Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-12-24

to our hearts. as its satety Is assoiie,t- -
In fhe spirit of these suggestions ASK 10 all sae at
home. The Revolution in France was brought
about by an attempt to destroy the freedom ct the
press-it failed there. Our government dare not I'M
der,ake to accomplish snch deed by forcc-hut
what cannot BIZ done bv force may be done by corrup
ton Again repeat that there is no danger to our
constitution from open force Zen thousand arms
would Instantly be extended I" rrPei the assault
Bu, it NAV be undermined !nsidious french,prop.
Tossing to be the friends of the people-exclusive re-
publcsns- by penson'ng and Pros' ituting the
press. drive every man from pnblic confidence VINO
deserves TO ENJOY it Let il be remembered that the
Saviour of the world was betrayed with kiss; and
although the people cannot be forced To surrender
this safeguard of their liberty, they may IN an I'M
guarded hour be betrayed ont of 1t open force may
be net-but who can secure himself against secret
poison? He may have been drinking 1t TOR months
and his constitution be broken and ready to perish ore
he is OF te silent approach.
FELLOW citizens, the present executive OF the Uni
ted Stu,es came into power under circumstances
that had occurred to none who preceded him lie
attained popularity which it is difficult to account
for, but which elevated him t" the presidency bv an
overwhelming majority. happened to be at wash
| ingtou at that time, and before Gen Jackson was
sworn into nffice II swarmed With printers who
Office seekers. and who boldly avowcd that they
came there To receive their reward for advancing
the pretcpsions of the successful chef Never be-
fore did blush so deeply for my counrymon.
was not and am not the advocate OF Gen Jackson,
but did think him honest and independent enough
| to have spurned them from him. But was msta
Ken Fhev better knew their man. They under
stood the REGARD, express or implcd-dnd they got
It. Is not this corruption? 1fihe source is corrup-
ted, what purity expect from the flowing of
the waters? Where is the safety of our country,
and where is security, if individual who as
pires to power can enlist the press in his favor by
bribing its conductors by the lure of ofce-and
what is than all, bribe them With your own
to betray your interests. do in the sincerity Of
my heart, believe that stab has been given to the
great principle of tho freedom of the press from
which it will not readily recover. After few
tinnS he Pvi is Spf1.i bo dea
| fruyed forever
The next great object to which have adverted is
tie purity Of elections. Unless this is maintained.
both in principle and in practice, our freedom is at
end And in what way has it heen promo ed by the
present administration? They have gone and re.
moved from Office almost every subject to their
control who has dared to vote according to What he
thought right And this has been done from pure
love 10 the people! Unless you vote for for
who will support we hurl you from ufice This
has virtually becn the language held forth and
not idle to talk of the freedom of election cfter this?
II is but ockery: for a. The price, perhaps. of them
selves and their ia lies they compelled to vote
according the Will anJ pleasure of the adminstra-
ton,
the present executive more alarming to the friends
OF the constitution than any thing that has occur
red in the history of our government 1t undermnes
the very foundation Of our system, and enables an
ambitious aspirant to his election to the Presi
dental chair, not by the free, unbiased voice of the
people, but by the agency of corrupt hrelings
tered through the ncited by the
or the hope of obtaining office.
1t is Illuminating witness the wide departure
Of practice from principle in the conduct of our pre-
chief magistrate. Before he assembled to power
he declared his opinion be that the appointment of
members of congress to Office calculated intro
ducs a system of Interruptions but he gained
his purpose, we fad him appointing with the excep-
ton Of Mr. Van Buren,, who was kind enough to &C
commndae his friends and the people of the State of
New York. by filing for two months the Office Of!
governor,) almost his whole cabinet and diDoma,ic
corps from hat very body Five members were taken
into the cabinet-Rives, McLane, Moore and Ran
dolph rewarded With foreign missions, and nany 9th.
members appointed by the executive TO lucrative
Offices Yes, this very man who before his election
reprobated the measure, did, among his first oficsl
acts single out bis friends in Congress, appoint them
W. office. and thereby fix upon his measures tho
seal of condemnation.
And what has General Jackson done as an offset
to atone for these violations of principle?
It is said he has got back the West Indie Trade |
It may be so-but not yet Our ports are open to
The Brish-bnt their ports not open TO US There
rs reciprocity in the arrangement, but such was
the hurry TO reap the harvest Of popularity which il
was supposed this negotiation would yield that the !
previous profits of the indirect trade cut Off and
the whole benefits Of the direct trade thrown into the
hands of the British, until all tho forms Of diplomacy
are complete, after which the field will scarce be |
worth the cleaning. All present advantage ia mani
festly given up to thom and the future is left to de-
pend upon the good will of our old friends Of Great
Ritsn.
~!
Pepmit me, however, to inquire, before I sit down
what the objections to Hr clay' 1t is said, per.
baps that he is the friend of the Tariff and of inter
nal improvements that he is the efficient supporter Of
the American system, and therefore worthy of the
confidence of the American people. Neither will nv
health permit, nor your patience endure invcsga-
ton Of these topics. None have made more noise
opposing them than some Of our Albany Rcgency and
yet it is worthy of remark that in 181I by the first
act passed by the Legislature of New York, on the
subject of the Erie Cansl, the Commissioners were
directed to apply to Congress, for their aid in making
the canal and accordingly, Gouverneur Morris and I
De Witt Clinton men who may be presumed to have
understood something about the Constitution, repaired
Washington TO obtain that aid which modern politi
clans have found out that Congress had not the
power to give On this point, therefore, the mouth
of New York should be shut.
In relation to the Tariff would simply ask-can !
any in his object to measures intended for
the encouragement of our manufactured Are
we be left to reliance on nations most likely to
become our foesl II is well known fact, that in the
last indebted to the enemy for the very
Al IL