Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-12-22

by pcnsuning and prost'-
tutiny the press. drive every man from pFo'c
confidence who deser, 10 enjoy 1t. lei DC
remembered that the Saviour of the world was De-
,rayed with kiss; and although the people can
not be forced to Surrender this safeguard oi iheir
liberty, they NAV IN an unguarded hour be De-
trayed out Of it. Open force may be met-n"t
who can secure himself against secret poiSoa:-
He may have been ,ir;ulingil for months, and bis
constitution Be broken aud ready to pe;;s'. ere he
is aware ii lis silent approach.
Fellow citizens, the present executive o' me
Uuted Suites came into power nn'.er elfcu'h-
stances that had occurred to none who had pre-
coded him. lie attained popularity which IL
is difficult to account for. but which elevated; nan
to the presidency by an -overM helu,ing majority.
happened TO be al Washingtoa at the tImt' anti
before General jackson was sworn into oilice.--'
Il swarmea with printers who were Office seek
ers aud who boldly avowed they came there to
receive their reward for advancing The rreten-
s,ons of the successful chief. Never before did
] blush so deeply for my cOunrymen. was not
and am not the advocate of en-. Jackson. hut l
did think him honest and Independent enough
TO have spurned them from liin. But was ms
taken. They better knc" their man. They IN
derstood their ye,pof6. express or lnlp'i'd-dRd
they got IL. is not this c"irur,lon! If the source
Is corrupted, What parity can &c expect from
the flowing of the waters: Where is the safety
of our c"i,;.;rv. aud where Is our security. II an
individual "spires 10 puwcr gain the press by
nv Dribing its conductors BY the lure oi Office
and what is worse than alb llbe them with Your
own money to betray your interests. do IN the
sincerity of my heart, believe that a stabhasbeen
given to the great principle Of freedom OF the
press. from which il will not readily recover.
After few..morc elections. unless the evil is a
rested, il will be DESTROYED for ever.
The next great object TO which have advert
ed is the purity of elections. Unless this is main
tanned, both in principle and i'll practice, cur free
dom is at an end. And IN what way has ii been
promoted by the present administration? They
have cone on and removed from Office almost eve
~ man subiec, to their control who has dared to
vote according 10 what he thought right. And
this has beeu'done from pure love to the people
Unless YOU vote for Us. or for men who will sup
port Us. we hurl van from Office. This has vir
tuallv been the language held forth: aud is it nc,
idle to talk Of the freedom OF election after this:
1t is but mockery; for al the price. perhaps, Of
the subsistence ct themselves and their families,
they are compelled 10 vote according TO the will
and pleasure Of the administration.
! consider the invasion of these two principles
by the present executive as more alarming To the
friends of thu constitution than any thing that has
ever occurred in the history of our 90, ernment.
1t undermincs the very foundation of our system.
and enables an ambitious asliran; to&ecurc his
election to the presidential chair not BY the free
unbiased voice of The people, but by the agency
of corrupt hirciings scattered through the nation.
melted by the fear of losing, or the hope of OBJ
/ tanning Oil. e.
! 1t is Illuminating 10 witness the wide departure
r Al 4
present chief magistrate. Before he assembled to
1 pc err, he declared his opinion to be iliat the ap.
pointmcnt of members of congress to office was
calculated to Introduce system of corruption:
but as suon as he had gained his purpose. we fnd
him appointing with the exception of Mr. Vas
Buren,. who was kind enough TO accommodate his
friends and the people of the state of New York.
by filling for two months the Office Of GOVERNOR
almost his whole cabinet aud diplomatic corps
from that very body. Five members were taken
into The cabinet-RiveS. McLane Moore, and
Randop phi rewarded with foreign missions, and
many other members appointed by the executive
| to lucrative Offices. Yes. this very man, who.
before his election. reprObatcd the measure, did.
amGn@ his first official acts, sing out his friends
in Congress. appoint them to office, and thereby
! fix ucon his own measures the seal of Condem-
nation:
And what has General Jackson done as an off
se', 10 atone for these violations of prnciple?
II Is laid h. has got back The West India trade.
II may be so--but not yet. Oar ports are open
to the Britsh-bnt their ports are not open to Us.
There is no reciprocity in the arrangement, bu'
| such was the hurry to reap the harvest of popu
Ianty which ii was supposed this negotiation
| would yield. that the previous profits of the indi-
rect trade are cut off and the whole benefit, of
| the direct trade thrown iuto the hands of the
British, until all the forms OF diplomacy are com
plete, after which The field will scarce be worth
the cleaning. Al present advantage is mani
testify given up to them. and the future is lett to
depend upon the good will of our old friends of
Great Britain.
Bat fcliow-ciizens, will no longer dctain
you. Permit me. however, to enquire before
SIT down. what are the objections to Mr.. Clay?
1t Is said perhaps that he is the friend of the
Tariff, and ofinte,nal improvements; that he is
the efficient supporter Of the American System.
and therefore not unr,hy the confidence of the
American people. Neither will my health per-
I D