Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-04-14
To TnE Ep,roks OF rip WIG.

MeSSfS. Editors:
have been hitherto silent spectator Of the politi-
ca' drania which Is opening upon US; but can Tic
longer hold my peace. am the advocate Of Jackson
and Reform Not tho luke-warm, halfway timid
advocate, bot thorough going up to the hub. My
BUSINESS Mesrs. Editors, Is not with you. That thosc
o your Kidney should cry aloud and spare not is witt
NE matter neither of surprise nor complaint: hnt
would reason little with my friends of the majority
WIN that ''iond many who like rain .tirons ,nnuinr
win the current, swced It to height which swept
oeIofe y opposition and who having with aians S
strength, seized upon the governments and given TO
the great OF REFORM motion and direction seem
now ike Child WHO has fred train of yunpowder
Terrified ut their own work, and ready to desert before
the system is fully developed. But my good friends
DANISH, pray you, these childish doubts and fears
look TO the great end in view, ard persevere like
men, How strange Is this panic how Qisrracetul
20 the followers of that Lion-hearcd chief who is
stranger to ear-yca, Just cowarly and base as
1t IS Iii soldiers, to press their general 10 the battle
and when, relying on>thcir courage he has led them
Oh. to turn their backs, and leave HIN IN the midst OF
tue enemy: tce What has this hero OF two wars this
man oil our choice done, but what, The 9eo;ie not
only authorised but commanded him to 10? hat are
the charges against him? Ist That he has selected
cabinet OF common men-such you might nick ND
on any cf'art green ignorant and weak, that
Ms OBJECT must he to ascertain, with how little intel
lGct country mdy be governed Admit that he is
latng this experimental assert that tre Of the nu-
oriy cannot censurc him, without the grossest inius-
tice and Inconsistency. The uristoctocv of Talents.
had long excluded the great of the people from
actual participation IN tie higher offices OF rovern-
men ny making mystery of State affairs, and pre-
tending that none could administer them. but men
OF the most powerful minds, cultivated by science
anu trained ny experience. The people at lenrth
grew weary or this hypothesis, and having the power
and the ht determined to put its truth 10 the test
Accordingly they selected from thar o,pn 6ody a
man who had proved himself brave and nseF,i var
Ilcr-but contessedy without education, experience
knowledge, or any of the qualifications, previously
deemed necessary for stutcsman-and this man they
made President. This was inconsderate act
The people did not mistake Gen. Jackson To- man of
learning or an experienced statesman On the contra
ry where these defects objected to him. aDe frank
y admitted the fact and boldly took the position that
such q0alilications were not necessary for the office
or was this the cry OF the rabble merely. IN the
nigh places, on the door OF Congress- in speeches to
the people, 1t vehenently contended that bool,
learning was trash-m;ltary proves every thing
W no does not remember the conclusive reasonino
and triumphant eloquence with which these truths
we're demonstrated, by our friend of Roanoke, and
the man of Edgefcld, Il think they call it?) Upon
this ground was The General elected and here was
distinct declaration of the sovereign people that
they meant to try the experiment whether the gov
erament could not be administered without the aid of
the schools the spectacles of books or an apprentice
ship to the trade of politics. for if in the President to
whom belongs the whole circle of executive duties
these qualifications were unnecessary, they surely
could not be required i'll the heads of departments
who are his agents merely, selected superintendent,
aud at pleasure, dismissed by him. Was it for the
General, brought in upon this democratic principle to
Illustrate the experiment, and disobey the viii of the
people: And would he not have done so, by chocs-
ing his Ministers from the aristocratie ranks of sci
ence and wisdom and political skill? Would not this
have been an attempt to furnish his cabinet with
those very articles, considered by the sovereign peo
PIE as contrabant! Besides, who could expect that
the President, placed at the summit and to whom all
others were to look up, would choose for his subor
dinates men wiser than hiuself-of whom he must
ask light tIid knowledge, and before whom he must
stand hunoied, under the consciousness, that in every
consultation he should expose TO them his ignorance?
Again, III the pyramid of human intellect and attain
nen the base represents that grade, common TO the
largest number OF citizens; the nearer then to this
level you can bring the quantaab of talent and ac-
quiremcnt which may suffice for conductinr the CO.
vernnent, the more practically democratic you make
IT, by opening TO larger class, access to the highest
ofhces. This Is position which may be proved bv
Cocker arithmetic, aud stands on the same cround
with the nanSWerabie argument addressed by Cen
Smyth to members, the subject of his amendment
making the president eligible every four years to witt
that doubled their chances OF being President in
as much as 6X8-48, while 6X4=24. The expert
ment then is vitality intercsting-but whether for
good or for evil it SSthe doing of the people. Let
no man OF the majority therefore, seek to excuse HIM
sell by saying this Cabinet is not such as expect
edit is no deed of mine" | say unto him. and to
every one, who voted for the General "thou art the
man Tins deed is thine--done by thine agent and
at thy command; and it is cowardly and mean. TO
skuk from it now. And why should we skull;, Be-
cause forsooth, the enemy have set their snakes to
Kissing and cry aloud that we are degrading the no.
vernment! Why this is the very game they were
expected to play; but we such children as to be
frightened from our purpose by it? MOI Let them
oaWl on. Are they not the same factious crew
whom we haveust routed, horse, foot and Dungeons?
Are theyno even PROSTATE in the dust with our
foot upon their necks! Let them complain then, as
loudly as they please; it is the last sad privilege Of
the vanquisbed; my only objection to the Cabinet is,
that the General has not gone far enough he has
adntted two men, of talents far above the rest
that fear they will spoil the experimentation tho
minority, if matters shall be well managed ap-
Prehend they will away with all the credit and
thus leave the great question undecided. IF this
should be the result, the General will be Responsible
but doubt not lie acted honestly, not meaning to
disobey Us. He probably calculated that as there
were four Of as, adding himself to the war; treasury
and navy men) the acts Of the Government would be
mainly attributed to these, and so zoe must conclude
if their course should be prosperons---bnt If other