The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-10-17
3auIftfcaI.


From he Richmond Pirg.l Hhig.
If the public knew the author OF the
ESSAYS of which the following is the mrs.
number, they would require no inVi1atloh
from us to read them. We will only say
that they will amply repay the reader
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
No. |.
It.must he obvious to every observer OF
passing events, that the present aspect ot
pol;tical affairs is highly unpropltlous, II
moi alarming. The time has arrived when
neutrality NAV be regarded as crimnal--
as indicating an insensibihty to the sue,
cess of our happy institutions, or soroio
and selfish determination to hazard noth-
ing for their preservation WIN these
!. Sconvictions, / ask leave to submit, LOT
puour deliberate consideration, some on 'ne
views which occurred to me as worthy :,
5. your notice. AS have no WISH W diu
them by any Fictitious circumstance, anu
am equally unwilling that their lhhuehee
should be impaired by any unjust susplc-
IONS of the quarter from whence they
came. | offer you pledge of my sincerl-
Az in designating by my signature the
pursuits ofmv life. lam no otfce-seeker-
believing that no public station can be
more honorable than that which already
en;ov as an independent farmer. feel
that / am exempt from any improper pas,
and that if there arc errors Ii views whicii
/ present to YOU, they are errors OF the
head. and not of the heart IN addressing
Won. trust shall not forget the respect
dua m nv fellow-citizanS, but shall at
en- same time speak frankly of men and
things as they appear to me. The clrcum-
stances under which we are called to act
forbid fattery, or even forbearance. Inc
times are distempered. The omens are
threatening and it behoves every man,
conscientiously and fearlessly, to take his
station and do his part. BY such means
only may we avert the serious evils which
are lowering over the future.
| beg leave emphatically to ask of you,
what has produced the extraordinary state
of affairs to which have alluded? Three
State g sgd9 al pe@a as along he admin
istration of public affairs-which was then
conducted in the same spirit as now
received the general appreciation of the
American people and concord and good
will prevailed throughout the Republic. A
political millennium seemed to have arrived.
But, what is now our condition? Discord
and all Observation-Disclosures are every where
prevailing. The characters of our most
illustrions citizens are assailed with ruthless
auxiliary to virtue, teens with falsehood
and defamation, so that the guilty no
longer fears its lash. Every house and
eyerv hamlet is divided against itself-one
portion of the Union is arrayed against
another-the fearful and impious question
of disunion, is in some quarters, the subject
of daily and familiar conversation. Our
Legislature denouncing the General Gov
eminent for exercising powers which have
been unquestioned before, since its founda-
tion-and while the Governor of one State
threatens to call out his divisions to wage
war against the federal authority of the
republic, another propagates disorganizing
sentiments on the anniversary of our indie
pendenee, thus rendering them the more
heinons.
These are among the signs of the times
which justify one in saying that the aspect
ffg:. And well may we press the inquiry,
what has produced it, and what is the
source of these bitter waters?
The answer is a plain one. We have
suffered the comparatively insignificant
question of who shall be our President, to
absorb every other. An officer designed
by the Constitution to be our servant, to
execute our will, has become already an
object of more consequence in our eyes,
than the best interests of our country
among which | mean to include liberty it
self, and our free institutions, which are
now considered by some as cheap sacri-
flee to the success of particular iudivid-
ual. Is this doubted If so, turn to the
following sentiment -" Allegiance to
Jackson is above all other consideration Z"
This was boldly proclaimed by an Editor
whose necessities forced him to acknowl-
edge the source from which he derived
the means of propagating his treason
against the liberties of his country. An
other Editor has declared that ifJackson
could not prevail by the ballot boxes, he
should by the sword!" And another,
though he once considered Jackson every
way disqualified, from his ignorance and
from his vices, private and public, and that
his election would be curse to his coun-
try,now openly exerts all his power and in
fluence to have this curse fastened upon us.
Have these Editors received the rebuke so
well merited from their subscribers Far
from it they are still supported, and still
exercise--two of them at least-great in
fuence over public opinion.
These were the signs which called forth
from that great apostle of freedom, Jeffer-
son, his last but terrible warning: /" Nv
country I" said he, thou too, will expert
euce the fate which has befalen every free
government-thy liberties will be sacrificed
to the glory of some military chieftain. L
had foudly hoped to have found in thee an
exception but thy support of Jackson-a
man who has disregarded every order he
Yeceived-who has trampled under foot the
laws and constitution of his country-and
who has substituted his own ungovernable
will as his only rule of conduct-thy sup
port of such man shakes my confidence
in the capacity of man for selfgovernment,
and fear all is lost" This is the language
Of the dying patriot. And five followed him |
with undiminished confidence, and with
unexampled success, in times and season.
when liable to temtation, what Difference
Is not due TO his opinion, when delivered
49, - 9 ,.u.i circumstances, ano