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injury to others, and that of a full participation
in all the advantages which flow from the Gov
ernment, the acknowledged property of all,
the American citizen derives from no charter
granted by his fellow man. He claims them
because he is himself man fashioned by the
Almighty hand as the rest of his species, and
entitled to a full share of the blessings with
which he has endowed them. Notwthstand.
ing the limited sovereignty possessed by the
People of the United States, and the restricted
grant of power to the Government which they
have adopted, enough has been given to ac-
complsh all the objects to which it was crea-
ted. 1t has been found powerful in war, and
hitherto, justice has been administered, an in
innate union affected, domestic tranquility
preserved, and personal liberty secured to the
citizen. AS was to be expected, however,
from the defect of language, and the nessarily
sententious manner in which the Constitution
is written, disputes have arisen as TO the a
mount of power which it has actually granted,
or was intended to grant.


This is more particularly the case in rela-
ton to that part of the instrument which
treats of the legislative branch. And not only
as regards the exercise of powers claimed un-
der generous clause, giving that body the au-
thority to pass all laws necessary to carry in
to effect the specified powers, but in relation to
the latter also. 1t is however, consolatory to
reflect that most of the instances of alleged
departure from the letter or spirit of the con-
stitution, have ultimately received the sane
ton of majority Of the people. And the
fact that many of our statesmen, most distin-
guished for talent and patriotism, have been,
at one time or other of their political career,
on both sides of each of the most warmly dis
puted questions, forces upon us the inference
that the errors, if errors they were, are attrib-
utable to the intrinsic difficulty, in many in
stances, of ascertaining the intention OF the
trainers of the Constitution, rather than the
influence Of any sinister or unpatriotic mo-
tive. But the great danger to our institutions
does not appear to me to be in usurpation by
the Government of power not granted by the
people, but by the accumulation in one the
departments, of that which was assigned to
others. Limited as are the powers which
have been granted, still enough have been
granted to constitute despotism, if concen-
trated in one of the departments. This danger is
greatly heightened, as it has always been OBJ
servable that men are less jealous of encroach-
ments of one department upon the other, than
upon their own reserved rights.


| When the Constitution of the United States
| first came from the hands of the Convention


which formed it, many of the sternest Repub.


licans of the day were alarmed at the exten


of the power which had been granted to the fed


eral government, and more particularly of thai


portion which had been assigned to the exec


utive branch. There were in it features which
appeared not to be in harmony with theil


ideas of a simple representative Democracy


or Republic. And knowing the tendency o


power to increase itself, particularly when ex


ercised by single individual, predictions


were made that, at no very remote period, the


government would terminate in virtual mon


archy. 1t would not become me to say that the
fears of these patriots have been already real
lied. But, as sincerely believe that the ten
dency of measures, and of mems opinions, fo


some years past, has been in that direction, i
is, conceive strictly proper, that shoult


take this occasion to repeat the assurances


have heretofore given, of my determination


to arrest the progress of that tendency, ii /
really exists, and restore the government to it
pristine health and vigor, as far as this can bt
effected by any legitimate exercise of tn
power placed in my hands.


/ proceed to state, in as summary manne
, as can, my opinion of the sources of the evil
) which have been so extensively complained o.
) anu Tue COTTcCLlVcS WLICl dppNCu"-
Some of the former are unquestionably to
found in the defects of the Constitution, Others
{ in nv Judgment, are attributable to miscor
: struction of some of its provisions. OF tn
7 former is the eligibility Of the same individu;
t to second term of the Presidency. The Sc
/ gacious mind of Mr. Jefferson early saw and IL
t mented this error, and attempts have bee
made hitherto, without success, to apply tn
: amendatory power of the States to its corre'
: ton AS, however, one mode of correction
: in the power of every President, and const
0 quently in mine, it would be useless, and pc
: haps invidious, to enumerate the evils of whicl
a in the opinion of many of our fellow citizen
t this error of the sages who framed the Const
: tuition may have been the source and the bi
a ter fruits which we are still to gather from
fl ifit continues to disfgure our system. 1t ma
|, be observed, however, as a general remar
II Dc to- fhc