The Arkansas advocate., 1830-09-08

Thy steps follow with my bosom bare. Nor heed the stormsshat howls along the I~ sis y. y W
 Custom, has in every age, agreed Tn sanctioning the practice, that adue defer
 enea should b Q paid to men high ii office, or enjoying exalted rank, whether accord inc to the formula of a Republican, or diff i, ferent system of government. This same tyrant. custom, has gone farther; 1t has by
 precedent, recognized principle, which lseems to me te be rather inconsistent with Iour republican institutions. When man
 who by fortu.teas connection of circum-
 stances is placed above his fellows, in point
 of rank, iniures an individual whom he con
 siders as moving in more humble sphere, although he feels 1t his duty to render him
 that retribution that may be required, It. is first deemed necessary that he should lss toaiue raak." This principle Is admit
 ted to be just, more hecausc custom has Isanctioned 1t, than for any intrinsic merit 1t really possesses. According to the prtn- ciPies U our free institutions, man ac-
 cepting public office, lays his conduct O. pen to public criticism; and should his acts be subjected to the animadyexsions of l party, or set of men opposed to ham, and
 their grounds of censure be strong enough to render defence of his course neeessa- TT, it.should be done in an open, manly,
 and firm manner, and II he has erred, he will show that he has done 1t conseien- l tiousIY; and shonldshe be convinced of his
 error, frank acknowledgment is better
 than stubborn persistence. What pro-
 cess Coy. Pope used, to ss agaice Tank'' or
 to descend to advocating and tandiag him. tself under anonymous signatures, and un- I nd
 excite the contests between the contend
 ing parties of this Territory, am not pre- pared to say. As 1t is my intention to scan some of the leading features of the pieces signed < Justice,o aeticb 7oere# aerit- ten by Coz. Pope, hope to be able to show, how far our good Governor deserves that appellation.
 l The first No. of et Justice'' IS SO filled l from beginning to end, with such repeti- tion of self-praise, that 1t is impossible for
 me to point out scarcely one single partie- uIar- passage more remarkable than the
 rest. must therefore beg the reader to refer so the publication itself, bearing Ill
 mind that Gov. JOIN PopEpenned it. Here the launches out into ali the beauty ot flat
 tering himself, and eoBgratHlates the peo- pie on his accessionto the GubernatoFlal
 chair. He says of himself :" He mixed
 freely With, intefehanged civilities and
 main tesned friendly and social reiations
 with the cItlzens oi all parties, and did not
 participate in the personal or party feuds which had divided & distracted the town"
 At the time which the preceding para graph aitUdes to, the Governor possibly did net participate extensively in the par 1 ty feuds of the Territory; but affairs have since become most materially changed
 he fras become one of the principle actors
 in the drama; his writings show Ii, his 1 language to the contrary notwithstanding
 Is a sl lseimeH of his egotism, he reiter- ates the following toast, drank at a public dinner In this place, last Winter;-ss It's ] Erceiieacy, Gog. Pope-Emineatly con spleuous for talents and legal political in formation-the Territory of Arkansas has l been peculiarly favored, in obtaining her I Chief Magistrate from amongst the first lStatesmensof the Republic" This toast
 must have been exceedingly fattering to
 the Governors vanity, and he may have deserved tiff so, t would have been as
 well for him to have kept his pleasure to
 himself, instead of telling the world he was
 so highly gratified at the encomium, and
 more than desery ed all the praise that had
 been lavished upon him. This anxiety to | ttulttPGI-itS EHif ldItG IS d iCA41l1R pTfu- clple Tn the residue of his publications. : In the number which immediately fol-
 lows, he Is, if possible, still more solici-
 tods to be considered 3 wise and great man. I cannot refrain from giving an ex- tract or two from this number: He says, speaking of his adversaries, 'sThey sec I with agonIzing pain, their Governor, Sec
 retary and Delegate, in the full enjoyment
 of the confidence and affection of the peo- pie" How far Gov. Pope enjoyed the con. ldence and affection of the people, l ar 5 not prepared to say; but should imagine
 to rather limited degree. Another ex. tract If you please, and ] am done. He says, Unless it be the wisdom and justice ot the Governors administration Of the af. fairs Of th1s Territory, what has reused the yeaEeance of these dark and hidden
 conspiFators. What argument can Gov Pope how ase, to justify himself in the eyes of the people, for such unheard of egotisml } lie appears determined to applaud his owr } conduct under a fictitious name. and run the risk of a discovery Where can he
 find precedent for this? But if applaad. : ing himself was the only sin he has been guilty of Tn this affair, he might be forgiv-
 en-men who are advanced ii years, some.
 times commit acts which they would have :, condemied at an earlier period of life 2 The Governors pretoaded mod estY avail.
 him nothing, when he openly avows he i expecting some of the public honors whieI await the people, when this Territory shal
 become q Sttfte; and for the purpose o
 securing to himself this fancied good, he
 contributes largely towards increasing public excitement; and to secure bimsel
 from the odium that must inevitably fal
 upon him. he assnfnes ii :, ii {, I and the very course which he so much de lprecates ~publicly-prixately he aaheres sedulously to. He condemns the practice 2 of attacking private character. Let me