Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-02-18
PARTY DISCIPLINE.

From the Signs Of The Times it appears, that
some difficulty exists among our friends OF
the Jackson party, IN introducing SYSTEM
of party discipline and suborlinaton. One
portion of that party, it would seem, sup
ported the cause Of jackson, from an honest
conviction in their own minds, OF his fitness
for the station to which he aspired-and now
claim to exercise the same discretion in their
choice of other officers. Another portion of
that party discard the notion of discretion in
its members, and hold that a caucus nomina-
ton is obligatory on the entire party, even
though good men and true of that party,
dissent from such nomination. Monstrous as
this latter doctrine Is, we are told that it has
many advocates, even among the ma.Fsl5ers
OF our Legislature, and those TOO processing
and calling themselves esmocratSi Why, If
we understand the term, it denotes the very
quintessence OF oaiStOcsacy. A few active and
designing raen get together, in cenclave, and
carve out set of officers for the whole state;
this is a caucus. Not one in ten OF those at
tending such Caucus, have aay agency in dis
pensing the offices in question From their
habits and pursuits of life, only a small por-
ton are qualified TO take leading part in
such meetngs.-fet, having attended, and
not made an oratorical harangue an opposition
or, having earnestly dissented, and been
overturned by majorit they are pledged
to support the nominations thus made: and
not Themselves alone, but all those too, who
have felt and acted with them upon another,
and abstract question. Is this democracy?
Is it freedom of thought, and of action? Is 1t
not rather the contrivance of the Je,c, TO CON
trout the n#aays Is it a cauc,ts-and by what
ever name it may be garnished, its object,
and tendency, arc, TO dIvest the sovereign
people of their constitutional rights, and in
lien of such rights, to fasten upon them the
manacles of party
There are doubtless some members in our
Legislature, who owe their elevation solely
to the operations Of party; and who, when
this cause shall cease to operate, will resume
Their wonted station IN society, with as much
certainty as that water will seek its own level
m calm. With such, it NAV be entirely
consistent, TO fan the e'nbers of party discord,
and thus proiong the tenure of their greatness.
But men Of intrinsic worth-such as can relv
upon conscious merit-will scorn the petty ar
tltice, and rise superior to the schemes and
calculations OF two penny politicians.
Circteoile Herald.
The New York Courier ,ienuunces the let
ter writers from Washington, as hired band
oil slandererss and yet, strange to tell, this
very Courier has a regular Washington Cor
respondence, partaleng in every respect Of
The chief characteristics of those letters Of
winch 1t complains, except that It's abuse and
falsehoods--if abuse and ialsehoods they be,
are ieveiied at the opposition, Nay more, it
has been asserted that a man in Washington
cay has avowed himself to be the correspon-
dent Of the Courier, declaring that he receives
80 Tor each letter that he writes! Really, the
Courier has right to talk about SHRED"
slanderers. knowing sowell the source whence
its own proceeds. Like the publisher of the
| Fast Room letter, its knowledge Of the false
hoods to which itself gives currency, l,,tuces
1t to believe that the correspondents ne other
papers are equally d.shonetst1e, we may
safely say that the writers for the L $ Gaz
cue alexandra Gazstte, and BYlttnose Pa