Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-07-24


tiny which our hopes had pictured as the GER
tain result, of their arduous * bloody struggle,
and when our relations with all the powers oil
Europe promised no interruption 10 the exist
ing harmony, they now seek 10 elevate to an OF
6ce, which, more thai at any other time re-
auires the possession Of a trained as well as a
rigorous intellect, 10 meet the crisis thatIs evi'
IDENTIFY impending over the Southern kepno'
lies, ard to wres,e with the practised strength
Of the British Ministry in discussing the prin-
ciples of trade which our government has SO
long endeavored 10 establish, as the Only fair
basis Of commercial intercourse between ma
lions. Those actions Of Gen. Jackson which, in
1924, the Editors Of the Enquirer denounced
as 'rash," :hey now call frm-that which indl-
Gated "uiolence Of Temper" is now nothing more
than decision Of character Generals inclina-
ton to 'arkHrary government" is now ercsss' OF
repubHcan,sna, stimulated by constitutional i'm
pe;uosity rather than tyrannical disf0Rion;
and that which was apprehended with so much
anxiety and dread, and which was depree aed as
a "curse upon the country" is now eagerly anti
cipated and ardently invoked! We appeal to
the sober, the rational, the rejecting pat OF the
community to pause before they irrclrievably
pledge themselves to the cause of Gen. Jackson
We intreat them to commune with themselves,
and inquire whether the grounds assumed by
the Enquirer in the short paragraph quoted
above, are not the very same grounds which the
opponents OF the General now urge against his
election? And are they not entitled 10 deep and
serious consideration? If the objections urged
by the Enquirer in 1924, were valid Then, are
they not equally valid no,c9 What redeeming
act has General Jackson since done to demon
strale their groundlessness and rallacy? Has he
achieved any brilliant diplomatic exploit, TO
prove that he is a statesman? Has he bioued
out The records of his rashness? Are there no
living evidences Of the violence Of his temper!
If he was "iDclined to arbitrary government"
then, upon what circumstances may we build
hope that he is less so noW? If his election
would have been "a curse upon the country" al
that time, what grace has he won OF Heaven
since, which may convert that curse into
blessing?
But, it may be said that the opinions of the
Editors Of the Enquirer are entitled to no more
weight than those OF any other men Of equal
information and ability; and that, therefore, the
fact that they formerly abused Gen. Jackson,
and deprecated his election as a"curse upon the
country" furnishes no reason why The friends
of the General should abandon him. Granted,
SO far as his original friends, those, we mean,
whoZealously advocated his cause in the first
election -are concerned. They have the same
reasons for supporting him now that they had
when he was first brought forward, 10 the as
tonishment .ofalmost every man in the commu-
nifty Thsyespoused his cause then, with
full knowledge of many saring imperiectlons,
'as exhibited in lon8 and active life, and we
expected them TO be equally blind or indifer-
Assseitart As-@r rhefp developed
coli thtyp win
supported Mr.. Crawford, and WOO rajoiced,
when the election was over, that the office had
fallen 10 Statesman in preference to Soldier
not 10 surrender their consistency, and, at the
same moment, give vital wound to the Instr
buttons Of their country, by voting for the Mill
tary Chieftain. in the language Of an author
quoted by writer in the Enquirer oil the same
date from which we copied the paragraph on
which we have been commenting, 'among the
celebrated names Of antiquity, those ofthe great
conquerors and generals attract our admiration
always the most, and imprint notion OF mag
nanimity and power, AVID capacity for domin-
ion superior to that Of other morals. We look
upon such men as destined by Heaven Tor en-
pire, and born 10 trample on their fellow-clu-
zens, without rejecting on the numerous evils
which are necessary 10 the acquisition OF glo-
ry hich is built on the subverson Of nations
and The destruction ofthe human species, yet,
these are the only persons who are thought 10
shine in history, and TO merit the attention Of
the reader. Dazzled with The splendor of their
victories and the pomp of their triumphs, we
consider them as the pride and ornaments Of
the human race, whilst the pacific and civil
character, though Of all others the most oene-
fetal to mankind, whose sole ambition it is 10
support the laws, the rights and the liberty Of
his felow-citizens, is looked upon as humble
and contemplate in the comparison" The
people of the United States have never yet mer-
tied this reproach, and we hope they never will
But, leaving entirely out of view the objec-
tons to Gen. Jackson, drawn from his militia
ry character, we soemnly aver, that in our opin-
ion, the reasons which operate against him at
the present moment, are four fold more CO.
gent then they were at the last election. Then
although he had violated two of the great nat,l-
raj and legal rights Of the citizen, Liberty and
life, by ordering the execution Of six militia
men, who had committed no crime, yet the fact
had not been made public. Then, too, he APP
parently stood aloof from the contest, and as