The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-08-29

u thc HDdtH eotoHf0t system anu shatla
we, by a dereIictIon of our rights, AT this
momentous stride of encroaelimeni. surren-
der our commercial freedom without Il
struggle, Britain has but a single step more
Ia take--and she brings as hack tU The stamp
act and The ftd tar ~
| Look uponittis pietnrs, and Upon hat,
fellow citizens ; and sfy which of these
| two men best deserve your confidence ?
To which of them viii you give your otes
ls-Nm IL. Crawford, who was willing to
surrender the dearest privileges of ireercn;
or John Quincy Adams, who went to all
leugtlrs, hand in hand, with Mr.. Jefferson,
and with every republican in both houses Of
congress, 10 maintain them Can there be
a doubt rs 10 tie course yOa Will pursue
| Do you, republicans, pretend 10 hold IN
reverence the sentiments of the great apes
tie of your party, both because they wefe
sanctioned by hun, and because experience
has manifested their general justice and
utility, ard will you render your support TO
a man whose whole course of conduct has
beenin direct oprosiiom,othein ? Ifyeu
value consistency, or are aware Of the
importance efperpetnaiing thosepfincipies,
we undertake To answer for YOU, that YOU
cannot aud will not. In Whatever point 81
view We regard these two statesmen, Mr.
| Crawford is to Mr. Adams, rs Hyperion
to Saiyr.p Wherever the votes of Mr. {.
are recorded, when doubt as TO the CON
situtionaIify OF the subject is involved,
he has leaned towards an extension of
the powers Of the general government,
directly opposed to the whole tenor Of that
stIument-aud When questions of policy,
diciated'ty theinlnstice of foreign powers,
have been asHntcd, he has been ready 10
sacrifice tlrt rights of the people, aud the
| independence of the nation. AIr. Adams
IS moi liable To this imputation. He has
] opposed popular measures because he
deemed them iniractions OF the spirit and
| letter of The constitution and has voted
f"r measures which were unpopular with
his immediate constituents, because tine
rights and Vital interests of the nation
would have been compromised by differ
rnt conduct. Mr. Crawford was rea-
dy 10 acknowledge the right of the Bri-
tlsh 10 impress their scamen from on boald
neutral sessels--and it was 10 such
politicians ms him that the British Admiral
Berkeley, the daring officer who attacked
the Chesapeake, and murdered Pierce, I'M
der the sanction of this clailr, alluded, |
when lie Srclared in public address, in |
Nova Scotia, that, were all the Am,iicaus
thus disguised, tho disputes between the L. !
| States and Great Britain would soon be-
anicahly settled" II was the eRcou i
ragement afforded by spch politicians to
tle British ministry, which induced the
Lord Chancellor boldly Ia avow, in the
British Parliament HAT the orders in coun-
cll of the ltl huyrmber, which struck at
| HE sovereignty of the natirn, wete'in-
tended IN make America nj last sensible OF.
NE policy Of joining England md5nStl
Jrance J" Nj. Adams sicrnIy contended
against this high-handed claim, and when
rrproachcd by his constituents Tor his vote
on thc"nbhrEo question, he thus rioquentlyl
| replied -" II any statesman earn pcint "nt
another alternative, than thucmbaigo) II
| am ready h hear him, and for AIRY rraci
cable eXpcdlcnt, Ia lend him every possible
| assistance. BIT lei not that crpedirm be
Submission to hade under British licenses
| md BRITISH f0yGt,0n. we are told that
even under these restrictions we may yet
trade &c the British dominioms, TO Africa 4
China, and the colonies of France, Spain
and Holland ask not tor mad Of this
trade would be- left, when our intercourse
with the whole continent uf Furope being
cut "ll, would lcayeus no means ofpurcasc
| and no market for sale. ask not, trhai
trade we could enjoy with the colonies of
nations with which we shuuld be ut war
| ask not hoes tong Britain would icayc1
open tt'ns avenues Of trade, which, even in
her orders Of council, she GouStS Of ieniiRg.1
open as speo,dt indulgence. II we yield
the Pf'ncpte, we abandon all preience 10
national Brereignty. To yeafn fer the
fragments ottradc that might he len, would
be to pine for crumbs Of commercial scrri- j
tudc. The boon which We should humii-
ate ourselves To accept from British hou-
y, would soonhe withdrawn. tStbarssion
nee,r yet sal Jouudarios 10 e,,crodehment.-
From pleading for hd!f the empire, we
should sink into humbl" suppicants for
lDe-we should supplicatc in vain. II
p'e mas fall, lei us JcH Geemen-if ire must
perish, tt ii b ~ defence Of our rights -
Here are sentiments which every American
might be proud 10 adept as his own
While Mr. Crawford was supplicating the
boon of British pretecticn, aud bending the
Knee To receive tile tender neycies" which
sh. was willing te jestow, that she might
the more easily crush US, Mr.. Adams join
ed With the great majority of the American
people, in embodyiug the spirit of rests
lance which led to the embargo and to the
latte war, aaud TO which we owe our safct,
as nation But enough Of this part of the
subject.
The people till make Their own choice.
Wecannot help saying, however, that let
he mantle fall on whose shoulders it NAV,
we shall always look upon Mr.. Adams as
one OF the Purest men and most honest and
able politicians of the day. ie may be
addressed as was tlfe celebrated and chiyal-
rous discovcrer of Virginia
" Thou hast course full of honor run
Envy mny snnrle, rs dogs against the sun,
a. NAV ltnrk mt l;,c