Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-01-12
FOnTMxITs OF TnB oPP0sITION.
HON. NATHANIEL MACON,
OF North Carolina.

HON. NATHANIEL MACON,
OF North Caroline.
History does No, .aordus 80 ample an account Of the early
history Of Mr.. MACON, - could have bes wishsd, and for
,hoss svssss connected with his early life, which ss remark
able, we are compelled 10 rely upsn impartial tradition, and
The vague ssd indefinite ,sls thai are told, by the homes yeo-
many, and industrious l~spP-bkek manufacturer Of the pisy
wsod." Of Nsrhc So,ins, sad the writing. Of the celebrated
chrenielsrs Of Le-s Hss Thief in he esIebss,sd esuay Of
Daneomb~
Relying SPea these traditions and reports, We shall set II
dswn ., . matter VI fset-and IL We are in error We can be
eoustsd-'hs, Nj. Macon ". born in the Stale Of Virgins,
hut early il life migrated 70 The regions Of Sir WALTER
RALEIGH, where, like 40 honest. Flooding, straight forward
husbsndnan, he became IN indusriou. t.ler Of the soil, and in
no instance dseovsred any vi,seity Of intellect. until he was
s~Ppsiaied Hog Reeve Of the county, when his scoring ambition
led him On 10 The contemplation Of State Affairs, Of vst mo-
ment, and he w run with 'uces. for the Office Of Constable,
ths, uoerring Stepping stone to future greatness. Dsebagng
his duties to Tie Infinite Satisfaction Of all interested, he was
nsrt placed on the grand ~high-road to Immortality, by being
made . member Of the Conmons Of North-csroins, in which
Office il is said, that be distinguished h,m'clfby hi, duIns" and
~insP,itudsj and Il being found very desirable to get clear Of .
nan, who was . clog to the Commons, he was run for the Con
Eres Of the Uuited States, and took his sea. in the House Of
hePfesent3lges, tne second eeuuon Of tne uu, o u u uu o u
second Congress, 1880, or 1871, and has continued in one HOus
or the other, ever since. Iii, first appearance, in the Council'
Of the Nation, was no, marked by any very brilliant display Of
Intellectual resources; and il Is said Of him, that for four OF Eve
yean, he never participated In the concerns Of the House, only
when he had an opportunity Of making manifest that obstin.cy
which i the most prominent trait in his character. BY degrees,
however, and by reason Of q supposed familiarity with parha-
~entay etiquette, he gained a little popularity, and because he
was always remarkable for his ob.inacy, asd unaffected dull
nes, he began to he looked upon a. one Of thoss sound, dslib-
era,i's men, whose wi'dom consist in their 'lenes;-snd,
party spirit and party Affairs having taken q new add an unsI-
pseted turn, he was, in the year -, elected Speaker of the
House Of Representatives, which situation he held, I'LL the year
1871. In this year, MI. Clay was returned . member Of the
House, by the Kentucky district, and m the 4h Of November,
he opposed Mr.. Macon, % candidate for the Speaker Chair,
and succeeded in busting the venerable gentleman Of North
Carolina, who had already began 10 think, that he had = pre-
serip,ive right to The Chair Of Mr.. Speaker. Defeated, as he
had been, by . nan whom be looked upon % an interiope'
and whom be had 'uesred at, on account Of hi, age, he 'wore,
esraal hatred to the successful a,pirsut, and from that day to
Ibis, he has been as un'puins in hi, hostility to Mr.. Clay, as h.
could we'll have been, had that gentleman deprived hun Of his
fortune and his fame.
Soon after he catered the Congress Of the United States, in
the year 1896, he took . stand in opposition to General wash
inston, and ". eonspieuou'ly engaged in one act, which should
forever render him odiou' in the eyes Of the people, because
that act pstook Of that cold insralitude, which all must despise,
and the hare recollection of which, offend, the finer feeling, Of
the true friends Of the American r Republic.
II was on this memorable occa,ion,ihat the saviour afhi, eoun-
try, the illnstrious Washington, We, about to retire forever from
Office, and all tss scenes and hustle Of political life and a por.
ton Of bis felOw-ci,iInns and fellow labores in the field of the
people, had propo'ed TO offer him an Address, and pa" re.olu-
H.
not rseOllect, at Ibis m"ment, who offered the resolutions, nor is
ii material, 'inee they we're opposed by WILLIAM d. GILES,
ANDREW JACKSON, NATHANIEL MACON, aud
nine others, Is was also the Address. The reason assigned by
Mr.. Macon for this opposition was, that he wss plain Repub-
Iiesn, and "" not in favor Of w~orshipPins any man, and that q.
General Wa'hinstsn had been paid for his services, whilst he
held the Office Of Chief Magistrate Of the Nation, aud had done
nothing more than his duty, he did not consider hs entitled to
the thanks Of the Nation, or the eommenJatory resolutions Of the
American Congress. II was his opinion, be said, tba, the labor
er was worthy Of his hire, and he was decidedly opposed to that
.ys,~~, which would first pay . man in cash, and then offer sn
advance, in fulsome adul4tioa. But the fact was, Mr. Macon,
I" veil a, General Jackson, was secretly opposed to Ge.eral
Washington he envied him his welLesrned fame, ssd was
unwilling that he should retire from Office, and carry with him,
to the shades Of Mount Vernon, those expressions of Nations
gratitude, to which he was pre- sminently entitled.
During the existence Of The administration VI the elder AD-
ANS, Mr.. Macon, yse full scope to hi. limited talents, and
was among the most elamOrow oppsscrs the nation afforded,
and it was during thi, period, that he gained a firm footing with
the Republican party, and obtained the rank which he for some
time enjoyed, in the political eonccrnment, of The nation. But
his public career was most conspicuous, during the adminiars-
ton Of Mr.. JEFFERSON, and by the partiran. of the lament
ed sage Of Monticello, was made Speaker of the House Of Rep
re.emAiive,, al for several year, held that post Of consequence
and honor hut hos yell he sruu;ttcl hio,elf a hseores u.
not to say, for charity should throw . mantle over bis mental
obiquity, and pity should overlook the weakness of fal NOR
tally. 1t is certain however, that whilst he held the place Of
Speaker Of the Hsuse Of Representatives, he was used as a tool
by the party Who put him ioo office, and who kept him there
| n lssg q hey wanted him, and then cut him nd, il, 10 make
roots Tor a msA OF intelligence, political foresight and integrity.
That he was used simply as a tool, Mr.. Macon does not deny at
all times; and he has frequently been heard to say Of himself,
| when a little heated with wine, that when he decided against
The Federal party, he was always sure TO be sustained by the
| House, but when hi, decisions were in favor Of the Republican
party, it deserted Aimj and would indulge in observations, which
could not but leave the Iihener to iafcr, that be was a mere
Puppet, or instrument Of party.
But Of Mr.. Macon, with all his faults and departure, from the
| political creed, which we would establish in he political church,
il may be said, that he has preserved a remarkable consistency
Of CHI, aeter; b, that consistency psrtake. largely of those
| qualities, which possess an untneutiooable member Of the con-
Meeting f~a~ily-link Of mortality, and |. rather . specie, Of cen
.urabls s'.tinaey, than a virtue. Ills a rule with him, never to
change hi, opinions, OF the cut Of hi, coat, and II is said Of him
~ah equal truth and Justice, that he adhere, to a vroog opinion
when osee iubibed, for the sake Of opposing those who disagree
With him, and that he would rather part with hi, right arm,
tina surrender an opinion, thus fouaded and established, on his
own peculiar premises.
As politician, though he prOfes'e, to be a Republican in The
sretsst SENSE Of the word, like The rock in the ocean, he stand.
alone, , perfect nOs-de'cipt, an enigma. a ,ebu,, and a riddle
His IDEAS Of aaional policy, are formed or tn. terspin .y.-