Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-04-14
SATURDAY, APRIL IA, 1927.
From the National Intelligencer..

Governor Clinton and Mr.. van bVen-"e ,
have had occasion already to notice, as one OF
the Signs OF the Times" the extraordinary
conjunction Of interest and purpose "e'"ee"
certain persons at Richmond, and certain per,
sons al Albany, as indicated by the cooinS ana
billing Of the Enquirer representing the one
party, and the Argus representing the olher'
srin more remarkable conjunction, how.
ever, is that which has apparently been eftected
between the heretofore rival stars OF the hemls-
phere Of New York-Governor CLINTON and
MIR. VAN buren,. The extent oil that conJunc-
lion we canno, pretend to describe; nor can we
ga, whethey he approximation has been on the
mart of the former or the latter; whether Il IS
accidental OF concerted; whether il be person
al or merely POLITICAL O. whether it be Tor per.
maneut or temporary purposes. We should
have doubted tte reality Of this combination oil
rival powers, agains, The existing Adn'Eis'ra-
ton Of the General Government, If the asser.
ton, BY the organ Of" the concentration here,
of The concurrence of Governor Clinton in Mr.
Van Burcn's projects, had not been silently sub
mitted 10 by the prints friendly TO Governor y.
in the State Of New York. We should have
doubted il, because, within the State oil New
York, We have considered them irreconclieaoly
hostile to eac others pretensions, individually
and politically The effect, however, OF a COM
mon anti3athy, is very powerful, We have
seen il illustrated in the Senate Of the United
States, where those are ranged side by side a.
eainst the Administration (and against every
one suspected of not being hostile to ~ who "a
gree upon scarcely any one point OF either con-
stitutional Interpretation or Of national policy
What identity Of feeling or principle, for exam
pie, can there be between Col HAYNE, OF South
Carolina, and Mr. RANDOLPH, Of VirgiRia-the
one the advocate Of Internal Improvement; Of a
liberal bankrupt law; the patron OF the Navy;
the friend of the Army-the other, hostile 10
every one Of these objects? Equally singular
wouli b. The alliance between the rial leaders
Of the State of New York, in any poritics' con
test. BUT, 'ior once" we think we hear the
taste, Gr..;. ..y ~ hi great adversary let
US make common cause
"Turu thou the mauth of thy artillery
As VIC VII ours. against yhese saucy walls:
AMI whe n that We have ds ih'G them 10 the ground
WAY, then defy en- "a other, and, peli-mei,
Make work upon ourselves"
We confess our doubt Of the fact OF the COM
oination Of these two eminent citizens, for the
purpose of raising one or the other TO the Pre-
sidential Chair, because we do not believe that
Governor CLINTON would suffer his shoulders
TO be the vaulling place from which his rival
NAV leap into it; and we are pretty certain Mr..
Van BuREN does not intend that any Northern
man shall get there until he has had his turn
nor would he suffer any Sou,hron 10 prrcede
him, by his good will, but upon the conditions,
which seem 10 be pretty well understood in
South Carolina aud Tennessee, that he is 10
mount next.
Leaving the question of presidency, how
ever, to Be settled between the Houses of York
and Lancaster, at leisure, we proceed to The
purpose for which we have nibbed our pen TO-
day.
Whether there be, or be not, any understand
ing between the two distinguished personages
whose names stand at the head OF this article,
it is certainly among The remarkable "Signs o.
the Times" that they should contemporaneous
ly, at this late day, have come out In denial O
the power Of the General Government, on The
subject Of Internal Improvement. Mr.. GIN
TONS fame, fair as il is, rests mainly on the
broad ground OF his supposed attachment to thai
great cause, Of which bis exertions in his owl
State, crowned with such extraordinary success
were supposed 10 furnish conclusive evidence
It is true that the great Canal was executed IN
der an authority never questioned; but his eff
Gent agency in the accomplishment of tina,
work, and the eloquent and energetic recon-
mendalions from his pen Of the interest Of In
ternal Improvements, impressed the nation &c.
nerally with the belief that he was OF what we
consider the true faith in this particular. We
are greatly misinformed if he has not, ,cithn
f,co or three gears past, addressed letters 10 dsiin
guished gentlemen in other STATES nuo,cins his con-
piction that the General Government possesses The
po,oer 81 making authorizing such Improvements
AT all events, it may be Justly asked, why, a,
this late day, after twenty years have elapsed
since the question Of the national power first
arose-after more than ten years repeated dis
custom of it in the National Councils after the
most solemn decisions Zone Of which we shall
presently have occasion to allude toy in favor OF
the power-afier he had himself presented 10
the General Government memorial soliciting
the exercise Of this very power--he has, at this
late period, thrown his great weight into the
opposite scale? 1t would a, least have been
more kind in him, some ten or fifteen years ago,
when the most anxious Investigations were ma
king into the powers of the General Govern
ment on this subject, then to have aided the
searcher after truth by holding up his brilliant
torch. This late exhibition of ligh, is so favor
able to the objects Of the party which has re-
Gently been organized, as the Richmond Enqui-