Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-21

favor of your candidate, but discerning pub
lie will want some other and better proof OF his
merit than your assertions, that he is eminently
yirtuous, intelligent and valiant, and pure Re
| Dublican Where is the evidence Of his virtues
public or private, for the first half century Of
his life? They were not heard of in oennsy-
yania, and in what way have they been exhibit
ed since the commencement Of his military ca
reer i'm 1918? That he has been brave and
successful commander has never been denled
but YOU search in vain, among his achievements
| for those acts Of humanity and magnanimlty
which essentially constitute the hero. Naloul
| is a common virtue among men; the. absence OF
| il'would be rare mot regarded as vice among
| Americans. SO far as yalor is concerned, Gen
! Jackson has many equals, whom fortune has not
! favored with occasions 10 display it. But mar
tial valor, unless you pant for ar and want for
your President military chieftain, is an at
tribute Of character not particularly desirable in
! a Presidential candldate.-Let your President
once assume the actual command of your army,
and you may ere long mourn over your tractur-
ed constitution and departed freedom. The in
tellgence of your candidate is certainly not
pre-eminent, when his biographer claims mer
il for him for having retired from inferior sta-
tons TO make way for those who could be more
useful. lie has resigned every civil public sta
ton he ever held.
Lastly, as to his pure repubIicanism, which
you say we have all known, witnessed, and felt.
Was it his miIdness and respect for the laws
that sub ected him to heavy fine at New Or
leans, the theatre ofbis glory, while his laureIs
were yet fresh on his brow? Was the policy he
urged on the late President TO make his selec-
tons for office without regard to political opn-
ions, and his declaration that he would have
brought The leaders Of the Hartford convention
before court martial on a capital charge, Of a
Republican character? Had Mr.. Monroe fol-
lowed his advice, would you have thought his
appointments Republican? Was his appear
ance at Washington while his Florida Cam
paign was the subject of discussion and legisla-
tive inquiry, an evidence Of his respect for the
public authorities? 1t was in his division that
Neale Cameron was put to death without the
form of trial and his body left upburied,a prey
to Vultures. AS governor OF Florida, men
were banished and subsequently imprisoned, un-
der his good pleasure, and released by express
from the President, while their petitions were
debating in Congress. These, gentlemen, are a
few of the many stubborn facts that ought to
admonish you to hold forth on the purity of his
Republicanism rather distrustingly.
But fuIsome as is your panegyric on General
Jackson, your sweeping denunciation of Messrs.
.4damS aud Clay is more excep,ionable, and G.
qually unsustained by facts. Why assume the
prerogalivc of the good people of Kentucky and
denounce their Representatives, while they re-
ceiveG Mr.. Clay most .courteously, and others
who voted for Mr.. Adams, for aught that APP
pears, stand as well ever with their consti-
tuents. You charge the representative from
Illinois, with acting regardless "of public
pledge" and the one from Missouri as follow
ing in this wake, after "protracted struggles Of
a conscious sense of duey;" and "that Louisiana
whose soil had been redeemed by the transcen-
dant herolsm Of Jackson, was abused by two Of
her Representatives, who turned upon her pre-
server, and pierced him with the fangs of ingra-
tltude. Nor can we forget, you add, that the
master spirit, by the power Of whose influence
mysterously exer,ed, these facts so opposite to
Republicanism were prodhced, was rewarded
with an office long an object of his ambition"
Really, gentlemen, this is dealing freely with the
characters Of men, who have some title to re-
spect who may think it necessary to call you to
the proof Of what you assert Of them. But how
stands the account between your hero and the
two "ungrateful Representatives from ,-ouisi-
anal" Mr.. Monroes extraordinary exertions,
with Mr.. Madison's cooperation, prepared the
defensive force that point and urged Gen.
Jackson to repair there. In your ardor TO ex-
alt the hero these things are overlooked. The
enemy were checked on their first landing, in
which action the Orleans Riilemen conspicu-
ously and bravely served. Gen. Humbert, the
invader Of Ireland, is acknowledged to have
been serviceable, in the official despatch =
Speaking justly, the government and the cli-
zens OF Orleans, Gen. Jackson, and those under
his command, each performed their duty, and
the result was signal repulse of the invading
foe. When the question was, whether Messrs.
Adams or Jackson should be President, was it
any cause of blame that the Representatives
from Louisiana should prefer the former? Could
gratitude only be shewn by comforting the Pre-
sidency? Or was the repulse Of the enemy at
Orleans to be the exclusive warrant for this ho-
nor? If so, why. was the election in 1916 and
1920 passed over, and the name Of Andrew
Jackson never lisped as a candidate
You remark that "the principles Of rs, were
violated IT. the late election, accompanied by
indications Of corruption, calculated TO alarm
your patriotism and truly appropriate to the e.
vent. With such charge, what are the facts?
Jackson came into the House with Constitu.
tioual minority of votes only, the majority were
with his competitors. BY your own admission,
the voice of the people Of were not with
Al Il. 4 u