Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-04
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| BAYARD-The. chaste and eIepant pen of ,is
writer, has grappled subject worthy of its naw
ers one not nsensble to the critical eon,l;tiou
OF pubic affairs, or to tho beauties of composition
will fail to read his address
For THE RrcnmoND WING
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
| No. I. "l
HIhe cottage as sure to suffer for epery error of
the Court, the Cabinet. or The Camp When c,,,.
SITS an the seat Of po,osr and qsfhgrity and is
Grated IN nigh places iG 4iuy be com pared 10 ihnt
torrent 'ofch mates indeed "a, IKE zioifsfain b,t
commits its devastation in The paie."-LAcpn. y
The lime has come when every man who really,
| loves his country,-who desires her institutions TO
prosper, and her good name to remain unsullied-
must shake off whatever Indifference he may have
felt about public affairs, and canddly enquire into
tho present melancholy condition tn which ,bo,, 80
reduced 1t has hitherto been the pride and boast
OF Flrglnlans, that they reYerenced the sentiments
OF virtue and honor, in their public men; that with
all thelr attachment TO abstract principles and the
cries, they were unwilling TO give their counte-
nance and support, TO the notorious violaters of
public morals. Whilst with a due allowance for
human infirmity, they have been generally ayerse
from the strctness and austerity OF sectarian dis
| clpiine; they have, the other hand distinctly
marked the gross outbroakings of vice and deprav
| lty whether in high places, or in low,-with the
finger of reprobaton. The period is fast approa CHI
ing, when you, fellow citizens, viii have to deter
mine, whether you will maintain, or renounce this
you are really xious TO pre-
serve, public and private virtue, the basis of all
good government, and rational freedo,n-or arc
wiling TO surrender both, sacrifice to your
party feelings, and political preudices. One false
and unfortunate step, by the people of this Com
monwcalth, may be followed by consequences So
pernclous, and fatal, that human wisdom or
power, will be able to devise a remedy entr,nt
you then. by the honor of ancestors,--by tIre
names o. the patriots and statesmen who have
given lustTe and dignity State by the hither
to unviolated sanctity of our domestic relutions-
by our love OF truth, and adherence of tneanness
and falsehood-and by the sacred regard which
We owe to the welfare of common country
and its yet unbienshed reputation in the world:-
enreat you by all these, and by every thing else
which you hold dear and valuable III this fe-to
pause and deliberate, that step be taken 1rhich
as to 6.ieg upon us irretrieuGbte dishoaor -----
= ask you ieiiow cltizens, alter the recent most
extraordinary and most appalling disclosures at the
city of Washing ton,-I ask you cmphaticaly can
you go to the polls and for the reelection of
| Andrew jackson IL ask, you do this, with
your eyes open, and your hearts sincerely DISPOSED
to consult the interests and honor of your country?
Will you let the spirit of party pride, whisper in
your ear that it is better that that country should
| be forever degraded, than you should renounce
! your confidence III one, who has betrayed it?
Is not on the contrary, noble and ma gnanimous
| to abandon error, when fully convinced of it? Do
you fear being branded deserters from YOUR pof
ical faith when, if you will examine that faith il
| y
wreck of its principles, and brought dscredit on its
cause. How lamentable would it be- indeed if
consistency required to peIsevere in the path of
erTor!-lf ii be not permitted us, upon conyicton
TO relnquish any evil habit, or change any errone
Gus opinion,we may have formed-wliy do we listen
to the persuasive exhorations which we daily hear
from the pulpit,-thc reasonngs and monstrations
delivered from the lecturers chair; or even adont
| those improvements in the useful arts which ex
perence is constantly suggesting7 1t is natural to
man to change his opinions, bit not always agreea-
bic to confess them; but let it be remembered that
that man rs neither brdue, honest, 1Dho from anu
cause conceats his sentiments ohen the good of his
country requires HIM TO them.
Have you read, then, people of Virginia the adj
| dress, TO the nation, of John Mcpherson Berrien
late Attorney General of the United States;-a
man, of whom it may Justly be said, that so high
was his reputation,-so unstaned and unstlspected
his honor,--so snge-minded and upright his integ-
| Tity,that, amidst the most violent conflicts of
party-not solitary being ever thought of either
imPeachng his motives, or censurng his conduct.
Apart from the corroborative proofs by which his
evidence is sustained, is it not sufficient of ITSELF
to fix the indelibe mark of disgrace upon the pre-
sent administr ton? When supported, as it is, by
the concurrent testimony of Branch and Ingham,
men, who were the early and constant file as OF
President Jackson, and who stood high in tboNcon-
fdence of their Party,-dOcs it not possess an over
whelmng force, which sophstry can elude nor
efFrontery, however reckless, deny. What, then,
do see, fellow-citiZens in the conduct of Chief
Magistrate chosen 10 preside over the dostinies of
dignity Of his station, and employing the power
and authority of that station to regulate the sacred
and delicate concerns Of pirate society. We find
him engaged in the resolute and tyrannical attempt
TO force into intimacy NTH UirtuoUs females 100
man of suspicious fame Be that unfortunate
! woman guilty innocent,--the offence OF
D Andrew Jackson in employing his political power
for so unworthy purpose, is still the same. The
influence and patronage of the Presidential Office
welded IN the true spirit Of dcspo, to accom-
plish private ends. To bow efore the footstool oil
power,-to break down the barriers between virtue
D and viCe,-to destroy the distinctions between f.
. male chastity and dishonor,--are the conditions
upon which it is proclaimed, that the officers of the
= National Cabinet shall fetain their employments
In vain is it admitted that those officers had executed
their public duties with scrupuous fidelity. They
required also TO open the doors Of the domestic
i sanctuary and bring forth their wives and daugh
tersas sacrifices the altar of pollution. Is this
monstrous conduct TO be bcsGe with by free peo-
Pel Is this degrading spectacle to be acted before
= the American public, and that public remain unmo
we'd! No, fellow citizens wiil not harbour the hu
initiating thought, that Virginians, atsieast, are
prepared 10 barter all that they hold dear and sacred
at the bidding Of a few knavcs and domsgoguc,
who undertake TO rule their destines and prescribe
: Their conduct. They Will boldly assert the priv
lege of thinking for thonscves;-thev will no long
or hearken to the Syren voice which has ured them
to the verge Of ruin; but they will manfully steI
forward, and ''puck up the drowning honor o
their country by the locks.v
2 But IS this attempt to regulate private society
the only Gsgracefu act Of which your Chief Magis
trate stands convicted Has he not authorised hi
official organ, to contradict that, which has been
plainly proved against him, that If written by SUI
I beam upon the Heavens,j it would not have beoI
I've t