Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-08-13

sion, and to obtain Justice if possible without an
appeal to arms. Mr. Adams, feeling like an A |
'ncrican, and wishing 10 see the national no.
nour indicated, declared it was time for some
tning to be done, and that as the Executive on
his high responsibility recommended this mea-
sure as the first belligerent step he would sup
port IT. This was the sshead and front of his |
offending" For this he was censured by the |
majority of his State Legislature, and immedi- (
ately resigned his place in order to enable them |
10 select a Justcr interpreter of their views.
wow compare tins conduct with that of Mr.. |
Crawford, who voted against that measure con-
| trary to the wishes of his constituents and who |
yet continued to hold his office, and saw was not |
Mr.. Adams conduct at least as justifabIe rs |
his?
As TO his being man of reserved manners, |
we would observe, that in his station il he were
very communicative he must often disclose to |
Gosspping misinterpreters what he ought not TO |
communicate, or else act the court hypocrite |
and pretend to tell great deal when he was ac-
| tualiy telling nothing. Prudence forbids the
former, and honesty disdains the latter. Incon- |
versation, MIR. Adams is manly and candid but
never fiatters any man. He is consequently
unpopular with intriguers and Office hunters, |
because he makes promises 10 none Of them.
The strong objection however among us a |
gainst Mr.. Adams is, that he is the "son of his |
father" and was born in the Northern states. |
His father was of the first patriots of our re-
volution, and to his influence, it is said we owe
the passage of the declaration of independence
on the day it was made. If our enterprise had
failed, who would have been its MARTYRS. Wby
Sam and John Adams, and Hancock s. Prank
lin and Washington, and Patrick Henry. Is
there one of the candidates who would not be
proud to have his fathers name enrolled in that
immortal lista or will prosperity believe that
| Americans objected to one for being the son of
tue man whose services the men of the revolu-
.: 4 4 r
ton.
Z, Nor can we understand why Americans should
he willing to take President from Geneva and
yet object to for being bornin sight of Bunk
er's Hill We know that it is urged by many
that the people of the North have some prejudi-
ces. But may not those who advance this objec-
ton have some themselves And if prejudices
exist, is it not by reciprocal concession and be-
rality, and not by high handed exercise of in
| fiuence that they are to be cured, Let us look
| on which side, steps of Cancellation have been
taken. II is now near six and thirty years since
our constitution was adopted, and of these the
government has been administered thirty-two
! by Virginians! The people ofthe Northern and
! middle states have not only acquiesced but con-
CURED in our wishes, and have cordially united
in gratifying pride, and giving energy to our
administrations The excuse we have hitherto
offered for inviting them TO support our candi-
dates, was, that they had no man of the republic
can party whose reputation for talents, probity,
and experience, justified the selection of him as
President. But now that they have brought
! forward a man whom all admit to be equal to
any in those particulars, we hear it alleged "a
gainst him that he is a Northern man--that he is
a Yankee, and that the Southern interest should
be against him. Is this motive worthy of your
| national generosity, Virginians? Is it according
TO the sublime maxim of Christian revelation,
whatsoever We would that other men should do !
n
Justice require that the honors Of government
should not all be enjoyed by one member of a
confederacy? Docs not patriotism require the |,
occasional postconement of orr own prediiec- |
tons to those of Others, and that when state |
pride begins to degenerate into state vanity, we
should remember that the human charactar is |
compounded of I" self love to urge, and reason |
to restrain'" Are we not satisfied with the pre-
sent government, and if so, why should we
| change IT? Is 1t wise or unwise in the Southern
states to throw away this opportunity of gaining
strength by neglecting to conciliate friends in
/ the other states? Can we ever expect the peo-
| pie North of the Potowmac TO produce a man a.
gainst whom fewer objections will be entertain
| ed in Virginia than against Mr.. Adams Is he
not next after Mr.. Crawford the favorite of Vir-
gpia, and the favorite of Mr.. Crawford's friends,
| Is he not next after Gen. jackson the favorite
! Of Gen. Jackson's fricnds9 Is he not next after
! Mr.. Clay the fayorite of Mr.. Clay's friends
I When the Grecian Soldiers, after the battle of
! Salanis, delivered their suffrages according to
the custom of their country, by laying, stones ON
the altar to determine who was the most worthy
every one gave tue first vote for himself and the
second for Themistoces.
Should we not remember likewise, that Mr.
Adams is the Oldest of all the candidates, and
the only one, under whom there could be no sa-
crifice of feeling on the part ofany of the others
to serve? Have.they not all praised him for the |
upright and independent manner in which lie |
has conducted himself during the whole canvass
Did any politician ever conciate his rivals more
effectually by mere rectitude of conduct or DO !
more uniformly what he thought right, without |
regard to popularity? That every supporter of
the other candidates should be satisfied with |
him, is than could be expected. There
was once man who voted to Danish Arstides, |
only because he was tired of hearing hun called
JUST
believing then, fellow citizens, as we do, that |
the general policy of the present administration
is wise, constitutional and just--that an i'm |
Dcnse majority of the American people concur
with us in this opinion--tat it is strictly conso-
nant 20 the views and principles Of Mr.. Adams
and that it is peculiarly important in the actu-
al political condition Of the world, that il should
he steadily pursued, which il could not be, if the
Opposition were to succeed, we conclude that
our present chief magistrate cannot deliver the
government into safer hands, than those of his
steadfast friend. Ii is for these reasons that we
rejoice to discover every day new evidences Of
the increase of his popularity throughout the