ures and of men's opinions for some years past has been in that direction， it is， i conceive， strictly proper that i should take this occasion to repeat the assurances i have heretofore given of my determination to arrest the progress of that tendency if it really exists and restore the government to its pristine health and vigor， as far as this can be effected by any legitimate exercise of the power placed in my hands.
i proceed to state in as summary a manner as i can my opinion of the sources of the evils which have been so extensively complained of and the correctives which may be applied. some of the former are unquestionably to be found in the defects of the constitution； others， in my judgment， are attributable to a misconstruction of some of its provisions. of the former is the eligibility of the same individual to a second term of the presidency. the sagacious mind of mr. jefferson early saw and lamented this error， and attempts have been made， hitherto without success， to apply the amendatory power of the states to its correction. as， however， one mode of correction is in the power of every president， and consequently in mine， it would be useless， and perhaps invidious， to enumerate the evils of which， in the opinion of many of our fellow-citizens， this error of the sages who framed the constitution may have been the source and the bitter fruits which we are still to gather from it if it continues to disfigure our system. it may be observed， however， as a
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