rned and those invested with authority, and invoked the
reciprocity in political duty which enjoins that for the
people's obedience and support of government, there shall be
given in exchange, by the Government to the people, defense of
their personal rights and the assurance that in safety and peace
they shall surely reap the fruits of their enterprise and labor.

It may also be well to note the efficacy of the people's call
upon the Government in those early days, and how quickly the
response came; not by yielding to gusts of popular whim and
caprice; not by conferring benefits upon the few at the expense
of the many; but by a quick observation of the fact that the
withdrawal of certain rightful privilege by another nation from
American settlers had caused them distress, and by a prompt
determination to relieve their distress, even if the unwelcome
visage of war frowned in opposition.

Another incident which, it seems to me, we may recall to-day
with profit and satisfaction, grew out of the conduct of the
President when the treaty of 1803 had been formulated and was
returned to him for ratification and final completion. He was,
as is well known, originally quite firm in his belief that the
Constitution as it stood did not authorize such an extension of
our limits by purchase as the treaty for the acquisition of the
Louisiana Territory contemplated. Holding this opinion, and at
the same time confronted with the clear conviction that the
treaty, with all its stupendous advantages, could not be allowed
to fail without positive peril, if not to our national life, at
least to its most vital object and aspirations, his perplexity
was increased by the receipt of an authoritative intimation that
any delay in final action on the treaty might open the way to a
recession on the part of France. In these circumstances, not
daring to risk the delay of an amendment to the Constitution
prior to such final action, he proposed reconciling consistency
with duty by procuring confirmation of the treaty by the Senate
and compassing its unquestionable validation by a subsequent
constitutional amendment.

In view of the conclusive statement, since that time of this
constitutional question by every branch of the Government
against Mr. Jefferson's original opinion and in favor of the
nation