The constitutionalist — Exeter, N.H., 1810-08-27 00:00:00, page 1

WASHINGTON TO THE HON. CHARLES CARROL, 1798.
'' Although," says Gen. Washington, " I highly approve of the measures
taken by government, to place this country in a posture of defence, and
even wish they had been mere energetick, and shall be ready to obey its call
under the reservations I have made, whenever it is made; yet I am not with
out hope, mad and intoxicated as the French are, that they will pause, be
fore they take the last step. That they have been deceived in their calcula
tions on the division of the people, and the powerful support from THEIR
PARTY, is reduced to a certainty, though it is somewhat equivocal still,
whether that party who have been THE CURSE OF THIS COUNTRY,
and the SOURCE of the EXPENSES we have to encounter, may not be
able to continue THEIR DELUSION. -What a pity it is the expense
could not be taxed upon them."
" To this I may add, and very truly, that until the last year or two, I
had no conception that parties would or even could go the lengths I have
been witness to; nor did I believe, until lately, that it was within the bounds
of probability—hardly within those of possibility—that while I was using
my utmost exertions to establish a national character of/our own, indepen
dent as far as our obligations and justice would permit, of every nation of
the earth ; and wished by steering a steady course to preserve this ccuntry
from the horrors of a desolating war, I should be accused of being an enemy
of one nation and subject to the influence of another; and to prove it, that
every act of my administration would be tortured, and the grossest and most
insidious misrepresentation of them be made, by giving one side only of a
subject, and that too, in such exaggerated and indecent terms & could scarce
ly be applied to a Nero —to a notorious defaulter —or even to a common
pick-pocket./
" But enough of this—l have already gone further in the expression of
my feelings than I intended."
I WASHINGTON TICKET.|
$ - ^^^^x^ —1
, [REPRESENTATIVES for the 12th CONGRESS of Tilt |
UNITED STATES.]Q
9 S
3 Men devoted to Tim UNION OF THE STATES, and|
>the RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE— who will preserve IN-'
; viOLATE THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.<
} Hon. GEORGE SULLIVAN,|
I „ WILLIAM HALE,^
A „ JAMES WILSON,}
„ ROGER VOSE, andl
& „ DANIEL BLAISDELL.,
^ —~~^O CT ~ ~~n
it. To the Independent Electors of New-Hampshire.
THERE is no man, however indifferent about the interests of this coun
tty, who will not readily confess, that the situation to which we are reduced,
(whether it has arisen from the violence of faction, or from the cowardice or
base partiality of our rulers) is truly deplorable, and calls loudly on every
true American, to exert himself to substitute a remedy.
FELLOE-CITIZENS OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE,
THIS DAY you are called upon to exercise a noble privilege— I
conjure you to consider the importance of the occasion—all eyes are direct,
ed towards you—consider this one act, for which you are now called upon
may save your almost ruined country. The democrats now piteously ask,
« How shall we give to our government, the STABILITY and DECISION
of earlier times." Every independent American will answer—Let us hurl
from our councils those weak and designing men who have so long disgraced
them, and put in their places, men, whom WASHINGTON did and would
honour with his confidence and support.
Where are all those revolutionary Patriots, who fought and bled for the
Independence of our country ? They, who with the immortal WASHING
TON, administered equal and exact juctice to the American people..— They,
who established our independence, are now branded by the present domi
nant party with the degrading epithet of tories.
The democrats are now endeavouring to elect into office the most thor
ough-going of their party : Men, who act merely as agents for such characters
as Gen. Peabody, Judge Evans, Wm. Plumer, &c. Who, ir they are elect
ed, dare not disobey the orders of their dictators— They go, " bound hand
and foot." Are such men fit to sit in the councils of the American nation ?
Will the independent' Farmers and Mechanics of New-Hampshire submit to
such degradation ?
" As you have mentioned the subject yourself, it would not be frank,can
did, or friendly to conceal, that your conduct has been represented as dero
gating from that opinion I conceived you entertained of me; that to your
particular friends and connexions YOU have described and they have de
nounced me as a person under a dangerous influence, and that if I would
listen more to some other opinions, all would be well. r .
Fellow-Citizens, beware of such men; they are not your friends, they
aim at the destruction of your country. Their actions and their language
tell you they are the agents and tools of France. As the language of the
immortal WASHINGTON,, is considered congenial to the feelings of every
true American, I shall here add two extracts, shewing his opinion of the de
mocrats in 1794 and 1798. Let the candid reader judge for himself.
Vol. I.]
THE CONSTITUTIONALIST.
WASHINGTON TO JEFFERSON, 1794.
AGAINST THE INSIDIOUS WILES OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE, THE JEALOUSY OF A FREE PEOPLE, OUGHT TO BE CONSTANTLY AWAKE Washington.
EXETER, (N. H.) MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1810.
Fellow-Citizens, that party, who
were justly denonrinated by Washing,
ton, "THE CURSE OF THIS
COUNTRY and the SOURCE of
the EXPENSES we have to encoun
ter" have been " able to continuetheir
delusion" until their leaders have ob
tained the ascendancy in our National
Councils. To counteract that ascent
dancy it i§ expected that, every true
patriot, every friend of the spirit and
policy of Washington, will come for
ward this day and do his utmost to e
lect for Representatives to the 12th
Congress men of talents and indepen
dence, who will not be the agents or
tools of any man or set of men ; but
who will act with that independ
ence natural to free, native Ameri
cans :—Such men are
Hon. GEORGE SULLIVAN,
. „ WILLIAM HALE,
„ JAMES WILSON,
„ ROGER VOSE and
„ DANIEL BLAISDELL.
FROM THE PORTSMOUTH ORACLE.
TO THE
Hon. William Plumer.
IF you are not pleased with the
portrait which has been given of your
politics, as they were in 1804, you
will please to remember, that the pic
ture is drawn by your own hand. You
are not misrepresented. The coloring
is neither heightened, nor softened, by
enemy or friend. If the extracts from
your Pamphlet do not present a correct
view of your sentiments, as they stood
when the Pamphlet was written, the
reason can only be, that sincerity is
not the character of your political
writings.
It may not be useless to recapitulate
the leading sentiments of your " Ad
dress."
You begin with the declaration that
the Federal Ticket which you recom
mended for the then ensuing Election,
was composed of men whose political
creed and conduct in life prove them to
be the disciples of Washington, the de
liverer and Savior of his Country. The
Democratic Ticket you represent to be
formed of men, whose principles & con
duct are opposed to the former, & who
belong,as you give us to understand,
to that class of public men, who seek the
people's votes, and nottheir interest.
In order to judge of the merits of the
opposing candidates, you give a short
history of the Government. The form
ation of the present Constitution you
ascribe to the Federalists, with
Washington at|their head. These who
opposed the Constitution, & afterwards
opposed Washington's Administration,
you say were called Anti- Federalists,
Democrats, Jacobins, $ last of all,
by themselves 'speciously' denomina
ted Republicans.
You then recite the principal acts of
the Federalists, while they were in
power. You shew,that they establish
ed a revenue ; revived public credit ;
restored public faith ; caused com
merce & agriculture to flourish ; pro
vided means for paying invalid pensions;
erecting light-houses ; ransoming our
seamen from Algerine slavery ; for
the defence of the frontiers and mak
ing war with the Indian tribes ; for
suppressing Pennsylvania Insurrec
tions, and for fortifying the ports and
harbors of the Country. After incur
ring all these and other expeuces, and
after very much reducing the national
debt, in 1801, when they were driven
from office, the Federalists left, as you
observe, a permanent revenue and pro
ductive funds to discharge the debt, &
support the Government.
But notwithstanding all this, and
notwithstanding the high rank to which
the Federal administrations raised the
nation, you remark that the ears of
the People were continually assailed
with the declaration, that their rulers
were their enemies; that they were
friends to Monarchy; and were en
deavouring to establish a tyrannical
Government; This charge you pro
nounce to be false and calumnious.
You refute it, by recurring to many
facts and arguments. You say it was
not possible for Washington to wish
to destroy the Government he had es
tablished and prostrate his own fame at
the footstool of despotism. You affirm
that every act of his administration
" You have been presentend with a„
" list of Candidates, not one of whom"
" has ever represented you in Congress.
" Why make this total change in the
" character of your representation?
" Have not your former Representa
" fives given unequivocal evidence of
" their ability, honesty, integrity & at
" tachment 4p your interest ? What
" advantage can you derive from this
" change ? Would you dismiss from
" your service a man who had trans
" acted your business with propriety
" and fidelity, and run the unnecessa
" ry hazard of committing your inter
" est to one not so well qualified.
"When you are well, you ought not
"to make experiments. Why will
" you elect men, who blindly prefer
" the interest of another State to that
"of your own ? Men, who are the
" advocates of Virginia, and who Now
" approve of her fart measures, as 1
was to preserve the Constitution and
Government inviolate. You vindicate
Mr. Adams' administration from the
charge of arbitrary principles and
measures in relation to the Alien and
Sedition Laws, and thestaudiog Army.
You separately discuss the merits of
those acts and measures, and you give
your entire approbation to each ; and
you conclude that part of your sub
ject by affirming, that the only proof
ever brought, to shew that the Fede
ralists are advocates "for monarchy,
" is bold assertions often repeated."
In the next place you consider the
merits of Mr. Jefferson's administra
tion, which you censure with as much
warmth, as you praised the two form
er. You affirm that Mr. Jefferson's
professions and actions are at variance:
You assert that he and his adherents
have violated the Constitution and in
troduced Monarchical principles
into the Government, In proof of
this you instance, among other things,
his ARBITRARY REMOVAL of faithful
men from office; his creating va
cancies, in the recess of the Senate, in
order to fill them without the concur
rence of that body; and his removal
of the judges, in direct violation of the
constitutional tenure of their office?
You also take notice, that the sort of
Government established in Louisiana
is alone conclusive evidence of the fact,
of his inclination to arbitrary and mo
narchical principles. Having pointed
out the despotic powers exercised by
the President over that country, you
ask, indignantly, "Is not this intro
ducing the principles of Monarchy in
to our Government with a vengeance ?”
You next shew that the Democratic
pretensions to economy, are false and
hollow ; intended to deceive the peo
ple, and not to save their money. You
proceed to characterize the Democrat
'ic party, by telling us,.that those who
are perpetually talking about Liberty
and Equality, are in fact real aris-
TocßArs. You deride the idea of the
republicanism of the Virginians, who
live on the labour of People condem
ned by their laws to perpetual sla
very.
You advert to the origin of Virginia
Influence, and shew it to arise from
counting negroes as men, when in fact
they are considered by the laws of the
Southern States as mere property,
like brutes. You prove, by calcula
tion, that if there had been no votes
given on account of Slaves, Mr. Jef
ferson would not have been President,
and you intimate your serious fears,
that this Southern Influence will be
made use of for the worst purposes.
The voice of New-England, you say,
is not heard in Congress, and that Vir
ginia Influence directs every measure
of Government.
“ These areSTUBBORNFACTS;
" and they imperiously demand your
" serious attention. They are urged
" not with a view to weaken, much
" less, dissolve the Union ; but to point
" the danger to which you are exposed
" from the over bearing influence of
" Virginia. They are stated to shew
" that you have a cause to fear her
" measures will destroy the indepen
" deuce and sovreignty of the States,
" and eventually produce a consolida
" tion of the Union. And to convince
" you of the great im propriety there
"is in committing your most import
" ant trust go men, who approve
" of her views, and who are devoted
" to her interests.
Having advanced these, and many
other similar sentiments and assertions,
you conclude your address, as in the
following
EXTRACT NO. 8.
Is there, Sir, let me ask you, an,
one great question, now agitated be
tween the two parties which divide the
nation, in which you have not given ar
decided vote, on both sides? Is there
any important disputed fact, whick
you have not affirmed aud denied? k
there a prominent political character,
which has not received bothyour cen
sure, and yourapplause? Both parties
may übw fairly quote the authority of
youft opinion, in favour of the most
odious measures, charged upon them
Sufficient has been said, I think, to
shew, that in 1804 you was a Federal^
ist, of no moderate sort: You seemed,
remarkably free from all doubts and
scruples. If any Federal doctrine was
carried to a point of excess, on that
point you were always found, read,#
armed to defend it. You were willing
to contend, not only for the main:
grounds and principal positions—the
fortresses, the towers, the citadels of
the party, but also for every foot of
precarious territory, every inch of dis_
puted and questionable ground. In
all assaults and sallying parties, no
one was more eager than yourself to
go forward, to carry the colors, and
plant the standard on any spot, which,
the party had determined to take, and
to maintain. In short, whatever else
you might need, mere Federalism waff
not on the list of your necessities.
It can hardly be necessary again to
repeat, that within the last two years,
you have foresworn all these seuti
ments: derided all these doctrines ;
and contradicted, one by one, all these
" stubborn facts." You now main,
tain that the Federalists are enemies to
the Constitution, inclined to " arbi
trary" power, and “ monarchical prin
ciples," desirous of dissolving the
Union, originally Corrupt in their poli
tics, wasteful and extravagant, whiles
they managed the revenue, the real
authors of the national debt, the ene
mies of Washington, and the true causes
of all the evils we at present suffer-
On the other and, you regard the two
Democratic Presidents as the sincere
friends of the people; you praise
their economy, their love of liberty,
and of equality. You are not found
to disapprove of any measure adopted
by the Democratic party, since the in
stitution of the Government. You
are with them on all subjects, and their
impartiality, their honesty, their abili
ty, and their genuine Republicanism
are the themes of your perpetual com
mendation. Not one of your oldl
" facts" is now so " stubborn," that
you do not affirm directly the reverse,
wit^ the same words of solemn pro
testation, " THESE ARE STUBBORN
FACTS."
" they formerly did those of the terri
" ble Republic of Frauce, whose gov
" ernment has ended in absolute Mona
'' archy. Sound policy and a manly
" spirit, must spurn at the baseness of
" bartering your rights to obtain the
" favour, or avoid the displeasure,
" of Virginian Aristocracy.
'' The Federal candidates recom
" mended to your notice, are men of
" talents and information, men of ire
" reproachable characters, and firmly
" attached to your interests—men,
" who have never infringed the con
" stitution or violated their trust ; the,
" are friendly to a free, but stable
" government, and will advocate andl
" support laws to protect your per*
'' sons and property, and secure your
" rights and privileges. Examine their
" characters and conduct in life, and
" you will find they havestrong claims
" to your confidence.
" Remember that, MONDAY the
" 27th of August is the day which
" will decide whether you will be re
" presented in the next Congress b,
" those, who possess the spirit and
" firmness of New-England, or by
" men, who will tamely yield the
"tights and interest of the State to the
" will of Southern task-masters. The
" right of electing your rulers is an
" important right ; convince the world
" you prize it, by your attendance
" and votes on that day. Let no marc
" excuse himself by saying his vote wilt
"be of little consequence. Remem
" ber the civil and religious rights and
" privileges you now enjoy are invalu
" able; they are the price of blood
" and treasure. Guard them there
" fore with caution against the inside
" uous professions of those who flata
" ter you —-and defend them with vig—
" our against the assults of a Demorala
" izing Spirit that is at war against
" Religion, Morality, and good gov
" ernment."
[No. 15.