Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-05-11
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MARriNs8URG, Mar IL. 1926.


have the closing speech Of Sir McDuffie upon
the question OF Constitutional amendment. We
have extracted portion from the latter part
of IL as a specimen of the spirit and temper
with which II was dchyered-If We were To
reprint the ssloie We should be obliged to ex.
clude every thing else from our modest little
sheet, aud print supplement besides We
verify think that it contains somewhere about
six square feet of close printing. 1--WE were a
bout 10 say superficial measure, but we will
not say il. because we do not think that the
euuivoque can apply to Mr. McDafiie-he IS
certainly no common man IS public dsbater,
much less superficial one-but we think he IS
one who neutrsiizes the effect of manly and
vigorous powers, oy the injudicious and un.
wsrranisble indulgence, in violence, person.
alities and bitterness OF temper Even sup
Dos,ng that Mr. McDufiie has a right to sss1i
the private and public character OF Mr. CLAY as
he t.oes-a man who has filed the highest Of
fees IN the country. who, whatever may have
been his pecadlllos. or excuses it you please,
in SOCIAL lie, mas always stood unlmpesched as
TO hgiior and integrity: Yet what is gained by
such a coursel Was there ever a cause further
ed BY unqualified Invectye, except within the
purleus OF }lllingsgate' Is there not way OF
expressing your sentiments freely and boldly
without forgetting the respect due TO station
and character, well-earaed and loug ,r'edi IG
word, Is not this style Of debate in our public
bodies running into an extreme that should be
dsscountenanced and frowned down by the
PEOPLE who have The delegation of these
stormy debatersi
As TO the merits Of the qnestion--we have
never been able as vet. to understand how Mr.
Clay could lead the whole ofthe western dele
CATION by the nose; compel ~ This magical in
Huence OF his, intelligent and respectable men,
10 vote against their conscieuces for his aggrtn.
dizement-We have never been able u see
why u he had voted for General Jackson. he
might not as well. in the event ofhis election.
have calculated on the secretlrvship Of state,
it that was his calculation. cor whv Adams
friends would not have had the same reason for
discomfort if Clay had voted for man whose
conduct he had uniformly & boldly reprobated
AS TO the choice he did make. we are dis.
posed to- Isnd il as the wsest step in his poll
ticai course-.we regarded the popularity of
General Jackson as leading to one ct the most
dangerous crises to the republic. since the
days Of the revolutions and MS failure as one of
the most fortunate eras in our history, II there
is any one danger that is.more impending and
more TO he deprecated in al popular govern.
men's, than every other, it is IN the contagious
and tazzing nhuence ~ m liiarv ytrtvr- lie
disp0s ton which has existed tune immemoriai
to -x4lt men for their military services. to civil
posts. All history all experience proves this
truth: and common sense. and the principle
of self presrrraion, warns Us TO shun its con.
Sequences,
at must Frequently h,rnen (savs Mr.. Nc.
Drffie) in the progress Of public afisirs
thai men who have stool opposed to each
other on some questions. may he brought,
and honestly brongh, to CO operate upon
other questions. Rot his snrt of union
between public men. without any stipulation or
Arrangement is very different, essentially diff
ferent from coalition as could imagine
I will take leave to present to the gentleman
from Massachusetts, case however, for which
am mere indebted to histor than to my own
imagiration--and to ask him whether that Is
one ~ the political combinations that he would
regard as a patriotic ''union OF conasels"
will suppose the election OF the President
to have d-volved upon this House. and that the
voice of the nation had given one Of The can
didates a decided prominence and thrown a.
mother of them---a member ct this House--out
Of the competition. I viii SUPPOSE one of the
three persons, from whom the President is to
he chosen, neither the highest nor the lowest
on the list, 10 be cold calculating politician.
shaping his political course assuming his poll
teal principles, and forming and breaking off
view t. his own personal ggrsudizemert:-I
win suppose him. by pursuing this artful and
calculating course, TO have obtained. successive.
w the confidence of all parties. and deserved
the confidence of none;--f will sippose, that
in all the vicissitudes which mark his polite al
fergiversation. lie steadily continued to an-
preach his object, never failing, by ca n Sic
cessive change, to gain in power what he lost
in principles. and finally, | win suppose that,
according to the code of his political morality.
the government of a nation. is business of
bargain and arrangement and combination =.
Rlongst leading.po!It cians-the whole essence
Of political honesty consisting in faithful per-
farnsnce of, contracts. will suppose that the
individual have described should offer The
fraterual embrace to a member cf this House,
who had Been for eight years his personal and
political enemy, denouncing him. without
either delicacv or dignity in the HILLS of lie
pisiation, the Courts OF Justice, and even in the
public journals; and declaring former &C
casion that he would not even serve with him
in the same cabinet, because he was an "apos.
tate Fs leraLst" I will suppose the member
in question to be a man notorious fir the loose
ness of his morality and the versatility OF his
political principles; ALWAYS prepared to ac-
commodate his doctrines to the temper of the
times yet bold, and daring. and reckless in
the prosecution of his schemes of ambition:
in a word. SIR. will suppose him 10 be a poll
tcal gambler, regarding politics as game,
and power as prize To be won by mere Jug
cling and dexferity. vet skilled beyond all
other men to disguise his smhitextercus tricks,
by confident and imposing manner. and to
..assume virtue when he has not" | will
suppose, sir, that after the meeting Of the
bx, ,.,hi,h he preci.1apt was n he