The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-11-06

clamatory chorus oiappause and latitude, has
too unequivoealy designated their faVoufite -
This II the old contest that has SO ofien but un-
der different forms aud various circumstances
cheercd. inspired aud animated the exeriions of
the patriot, contest between liberty and power
between the liberty Of the people 10 choose their
rulers aud the power of politicians 10 choose
for them. But, let me see what are Mr. Adj
oms's real claims TO the confidence of the Amer.
lean people, | am moi one OF those who think
that ii a man can manufacture handsome di-
plomatic cpistle, he Is. ipso iacla, entitled aud
qualified 10 become president. That his preten-
sions have any other more solid foundation thnn
diplomatic merits and services, no one that
knows any thing about him can undertake To as.
scrt He Is, To borrow the elegant language OF
Jonathan Roberts, eSclusiycl, of diplomatic
growth. lie has indeed been allcctcdly styled
the American Statesman aud the only measure
that can be brought forward 10 sustain that Lofty
title is his proposition 10 suspend the writ ofila.
beas Corpus; aud even that rquyocal honol Mr..
Giles is entitled 10 divide with him But what is
n statesman, and how are YOU 90 estimate him
Is he u man who has acquired the habit of con
structing sentences, and rounding OIL pe,iods into
sonorous prose, (Which any Que can do with
practice y or is he not tn be- estimated by his
acts his measures firmness, energy, decision
these are the essential qualifications of states.
man Educated abroad ia the courts of Europe,
he was exposed 10 the danger of losing ms repub-
lican principles aud attachments il he ever had
any, aud acquiring others OF an opposite and an
! t-rcpubliCan tendency. Yet there are many in
lclligcnt persons Who will maintain that his being
50 educated Is strong recommendation. Now
/ il would seem To be a clear and aclEesident pro-
! position, to which every must concur IN as
| scnting, that whatever be n mans principles OF
| temper, he could not in the nature of things be
prepared To preside over free people by being
educated in the schools of European diplomacy
! II would inevitably impair, pcrver and corrupt
! them. Tell me MOI OF Franklin of Jefferson and
! Monroc-thcy we're men of the revolution; OF n
| more hardy and yrtuous race and besides were
| far advanced in life before they went abt DAD. -
| MIR. Adams has been held up as genuine aud
thorough-gomg republican; but, without rolu6ng
or repeating the arguments that have been used
ON the question his imputed republlcansm,
there is one fact which may we'll be deemed con-
elusive: in all his yolumInous writings and pro.
ductions, private aud official, he has never fecog-
nlzed or asserted that fundamental article Of re-
publican faith, that the sovereignty resides IN the
people, and that the government is responsible TO
them. He has, ON the contrary, both IN power
and out Ofpowcr, anony NOUS aud officially, main
tanned that those who held political power were
independent and irresponsbc-he hns carried
Tue uotiilht 50 lar az 10 say, lIhl Tue dtlng gov
ernment could not and ought not, to be control
led in its exercise of power by the original organ
lex constitutional law that created and brought
ii into existence. II will appear, no doubt, To
some, worse than mpious to deny Mr. Adams IL
| tie to splendid talents and invaluable public SER
vices, hut we may look IN vain for the evidence
OF the one the other. Let any one look at his
| early political writings, and say whether they
exhibit more capacity than almost every news
paper editor Of the day possesses. YET If he
were a thousand times better writer than he is
that circumstance could not, of itself quality him
! for the high station Inc occupies. 1t Is exactly
that sort of talent thai AN executive magistrate
haS very little occasion lor Ills wisdom must be
tested, and his power must be- felt by his public
acts. do not wish, however, to deny Mr.. Adj
ans the credit OF being very able and eloquent
writer, whilst protest against that deduction
which would infer from that circumstance his ca
pacty 10 administer wisely and efficiently the ca
ecuiiyc power. In reference 10 his services, we
may ask, where are the records, where the mo-
numents of their cxistenccl Has he ever done
any thing, though SO long In office, but write am-
bilious state papers, more to his own credit than
the profit of hls country We shall be told of
his much laudcd descrion of the federal party,
and support of Jc0erson's administrations This
was undeniably meritorious act (supposing il
ment to a foreign mission which he received, il
was abundundy rewarded II is, then, most ma
| niicst, that the claims of Mr. Adams 10 great Ia
| Tents aud great services, so pompously proclaim
| by lis partizans and advocates, exist only IN
| their own imaginations. There is another consl-
Iteration involved IN his election, which demands
| the profound attention of intelligent patriotism.
| Any one who has any acquaintance with human
nature human history well knows that, by some
strange fatality, the highest office IN all govern
ments has generally become hereditary. The
! wit OF man has never been able to devise
security against this universal tendency IN gov
crnments. Are WE exempt from dangerl Does
| not history speak TO in lessons of impressive
1dmonition on that subject What have we seen
| IN our own short experience as a nationi Has
not John Quincy Adams been elected to the pre-
sdcntnl office mainly by virtue of his being the
son of former president For though that cir
cumstance was apparently against him, il
| really in his favour: that circumstance brought
him into public notice, and finally brought him
into power. And when advert to the fact that
| the elder Adams embraced and inculcaled the
doctrine of hereditary succession TO Office are
not justified in affirming the election of John q.
Adams to have been the object and result of their
united efforts and eounsels Here, then, we have
a precedent much more dangerous TO the future
character Of this government, and the future des-
tiny of this nation, than any other that could be
set, But what were the great and conclusive,
the unanswered and unanswerable arguments
that VERY originally brough forward against the
election Of Mr., Adams They are these that it
would be the restoration TO power of political
dynasty that had been condemned by the voice,
and dethroned by the act, of the people them
feves; that it would be the first incpien step to
wards making the office hereditary; that il would
tend IN establish ind nf IN,
sidential Office from the state department, than
which nothing could be more dangerous to the
free and unbiased election Of the people that
his republicanism was eguivocal that after hay-
ing bellGd and rldicued democracy and demo
Gratis, he suddenly became convert for the i'm.
puted purpose of recovering the lost power of his
family and party; that his education abroad was
calculated to warp and impair his attachment to
the republican system OF government; that his
talents were not OF that masculine ahd comman-
ding character the station requires aud that his
all