The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-12-04

maiignty lAcfe a, yei has bfenai nsf4neeof 80
great man being more founy 81 llsely Win
I'D. Are not lls isme, his a. IS. and hi5 cha-
rartef dear 10 the freefnin d, America They
are anIt..ey w,lle lnonsilatt their regard At
the approaching election. Projected by the
impenetrahlc amour Of integrity. personal and
political, ti1c mise, able ASSAULTS IF hostility ai,d
envy atc linpotent lie Accordingly rises high
ef ia the estimation of the people, the iaore
his character becoeies known lie viii not
shrink ftom a eomptti4on VITA Washington
With Bolivar, OF Laia, ete--Wilh either, o. with
all oi tAcul.
But, let rs apply the potent exorcsm . r'a-
son and argument 10 some of those phant ms
that nave been eoniured forth 10 dclude the X
norant aud ansuspectng II has heen alleged
and With grave ahe,taton OF h,rror az thc
dca which Is really ladct5os, that II would be
dangerous precedent 10 elect a military chief.
tain. Bat, il there vas oven plausiblity In this
notion, that iran aud uusuhstuiid bass is now
gone. For, rs iai as "a Nuie Of tao people can
set the precedent, ~ alIradl exists and ii An-
dreW Jackson were 10 dc Tomorrow the histo-
RAN Of the country would record the meancha-
IL tact that a defect OF the constitution and a
ooLti,fu coalition had defeated The popular will,
uneatt,yt eally ascertaiaei ho nfhis favor. But
npon what principle Is 1t that We are called on
to prescribe him. as a military fdcithn Can
E this BIPtud4ge be hhAtshitA 'i hlA hhflpfHf bi
history For, like esery other objection thai
has ever been brought "gainst aim II will be
toundto be nothing bat prejudice OF superficial
thcofe.--Ne are told to laol> n Greece, and
Rome and France, aud England but any one
Who will consider with eandum the history OF
those states will hud that Then liberty was de
stroyed by corruption, and not military power
In reading the Grccian history w see thar thu
people became corrupt and prolIgate by the
arts Of iaeiious politicians, aud thcr liberty had
petisHrd long before Domosihears pronounced
In. Painppieh> ii they had continued viItnous,
the Macedonian King would not have over
come them with all mis- power aud nsidious
arts. Wine we dcplore the sad catastrophe of
Roman freedom, il cannot be- disguised that II
was Inevitable The Roman people have bucn
apHy ttrmed a nation 81 robbers. Accustomed
from the earliest ayes of the renublek, Ia ra-
/ pine and plumber, they drsdained the sober pur-
| siiH OF commerce, aud the arts OF ndustr, -=
/ they accordingly beeune corrupt enc thcy we're
civilized They regarded the wealth and pro-
duct oi other countries as common property,
aud made them all pay tribute 10 the powc,
and grandeur OF the " Eternal City, The
spoils Of conquered provinces and captive na.
Tons which were poured with nnmeasured pro-
fusion into the capital tended only 10 pamper
/ the luxury, to deDaueh the morals, and 10 cor
rupt inc principles Of the citizens IL is cYi-
dent that Liberty could have no real security
among such people. II tnsar had not crossed
the llabieoa, some other less worthy but equally
ambitious aspiiat would nave usdped the soye-
rclgnty. Tins apprehension from military men is
founded ona false n delUsse analogy etNcentlls
q Other governments aud unless things esscuii.
ally different be regarded hdnetcnt aspects, We
shall inevitably be led into laa errors Is there
thcn any real resemblance between this tcpub-
hc and the ancient demoenees The slight.
est reelection viii tell Us no. la TINS country
winch proieisesto be governed by written con
surasuns ahd laws, Whcie society is 50 organic
ed thli freedom protects freedom, where "A free
press cNisi, ia full meridian spleud1ar, and like
tae sun IN the armament sheds rs radiance over
the Whole land while 1t enlightens the ignorance
and Hhrrtslfs the virtues Of "A tlco people. ni.
tary nen are not aud caanot be more danger
Gus than any Others Ihey are wholly power
. les. Military power never yrt produced any
mischief ~ the FRS age 81 a government, and
/ why u rs because tlc people A. VII as then
rulers ate then YIriuous from molina ion hut II
2 II IS IA lis nature dangerous, 1t ought To be as
, much 50 II one time as another Neither atteeef
nor Rome nor France nor England ever sus-
e taned any njmg trom military power until
e they became corrupt 1t was the corruption Of
: PaflamesI thatm induced the people al Enelandto
E subnd 10 the power Of CromHell---and the
Z
l oftae Directory, called Bonaparte 10 the on
, >ulae, and finally 10 the imperial thIonc In
2 natural progress Of goYernnenlis from eoriup
E ton 10 despotlsm, rs all history prove. No
c thing can prevent n. Arbitrary power Is in fact
a preferable ga corruption, aud where people
: become radically corrupt and degenerate tn
+ besi thing that can happen 10 them is for SOM
5 one OF energy and talcuis to take the control
! OF affairs into his own bunds. They will then
: have a good government al east rs long he lives.
There IS then no real danger is military men
: to the people 5fthls country while they remain
E Jealous ofthen Liberty dnd independence IA
II uonal aud political corruption Is The great antag-
: onist, winch Requires all their vigilance aud all
: their energy 10 conquer. his Is the monster
$ that now Turks unseen among us--lraught will
i worse tlian 5atanie4 mischief TO ON political
s Eden. An attention 10 the philosophy Of hlsto
!. ~ viii sheW most clCuly nat u 8as not be.
+ cause they were military men, that the people
1 placed their power in the hands OF those WHO
5 led Them to battle aud victory but from u con
= vletlon OF their supefio. capacity Nhra they
e arc torn INTO iactious BY designing aud oorup
s demagogues, they viii naturally call to tier aio
e thai person whose enores aud wisdom they bast
+ seen tested No profession on earth Is 20 vel
Il calculated 10 deyeope The highest faculties aad
i attributes of the human mind a. that OF The sol
i der. There are soIne VIC indeed seem tl
i think that II requires bnt ordinary talents Il
S lead armies and gain bd.fles--but more erro
/ neous notion cannot br incnc3tcd There ne
T. Yer was Il man who deserved tho tile Of a grea
u conquefor, who WAS not also a great statesman
+ The very situation Of being al the head of an
t army requires continually the exerlion Of the
L brightest order OF talents. Ii demands more
# than any Other profession, what a wise heather
D pronounced the best % all knoWl,dse, self
S le1ge--~ithom a man knows himself ana
l. can govern himself be IS unified aud unable "a
e assume the control otolhers The same firm
Y ness, energy and judgment that lead 70 success
1 IN the field, vii niahby produce the same re
: salt in civil affairs But, If II be- disqualified
, ton tobe military hero why is it that The con-
: stitntion expressly gives 10 the president the
a command Of the national armies Is that IN
e strument guilty Of the stronee sb urdiy oil
+ placing important power IN hands that arc mn.
= bic aud Incompetent 10 wirld - The president
IN. t6g "a gs44if