AMERICAN REVIEW.

Contents for May.

THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ADMINISTRATION. BY Hon. D. D. Barnard, .
THOMAS MILLER. By G. F. Deane,

437

451

LIFE AND WRITINGS OF CHIEF JUSTICE DURFEE. By John M. Mackie,

THE STREET FLUTE-PLAYER. By William Wallace,

483

LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF HON. DANIEL DEWEY BARNARD, LL.D.,
HOGARTH'S MUSICAL HISTORY. By G. W. P.,

Mr. Barrett is also the author of the article on Charles Brockden Brown, in the March number of this Journal.

NEW-YORK:

PUBLISHED AT 118 NASSAU STREET.

that precede it, unless it be Sunday, for a
month. And thus our Republican King is
chosen. At the proper time, with simple
ceremonies, he is installed in office, when
he enters on his high trusts, and moves for-
ward in the majesty of as much power, to
say the least of it, as any mortal man ought
ever to be clothed with.
This, we say, is

a great moral spectacle-this matter of
electing, in this quiet way, our own Chief,
our own ruler and monarch, for the time

For a monarch he is, and a great potentate, as experience has abundantly shown, whose will, or whose caprice, directs the most important and eventful public measures, and shapes the carcer and destiny of the country.

THE period has come when the country is about to enter on another Presidential canvass, or campaign, as it is usually called. The canvass, of course, does not actually begin till candidates are put in nomination, and are in the field. But already there is a hum of busy preparation all over the land. Parties are beginning to marshal their forces, and count their numbers, and there is an active inquiry everywhere after the great Captains who are to lead out these hosts to the sanguine-being, from out of the body of the people. not sanguinary-encounter. Truly, these Presidential elections of ours in this country are great political, and great moral spectacles. The President of the United States, though we call him our Chief Magistrate, as if he were only our principal Justice of the Peace, is, nevertheless, a great potentate, and actually exercises more power than the Sovereign of Great Britain, the head of the most powerful empire in the world. And yet we elect our Sovereign every fourth year by universal suffrage, without tumult, without confusion, without civil commotion. The people go to the polls in their respective districts, and deposit their ballots, and the thing is done. The people stay at home and do this thing. The day of voting, when it comes, is usually a more quiet day, except perhaps in the great cities, or in particular localities, than many of the days

VOL. I. NO. V. NEW SERIES.

29

A President of the United States, even when he keeps himself within the letter of the Constitution, rises as the chief executive officer of the nation, to the height of tremendous power. He is invested with many of the higher attributes of sovereignty in government, as such sovereignty is commonly exhibited in the persons of monarchs in other countries at least where constitutional limitations have found any place whatever. It is worth our while to refer for a moment to some of these attributes of eminent power.

The President may take the Initiative in Legislation, under the clause of the Consti