Essay: Second Inaugural Address

Overview
Andrew Jackson's Second Inaugural Address (1833) is a brief reaffirmation of republican principles delivered at the tense close of the Nullification Crisis. Jackson speaks in a tone of gratitude and resolve, pledging fidelity to the Constitution, the preservation of the Union, and an administration guided by economy, simplicity, and equal protection. Rather than unveiling a new agenda, he consolidates themes from his first term, promising steady, lawful governance that resists both sectional extremism and concentrations of privilege.

Historical moment
The address comes as South Carolina challenges federal tariff laws through nullification, testing the limits of state sovereignty and national authority. Jackson acknowledges the gravity of the moment without naming antagonists. He frames his mandate as a trust from the people to maintain constitutional order and avert disunion, signaling that the federal government will execute the laws while seeking peaceable adjustment of grievances.

Union and constitutional commitments
Jackson centers the oath of office as a binding pledge to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. He presents the Union as the surest guardian of liberty and prosperity, insisting that constitutional remedies, not unilateral state action, must address disputes. While recognizing the reserved powers of the states, he rejects doctrines that dissolve national cohesion, positioning himself as a custodian of both limited government and the supremacy of duly enacted federal law.

Governance, economy, and public finance
Economy in administration remains a defining priority. Jackson renews his aim to restrain expenditures, reduce the public debt, and avoid fiscal policies that burden future generations. He elevates accountability and transparency as safeguards against corruption and favoritism. Though he does not litigate the Bank War directly, his language of equal rights and opposition to exclusive privileges echoes his broader hostility to public-chartered monopolies and the undue influence of moneyed power.

Civil service and accountability
Continuing a hallmark of his first term, Jackson defends a more responsive executive branch. He suggests that rotation in office and rigorous oversight are necessary to prevent entrenchment and to keep public servants answerable to the people. Administrative reform, for him, is not merely managerial but constitutional, ensuring that offices serve the public interest rather than private cliques.

Indian policy and domestic peace
Jackson refers to internal tranquility and the orderly execution of laws as paramount objectives. Within that frame, he gestures toward policies intended to reduce conflict between state authority and Native nations. He casts the federal approach as protective and humane in purpose, a defensive articulation that aligns with his support for removal beyond the Mississippi. The address avoids detail, but it signals continuity: federal supervision, state jurisdiction within their boundaries, and a declared concern for peace.

Foreign policy and national character
On external affairs, Jackson adopts a stance of peace with honor. He favors impartial friendship, strict observance of treaties, and avoidance of entangling quarrels, coupling these with readiness to defend national rights. The United States, he suggests, should model republican moderation, firm at home, fair abroad, and cautious of policies that compromise independence or fiscal solidity.

Tone and significance
The rhetoric is restrained, elevating duty over triumph. Jackson speaks as a steward rather than a visionary, pledging constancy in principle rather than novelty in program. The speech’s enduring significance lies in how it distills his governing creed at a moment of crisis: a strong but bounded Union, frugal administration, executive accountability, skepticism of special privileges, and a reliance on constitutional processes to reconcile conflicts. By tying popular sovereignty to constitutional obedience, Jackson frames his second term as an effort to secure stability while resisting forces, sectional, financial, and bureaucratic, that he believed could endanger republican government.