HithertonocitizenhasshownanydispositiontoexposehishonorandhislifeinordertobecomethePresidentoftheUnitedStates;becausethepowerofthatofficeistemporary，limited，andsubordinate。Theprizeoffortunemustbegreattoencourageadventurersinsodesperateagame。Nocandidatehasasyetbeenabletoarousethedangerousenthusiasmorthepassionatesympathiesofthepeopleinhisfavor，fortheverysimplereasonthatwhenheisattheheadoftheGovernmenthehasbutlittlepower，butlittlewealth，andbutlittleglorytoshareamongsthisfriends;andhisinfluenceintheStateistoosmallforthesuccessortheruinofafactiontodependupontheelevationofanindividualtopower。
Thegreatadvantageofhereditarymonarchiesis，thatastheprivateinterestofafamilyisalwaysintimatelyconnectedwiththeinterestsoftheState，theexecutivegovernmentisneversuspendedforasingleinstant;andiftheaffairsofamonarchyarenotbetterconductedthanthoseofarepublic，atleastthereisalwayssomeonetoconductthem，wellorill，accordingtohiscapacity。InelectiveStates，onthecontrary，thewheelsofgovernmentceasetoact，asitwere，oftheirownaccordattheapproachofanelection，andevenforsometimeprevioustothatevent。Thelawsmayindeedacceleratetheoperationoftheelection，whichmaybeconductedwithsuchsimplicityandrapiditythattheseatofpowerwillneverbeleftvacant;but，notwithstandingtheseprecautions，abreaknecessarilyoccursinthemindsofthepeople。
Attheapproachofanelectiontheheadoftheexecutivegovernmentiswhollyoccupiedbythecomingstruggle;hisfutureplansaredoubtful;hecanundertakenothingnew，andthehewillonlyprosecutewithindifferencethosedesignswhichanotherwillperhapsterminate。\"Iamsonearthetimeofmyretirementfromoffice，\"saidPresidentJeffersononthe21stofJanuary，1809
（sixweeksbeforetheelection），\"thatIfeelnopassion，Itakenopart，Iexpressnosentiment。Itappearstomejusttoleavetomysuccessorthecommencementofthosemeasureswhichhewillhavetoprosecute，andforwhichhewillberesponsible。\"
Ontheotherhand，theeyesofthenationarecentredonasinglepoint;allarewatchingthegradualbirthofsoimportantanevent。Thewidertheinfluenceoftheexecutivepowerextends，thegreaterandthemorenecessaryisitsconstantaction，themorefatalisthetermofsuspense;andanationwhichisaccustomedtothegovernment，or，stillmore，oneusedtotheadministrativeprotectionofapowerfulexecutiveauthoritywouldbeinfalliblyconvulsedbyanelectionofthiskind。IntheUnitedStatestheactionoftheGovernmentmaybeslackenedwithimpunity，becauseitisalwaysweakandcircumscribed。*u[Footnoteu:[This，however，maybeagreatdanger。TheperiodduringwhichMr。Buchananretainedoffice，aftertheelectionofMr。Lincoln，fromNovember，1860，toMarch，1861，wasthatwhichenabledthesecedingStatesoftheSouthtocompletetheirpreparationsfortheCivilWar，andtheExecutiveGovernmentwasparalyzed。Nogreaterevilcouldbefallanation。—Translator’sNote。]]