interpretation is settled BY the
authorities adduced or not: Surely it does,
aud thus, not only Is the Unions assertion
that the President intends 10 be guided BY
the decisions Of the Federal Courts, not
borne out BY The Inaugural, but there is
not even preteuce upon which itcan build
its assertion.
But the Unions misrepresentation Go
not stop Al these points. After depict
ing the course OF the administration as the
natural result Of the premises, which it gra-
tuitously assumes for the President, without
even shadow Of authority, il reproduces an
extract from Mr. Jeherson'o letter 10 Judge
Sloane, in 1919, 10 prove the fallacy of the
assumed premises, and to demonstrate The
possible injury TO the country which the ex-
ecuton Of such doctrines might infic.
There Is not single passage in MIR. Jef
ferson's letter, which conflicts with the Pres
dents real avowals in the inaugural. The
Constitution was Mr. Jsgerson's guide in
the discharge Of lis Executive duties, and
the President announces his determination to
make il bis guide too Mr.. Jefferson claims
the equal right for each Of the departments
to decide for itself what is its duty under the
Constitution The President does not either
expressly or by infershe. rePudiste or re-
nounce this right. The examples which Mr.
Jefferson gives Of his aetion while President,
are perfectly consistent with the position
taken by Gen.-Taylor in making the Con
stitution his guide Tor the execution Of ii,
duties That Mr.. Jefferson looked 10 The
decisions Of the federal courts for the inter
p'etation Of the Constitution, is well known
and it was only in j very few cases, that h,
cid not conform his Official judgment to III,
decisions Of those courts Gen. Taylor doe
A.. "a 4 r. ~ a . I