Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-02-17

State must DC ultimately wrecked ana lost. 4
4 We bcheld great Nation spring up on this Con-
tinent and suddenly extend itself from the Atlantic
Sea to the Mississippi, from stock of fhgtees from
persecution and prescription, both religious and po-
litieal, in the Old World and we had been taught,
and iondy believed, that far from those demons Of
human misery reaching us here, they had been eff
fectuaily excluded by the rauIparts of own free
Constitution; thot the exercise of this great funda
mental right of Election, which lies at the iounda-
ton OF all our liberties, would never even cmbter
the charities of life, disturb the harmonies of So
ce,y Tor a moment; but that each freeman would
Ike the other better for his honest difference of opin
ION, guaranteed 10 him by the sacred compact of our
civil institutions, and consecrated by the blood of tho
Revolution!
! l, is true, we had been so!cmnly warned, in u,
Farewell Address Of the Father of his Country to the
feopie OF the United States IN the most anxious and
parental solici;ude, that Catalincs would arise in
days 10 in these then happy States; and that
demagogues and aspirants would spring up among
Us, who objects woeld be TO CRAFTY their inordn0te
and unhailowed ambition, whose means OF mischief
would be- to inflame sectional preudices and local
anmoslties IN ono portion of the Union against an
othor to represent their interests to be different and
inconsistent with each other, and 10 cultivate and
cherish the young devils of dscord 10 tear out the
vItas OF the Union and scatter them 10 the dogs of
ciiil var and horrd anarchy-th1t such Cataiines
might reign as champions oftheir douded sections Of
the Union. and enjoy ttlo illegmate and patriot
dal rcnown,
or these, above all other enemies, the Father of
his Country had warned us to be on our guard
Thus foyeworred, IN 1875, that great minority
believed they saw symptoms of the ccminy evil!
They behe!d the people of the United States, like
agitGted ocean, threatened with the storms of Sec
tionai ambition, and no revolutionary worthless at
hand, TO seize the helm and guide the vessel Of State
through the tempest, With the frmness of Washing
ton aud the wisdom OF Nester.
! Wa conscientiousy believed Mr. Adams the better
qualified of the two principal candidates. General
Jackson had taught to divcst ourselves of such
sectional preudices as our situation and educa ION
had subjected 10; and TO Mr.. a. for his viz
tues, and TO admire him for his talents aud had auded
his appointment Prime Minister to guide the Ad-
mnistraticn of Mr.. Nonrue-the last OF our Royolu-
tionary Presidents.
! Our devotion to the civil over the military was
sincere. We perceived no essential difference in
their political principles Their construction of the
great charter OF our rights and powers the
their great leading principles Of policy were the
same. We saw no difference then. we see none
now
! Washington had warned Us against sectional lea
lousies, and we remembered that New England, the
cradle Of the Revolution and The birth of Ane
ricGn liberty, had given but four wears Presidency
since the foundation efthe Republic New England
recommended her son the friend of Washington and
The guide of Monroe, to our suifrages and honored
him unanimously with her own.
We sincerely believed that old Virginia and North
Carolina, the mothers and grandmothers OF SO many
! OF Us IN the West, with much of the South would
! lead Us in the same preference, so soon as they
found they could not succeed with their favorite
! candidate
The organ OF Virginia politics had even placed
Gen. j. lower than VIC of the West could brook TO
see him placed
| We confidently believed we beheld our venerated
mothers pluck the fruit and taste il; heard them pro-
nounce it good aud safe and wholesome; aud saw
them offer it TO their children. We took and ate:
never dreaming that it afterwards to be pro-
nounced forbidden or poison; that We were to be
damned for tasting ii!
1t is not Virgina-na gnanimous Virginia. that
prosctlbes us now. 1t is only what is called in the
I 1.,gt
the victor rather for the loaves and fishes than for tie
words of political life.
The example of liberation of the difference of cpl
Mon in the exercise of the high and sacred elective
franchise, which Virginia has set in the election of
members to her late Convention, is worthy of all ni-
taon!-of tho imitation of every State in the Union
and particularly Of the President of the United States
and his Board of rewards and punishments--called
Cabinet!
And if Virginia has seen since the election of Mr.
Afnms, that new light mentioned in this debate
which causes the turning of short angle, and we
have kept straight course, in the direction she
then pointed us, our apology is, did not see the
new light that led her around the corner; do we
question her belief that she it, nor her motives
in flying the track; still less do We accuse her OF
! having msled at FIRST. For We are of tho same
| opinion still, as in 1824-25.
For myself, | should feel constrained to give my
vote for Mr. a. again, in like circumstances, were it
practicable Nor wiil even deign to try the expe-
riment what effect might be produced future
!
that be. will not chatter for ofie | will JOIN
no indscrminute opposition to this any Admins
I tration of the Government ofmy country If this
Administration come up TO the line OF the great fun
damenta principles and constitutional liberties Of the
Republic, and of the settled policy of the country
pursued by the late Administration, Will endea-
vor 10 travel together IN that way; but whenever this
Administration go off the line at tangent, be-
leve they have glaringy done, in striking citizens
from the roll Of official existence for the exercise of
the high and imprescriptabe elective franchise, VIC
late MISUNDERSTANDING where | could; dis
senting where ] must-each tolera'ing the honest
difference of opinion.
Yes, sir am of the opinion still; and believe
can give rational account of tho sad revolution in
our affairs which has since befallan that minority
and placed it in high and honorable company, by dr-
wing one of the most elevated and upright spirits of
the age (Judge Mclean Of Ohio) 10 lay down the
General Post Office Department of tho United States
as sacrifice upon the altar Of his countrys good
nobiy proferring the constitutional liberties Of his