The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-12-21

| 11S so completely ripcned into a veI-dire>teA
| vstcm there, that no great and valuable reforms
N the British Constitution are 20 be exper,ed
| rom the ordinary sici;siiudes of party warfare
/ II the acknowledged abuses of the government
are ever displayed II must he done nv The
sword of civil war Although our experience
in this respect has not been precisely eoincdent
with thai ofthe British people, vet sii methinks
we have seen enough, in ous brief career as an
Independent people. of the ineficicncy of mere
party struggles, even when conducted by the
master spirits OF the Republic to establish and
secure important and lasting reforms in gov
eminent, 10 admonish MS of the folly of plunr-
ing nto the filth of party controversy, nj the
/ bidding of all who are pleased TO call them
selves the "pe0pie's Men, and who, by wav of
I terrifying their claim to so imposing IN appel
+ iation are eternally "ringing the usual changes
OF certain cant PHRASES, known to be of ac-
knowlcdged cficacg in arousng alarming. aud
misleading the people quarter ola century
ms no" elapsed since t.. elder Adams WIS
forced to give place to the & 81 ofa series Of adj
mnStrations, STYLED republican. whose heads
respectively went into office under an Implied
understanding with their supporters. that the
! lattudinous construction of the constitution a.
dopted by their federal predecessor was to be
escht"ed, and, IN rs stead p inciple of inter
probation introduced, which. IN - app alton
would conhne within prspcr limits the action
| of the general goyernm mt. In 1901 the ptIn-
eipies SET forth in Mr.. Naiis5n's CO, DRAFTED Re
port were supposed 10 have obtained by Mr.
IeiIcrson's elevation 10 the Chief Macistracv. n
complete aud lasiiap triumph over the adverse
doctrines mculcated by the second fe crnl ad-
ninistration Almost every Eirg:nian haiiaI
| the election oftheir most illustriou, fellow ei-
zen as the gloriouS advent of political rcgene-
| ration whose benign effects would be fell
| by the latest poserity. But standing al this
| point oftIne, with small share of the impair
TALLY with whicha later generation than onr-
| selves will pass upon the memorable events Of
| the age which is just gone, let us as sincere
| lovers and determined supporters Of truth, ask
curse Ives, whatthe friends ola rigid constrncihnof
| .he constitution have gained by the political
movements, which signalized, in so remarkable
degree, the interesting periodwc are now re-
viewing For let II he remembered thai the
alien and sedition laws Chose unconstitutional
enactnoHs, which Justly rendered the elder
Adams obnoxious to the American people) full
| filed each its respective term Of operation and
Thea expired 10 be revived no more--beforc the
civil revolution OF 1901 received its accomplish
ment IN the triumph of Jefferson and now af-
ter twenty five years of republican rule, and
without the intervention of any additional const.
=
thy blush !" an o'ershadaa wing national Bank
and a powerful y--estahshments---lhc re-
| commentator of which, under a complication
of dllhcnlt circumstances. by the elder Adams
caused torrents of abuse TO be- poured ont upon
! him--an a great system of internal improve
ment by the general government in progress
which the elder Adams, in the days of his Wild
| est vdgaries, never dreamt of. Indeed the re-
puhlicdnism of % and 1900 hath so completely
lost the distinctive features which gave il idcn-
tlty and individuality, that we NAV affirm
with truth, what Jefferson once said to concill.
! ate" We are all Federalists and are all
! Republicans ~ In Virginia. TO he sure there
arc many who still profess tn cling to the I'M
fashionable doctrines of 90 and | hope for the
honor aud consistency of my beloved native
State that they are sincere aud honest--but
put it 10 them if their towards the present
admins 'ration is not calculated toi bring their
motives into suspicion, and their cause into dis
repute and jeopardy. All impartial men must
acknowledge that Mr.. Adams administration
is but continuation Of the policy of the rcpuh-
lican administrations that immediately prece-
ded him Finding a national Bank IN exist.
encc, great system of internal improvement ia
ptogress-thc policy Of our country in regard
To the Southern Repuh' proclaimed to the
worldin the " memorable declaration of Mr.
Monroe--a tariff, for the protection and en-
couagcment OF domestic manufactures-in
state of progressive expansion Mr. Adams has
taken no important step suggested no material
measure, except in execution of plans of policy
, originated by his predecessors, and sanctioned
l.by the acq,licscence of the American people
Now if this be so, (and the slightest glance at
the past must satisfy the most sceptical) | ask,
in sober carncStness, whereas the iustce--whero
the proprietv--of aSsaillng with such deep
Ylrulrnce and bitter acrimony our present chief
magistrate for his simple adherence to certain
propositions, where, as we have secns the men
with whom they originated were permitted to
escape with entire impunity Is not conduct.
such this, calculated TO curry the minds of
the fair l. unprecedented irrcs stbly to the conclu-
sion, that the present opposition to Adams Ito
use the language Of those able accomplished Ed
TORS Messrs. Gales aud Scaton) springs not
30 much from principle, as from previous, de-
tcrmined spirit ofhostility To the present admin
istraton - But if any, they were wanting to
sustain this view of the motives which actuate
the present pposition-nlght not the friends
of the administration say with inhni'e force.
that II is 10 be found in the fact that the profess
ed friends of " state rights are fast arraving
themselves under the banner OF Gen. Jackson,
man, with all mis- valuable qualities, notorious.
" as obnoxious to the charge of lattudinarlan-
ism as Mr. Adams, or any other politician in
the country, Calhoun Intercepted. Some time
sincr tuc friends of state rights in Virginia,
seemed resolved on maintaining the attitude of
dignifed and becoming neutrality between
Adams and Jackson, ill the crisis should arrive
when a sense of public duty would compel
them to act and that then they would advance
to the choice of evils with hrmness, though with
all the reluctance natural TO men under such
circumstances, Had they firmly adhered TO
this course, whatever differences of opinion,
might have obtained in regard 10 the expedlcncy
of their final choice, they would at least have
capped the mputaiion of being governed by fac
tlous Vows in urging at this time, with such
marked perinacity, the doctrines of state rights
But when these men are seen abandoning this
lofty ground--the ground principie--and fol-
lowing with enthusiasm in the wake of certain
Southern politicians, VIGOROUSLY engaged in
corrupt aud audacious struggle for power, It's
difficult to resist the conviction that IA very Ini-
mute portion Of the spirit of faction enters into
the motives which have given to their public
conduct such an extraordinary direction. In