Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-12-27
THE VEKGfNIAN.
LYNCHBURG, DEC. 27, lsao.
CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS.

uehl message And we now lay before our
readers those ola few contemporary prints.
touching its authorship, its ability, its mdgni-
tude, &c &c. With regard 10 The FIRST point
10 wit, its suthorship,-we must be permitted
to say, that il is matter of deep modification
that we are cursed TO use Mr. Richie ;
celebrated phrase when Gen. Jackson was in
lean minority with President, whose tai
ents are of such acknow lodged mediocrity that
even his friends doubt whether he is the author
Of the Document 10 which his name is signed
All impartial men know that he is not and
the first question they ask, after Perusing any
Que OF them, is "Who wrote II for him T. This
is the natural sud exp eCted consequence in
governments where the doctrine Of Hereditary
righi is acknowledged where men are born
with sceplres in their hands aud crowns ON their
heads for, as there is no royal road 10 learn
ing" so neither has nature exempted the de-
scendanls OF Kings from the mental and ply
steal imbec iliies common TO the less favored
portion of their species. lhey are Kings and
Emperors in spite Of themselves, and fire.
quen,ly in spite of the peofie whether they
be wise or simple, honest or dishones---aRd
therefore the maxim that they can do no
wrong" Their Ministers are expected to re-
liese them from the vulgar duty OF thinking MS
well as acting, and upon their shoulders is
thrown all the responsibility of the mischancss
which may happen. But, 10 an elective gov
eminent, something better is looked for.
Where The President, as well as his interiors,
is liable to impeachment for fatal errors of
judgment as well as crimnaity OF design. ii is
supremely ,idiculons-aye, it is a scorchng sat
| ire upon the elective franchise self-that the
! most dgnifcd &, responsible office 10 tue gft OF
the people should be conferredupon IA man whose
qualifications are even of Il dubious chara cter,
much less upon one whose incspacity is &C
knowledged by every unpfejudiced mar in the
community. We are ready TO admit the con
solatory plea which the Richmond Enquirer
sets up-to wit, that " he employs an excellent
amanuensis." Bni. in the name Of common
sense, what do we wan, with President, to
enploy man to write his Messages Why
not make the writer himself President, and
send King Log" back iu:o the obscurity from
which lac was accidentally drawn, to figure in
n scene in which neither his natural abilities or
bis requirements ever designed him TO move
What farmer would employ an overseer to su-
perintend the business Of his farm, at an enor-
nous salary, with "A knowledge Of the fact that
he was incapable of attending to his duties but
! ,bat ba uYoull in turn a,nnInv "A nnst CAN'T n
sub-ageni to do The work lf,here should be
such "A farmer in existence, his neighbors
would be apt to laugh at his folly; and he
would have cause TO congratulate himself If he
escaped utter insolvency. And II strikes US that
the people who pursue such course in choos.
ing their ruler are no wiser than such q farmer
would be, and will he equally lucky II they es-
cane the fate " hich would, in all probability
oyerake him.
ut 10 ohf extracts which, by the way, we
esc compelled to condense into brieler space
than we conld wish
Mr. Walsh, Of the National Gazsite,-who is
sometimes Jacksonian, and a, others in tho
Oppos ton, aud at others a neural an indif-
ferent politician, but nevertheless an acute
| critc,--th notices ii
The Presidents Message is of inordinais
| length li.e Mdton's Leviathan, - extended
long and large" it lies floating many a rood
A considerable part OF its contenis might have
been reserved for some other channel OF occs-
sion of prsmu alton. u would have much
! more advantageous Effect abroad, IL il had been
! framed upon a smaller scale, and with less at
tention TO domestic party feelings aud topics.
/ We might remark us another oil lis main faults,
that il is not al az! IN character, AS a compositio
for Gen. Jackson cohgrui'y has beeh wholly
| neglected WITH regard ~ his modes OF thinking
reasoning and expressing his ideas The OBJ
soldier has no doubt, adopted The performance,
and thus made it his own,-but IL is not like
him in the least. So much nice, traverse
pleading, generazing, philosophiz ng, sermo-
| uzng-so much rhetoric and sentImtntaliiy
TO our apprehension, nothing is communicated
as he would have conveyed It E: The subtle rea-
sonings far fetched considerations, fancitul
Illustrations, the various general maxims, vari-
Ously hnI IN some instances sophist ally ap-
pIied, are TOO evidently from different source.
| All tue messages vi his predecessors bore an
original stamp the individual appeared and
smoke in them as the Cbief Magistrate III
every case the county had his own conceptions
and language somewha, enlarged, perhaps re
,iuced or q4al6ed, according TO the suggestions
of his intimate counsellors, but not So modified
as TO lose their genuneness and identity
Ibis was confurmabe 10 the design OF the
J Constitution, by which the President IS
the Responsible ':iieer. primarily efficient, aud
| ,,e Immediate reliance OF the nation
The n. Y. .4meftcG.,-a paper which ranks
higher than any in that State Gor its uniform
adherence TO principles and for its elevated cha.
rac,er, thus introduces its comments, for the
whole of winch we regret we hayeaot room:
The grea. vice of this State paper is iis
prolixlty /; and next 10 that ITS controversial
character. With much thai is useful and ,;!a
allie. there is mixed upa great deal thai Is