Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-02-28
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 90, 1927
From, he Naiioni Journal.
JACKSON MEETING AT FREDEhlNho-
RITR(s

Il
BURG.
meeting of the friends OF General Jackson
:, several counties Of Virginia, was procurec
a, Frederick burg on the l4th INST. which a
Jon,ed several re solutions in favor oil his pre-
tensions 10 the Presidency, and an address 70
,he ,eonle of Virginia. The manner OF TINS
address mast appear Objectionable to every re-
A.c,ing reader; but no class Of poiueians mas
more serious cause to regret the failure oil the
no,;op 10 recommit it, for amendment, TO the
committee which reported it, than the adVo-
Gates o. General Jackson himself. fliied win
assertions which bear on their face their own
recntation, and sanctioning, with the vote VI III
diyiduals whose names are given, Inc whaes'
charges that the rage OF party has ever hazaru'
ed.or orwhicb subsidized press has ever pee"
the vehicle, it is clothed IN style discreui'aoe
70 a schoolbov, while its attempts at argument
ave below even the most shallow sophistry. IL
rhe means here used to influence the mdepenc-
en-, electors of Virginia, are part oil the system
or"combipa,ions'' devised at Washington to
,,ise their voice, DR.. Floyd's resignation oil the
offered honor to govern that State, VIII mos'
probably produce none OF the benehts wniCh
were expected from that act oil ma8nanimi'!'
Tor never was there a clumsier effort TO rouse
nreiudices and then enlist them In the service
r. nar,v than the address of the "numerous
and hishiy respectable meeting" at Fredericks-
bnrs. \ meeting, by the by, which did not ac-
cording 10 a statement in the Virginia Herald
ofthe 2ls, ult consist OF more than IS or 20
freeholdsrs from the town OF Fredericksburg,
and eight large counties
This extraordinary composition processes 10
nursue its object by referring to 'the origin, the
doctrines and the acts of the present AdmlnIstra-
Hl6lJo0iBg pfk6S{B61n R1tf gave IRE readsf i5f
INN .ccin Of he hat on6
style of the whole performance:
That Mr. Adams came into Off &c against the
wishes Of majority Of the Peopl", is admitted
by all; and that his election was effected by the
renal fundamentally Of Mr. Clay, is as demon
slrabe as any fact can be, which by its nature
is removed from the cogizance Of the senses
The passions, emotions and designs Of the mind
are not visible or tangible substances, but they
are nevertheless obvious 10 the understanding
The ,oeakness Of Zee IS pnlpabie fact as tile er
isfence Of the fruit tohich tempted her. Although
our eyes did not see the treason Of Arnold, nor
our hands touch the conspiracy Of Burr-men
whose talents and services had placed them too
high in the confidence Of their country-their
guilt, in spite Of their own pro,estations, is not
the less evident TO our minds. In these memo
rable cases, as in tina, of Mr.. Clay, overt acts
betrav secret inten tons; and if in regard to the
second Montgomery, and the rival Of Jefferson,
the Judgment of mankind has not been miguid-
ed, it must, in respect to Mr.. Clay, adopt an
unfav orable conclusion"
The assumption that "Mr Adams came into
Office against the wishes OF a majority Of the
People," may be admitted, as the Richmond
Wing properly remarks, il nothing more was
intended by it, ethan that Mr.. Adams was not
chosen "by the Peoplc"-"though that fact no
more vitiates his selection, than it did Mr.. JEFF
ferson's in 1901" If the assumption proceeds
on the fact that Mr.. Adams was chosen by the
House Ct Representatives, instead Of the Elsc.
toral Colleges, it would furnish as strong an ar
gument against any other candidate who might
have been successful in the contest which re-
suited from non election by the People. It's
selection, therefore, as 4 reproach to Mr.. Adj
ans personally, throws less light OH the origin
Of the Administration, than on the origin ofthe
Opposition. We feel some curiosity TO learn
from the Committee, where are 10 be found Ar |
nold's "protestations" that he was not, or the
evidences that the first Montgomery was,
treitor. Where the "pro,estations'' made after |
Arnold had deserted to the enemy? Did Mont |
gomery's death on the battlefield Of Quebec set |
the seal to his treachery!
The committee promise, in making good
their allegation against Mr.. Clay, not to ''ad.
"uance statement that is doubtful, employ an ar
"gumeni that is not fair, or resof, TO any but the
"6est evidence" and then say "During the can
vass, Mr.. Adams and Mr.. Clay were not only
political rivals, but political enemies. They
were as opposite at least as the East and the
West. Charges of a .fasnious complexion, which
have never been retracted, had been publicly ex-
changed and retorted between them; and ofthe
five competitors for the office of President the
bearing Of these two towards each other, was
remarked to be most particularly hostile" We
agree that this statement is not doubtful" for
it is put down at once by facts, known to the
public, which pronounce its character in terms
which il would be superHuous for us to re. {
peat. The charge" which, in the forid 1
rhetoric OF the Committee, were "of ia {
gitious complexion" are to be found in Mr.. !
Clay's communication in the National Intelli- i
gencer, Dec. 1912, & in Mr.. Adam. answer. in I