The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-12-28

| Qualifications of the President, and his pre-
deaessor. for the high STATEN which they
have successively filled, We will not here
sneak. We cheerfully resign task so
unprateful in one of its divisions. to the i'm
partial and unshrinking hand of History
Nor wip we here enlarge on the means by
whicbihe change in question was ACCOM-
rlished-the reckless and persevering cal
uhry, which was constantly poured forth
from hundreds Of presses, on the best and
quest men in the nation,-the false preten
Sims to exclusive epublicanism-the fac
tuus clamor which was kept up in Congress
! 1.-The artful combination of conflicting per
1 ona and party interests for common OBJ
: lect, and the various other unworthy arts
a That were brought into action on this occa
siosz. Suffice it to remark, that the chang
was enFecIed-in form, at least-in a iega
and c0nstitu tional way; avn, nc ssseyer lust
~ offensive the circumstances that brought
il sbsdt, might and must have been to the
friends Vi the last administration, however
deficient the present Incumbent might have
been supposed to I've in the qualities most
requisite for the station to which he had
been raised, it is believed that when he en-
tered on his office, there was no disposition
in any portion of the people TO commence
premature or factious opposition to his
measures. 1t was alarming enough to pru-
dent and well meaning men that the Coy
eminent of the country had fallen into sue h
hands. and far from attempting to perplex
or emharrass the administration, they would
rather have lent all the aid in their power
to carry the country through so dangerous
crisis. On the other hand, the military
successes OF the President had gained him
an extensive personal popularity, which
would have enabled him, had he known
how to turn 1t to account, ts carry on the
Government with extraordinary facility
Under this combination of circumstances,
1t is believed, that had the public affairs
been managed with toerable prudence and
discretion, General jackson might have
gone through his tenn of official life with
out show of opposition, and have been re-
elected, had he been so inconsistent as to
desire 1t, by very unanimous vote.
Nor we're the friends of the country with
out strong hopes that such a result would
follow. Deficient as the President was
known to be in the qualities and accom-
plishme nts most essential to civil magis-
trate, * was yet anticipated that he might
he found to possess the courtesy, the gen.
ereus feelings, the high sense of decorum
and propriety which form the appropriate
ornaments Of the military character, and
would have secured him from any open Of
fence against the dignity of his Office. AT
ter the letter to the venerable patriot Mon
roe, in which he had so emphaticallv rec
commended the oblivion of the old party
distinctions, it was confidently expected
that nothing would he done by himself that
should tend to revive them. He had given,
on several public occasions, opinions on
points of administration which-however al
the time incorrectly applied-would have
served excellently well as guides for his
! own conduct in office; and it was perhaps
not unreasonable to hope that his actions
would correspond, in some imperfect de-
| gree at least, with his previous professions.
Had this been the case, his administration
would have given complete satisfaction to
the country. Whether its complete and
acknowledged failure has been owing to
defects in his own character, or TO the influ-
eure of evil counsels on bis mind and meas
u.es, IS point which it is unnecessary, and
would be ungrateful, to discuss. We should
regret to visit with too severe censure the
last days of one, who, in another line of
duty, has done the State much service,
and whom nothing but the imprudence |
of injudicious friends, or rather the ef-
forts of political partisaDs, who found il |
convenient to make use of his name and |
popularity for their own selfish purpos-
es, has prevented from going down 10 pos
terity with high military reputation, and
filling an honorable place in our history
We are rather willing to believe that, plac- |
ed in a situation for which he was by edu-
cation and character wholly unfit, worn out
by tolls, infrmities, and the natural pro-
gress of age, he acted under influences
which, morally speaking, he could not well
control. However this may be, it il certain
that the expectations and hopes which some
persons may have been disposed TO indulge
Of the success of his administration. have
been sgnaly disappointed, and that his
failure has been more complete than even
his enemies could have possibly anticipat-
ed. The political history of the Union for
the last three years exhibits series of
measures plainly dictated in all their prin-
cipal features by blind cupidity or viHdic-
tive party spirit marked throughout BY
disregard for good policy, justice, and every
| high and generous sentiment, and terminal
lag in a dissolution of the Cabinet under
circumstances more scandalous than any of
the kind 10 be met with in the annals of the
civilized world. The voluntary dissolu-
ton of the Cabinet authorizes the remark
which we have made above, that the failure
| of the administration of Gen. Jackson was
| not anly signal and complete, but ackno,cl-
edged and it is remarkable that, after this
public acknowledgment of his incapacity
10 execute the duties of his Office, through
agents appointed by himself, even to bis
own satisfaction, he should deem it exped-
ent to offer his services to the nation for q
second term.
The first official act of the President in
dictated, in striking and painful manner,
in how small a degree any favorable antci-
tions. that. might have been formed of his
conduct were likely to Tie realized. We
allude to his Inaugural Address to the Peo-
pie, in which ne levelled against the ad-
ministration of his predecessor a sweeping
charge Of incapacity and corruption. A
charge of incapacity to conduct the civil
affairs Of the country, preferred by Andrew
Jackson against such men as Mr.. Adams,
Mr.. Clay, and their distinguished colleagues
in Office, was Of course merely ludicrous
but the imputation of corruption was of n
more serious character. Had there been
the least foundation for it in fact, it is OBJ
vious that the last person who ought to
have made it his business to denounce it to
the public was the President of the United
States, who has ne other constitutional
agency in regard to such offences bat the
power Of pardon. The indecorum Of this