Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-15
POLITICAL.
From the United States Gazette.
TO THE PUBLIC.
LETTER III.

LETTER III.
i, .ne e,gerness OF a common pursuit to attain
aaring object the passions are too ap, to over
| cloud tho judgment, and shut ont ali ncrc.rt;
but those which favor the qualification nf tLa on,
Prcuominate desire. Such is now the case wifi
zen. jackson, and those who urge him TO a re .clec
| tion, who. excite him to rush towards n precipc,
| that Is to plunge him into gulph whence his fam,
ana ms glory never can emerge He imayino
every man his enemy, who opposes his fatal raree
| towards this devouring whirlpool; and comuor
interest In his followers creates the same deusion
or leads them to denounce nll who would s,vo hi.
honor as his foes-and paint themselves who womb
immediate him to their selfishness as his friends
Can this be so? Fatal inva sion of truth and friend
snip! No-so far from being an enemy to Con.
jackson, am his best friend-I wouId snatch him,
rom ruin-savc his gray hairs from indignity-his
honor from blemish-his fame from biipht-bis
name and his glory from degradation Blu; TO do
this must oppose his election and his bands of
pensioners and expectants cry aloud in the agony
OF iear, lest they should lose office, or miss s
attainment. 80
Under the circumstances detailed in nv first Let
ter responding, dispirted, and with no defined or
distinct object, an unayaing rcmonstr,nc.
against the proposed corruption ofhis party took
my departure for Wasliin gton having previously,
vented some eHpestuatons through the columns
OF the Mercury, which then edited, against the
rising abuses of the new administrator r b,d
seen Cen Jackson at New Orleans, but had never
come IN personal contact with him. From n cor
resPondence of six years, however his cordiality
Ills Kindness, warmly expressed-and his concern
manifested Tor the welfare of my family-I cher
lshed no distrust of Il fcrvent welcome personally
however might be repuised az politician bear
ing mission OF purity TO man in power, flushed
with recent triumph, and confident against tho
world III The strength of his popularity. History
mad admonlshed me on all the points on which /
might expect notifying repulse or a supcrcilious
ueieat, when proposing compliance with his pro-
LESSONS to the ''people." English and French
politics, not to go back TO Greece and Rome were
full OF examples, Ill which the competitor for a
crown, when victorious had turned his back on
those who had helped him to it, to court new
friends, and aspire to nobler alliances 1t was the
common and besettng sin of all corrupt courts and
khgy governments 1t had plunged Rome in
bloody feuds-had desolated England with civil
brolls-and disrupted England and France with
conflicting factions:-the want of faith to friends
and the practice of corruption to win over enc
mics Besides, a new creed was growing fashion
able among our American politicans--a creed that
held that 1T lustable in s'the higher order of
politicians" to deceive the people by professions
which they never intended to fulfil, and Which they
were not bound to redeem: that such deception
was necessary to government-and that the initia-
ted ought to connive in the fraud, as a sacred mys
terry common to all asprants to power Such facts
and reflections were not calculated to inspire
hopo OF success, in the romantic at
tempt to beseech newly elected president to re-
main true to his principles, and faithful to his
friends-Yet the fact. of his former character in
times past, was not without it's influence in produ
cling an impression that he might yet be reclaimed
from the College of Machiavillians that surround
ed him. 1t due to his services to his country
not to distrust him runor, TO discard him
without effort to bring him back 10 his princi.
pies. L could not harbour the suspicion that An:
drew Jackson, the Farmer of Tennessee-the plain
blunt, honest republican,, intended to act on the
principles of the Italian juggler, adopt the maxims
of the royal house of Stuart, that he must SPUR
chase his enemies"and neglect his friends because
assured that nothing could shake their fidelity
nj nnt to he
pccted from the unsophisticctod yeoman, An
drew Jackson, whilst his. honors were vet green
his heart untainted, and his head unbewildered by
the sophistres oil the court, ostling for place. in.
triguing for power and fighting for the succession
Being well acquainted, by this time, with the in
trigues and Vaccinations of Major Eaton; deter
mined TO announce myself to the President directly,
without the formality of his introduction and &C.
cordingly, in one hour after my arrival, found
myself in his presence. His appearance was bag
gard and grief worn-he evidently broken
down by age, disease, and sorrow for the loss of
his wife. 1t is not necessary to describe Gen. Jack
son, In his manners so courteous and winning; but
displaying traits on his visagc, that indicate in
tellectual superiority, habits of thought and stu
dy. The general expression of his hoad is exclu-
sively anmal-but the strong traces of torrid pass-
ons, would lead you to associate the ideas of their
natural concomitant-a powerful mind-but undis-
ciPlined, and void of cultivation He almost in
stantly left me, with apology, that he enga-
ged with old lady, a friend of his and handed
me over 10 MAJOR Lewis, VINO ut that moment en-
tered the room! / commenced conversation with
that gentleman, by asking if the touching
the new cabinet were correct He replied not al
together, but chiefly Texpresscd my astonsl,-
ment that Members Of Congress should be appoint
ed He replied, tho General could not entirely A..
void it. put the question, whether Mr.. Ingham
had really been appontod2 His answer was affir-
native; and he added, the general intended to APP.
point MIR. Baldwin, and had invited him at Pitts
burg, to come TO Washington for that purpose-but
during their journey from that city TO the capitol
he, Major Lewis, had made particular inquiries on
the road, and had ascertained that Mr. Ingham was
the most popular man!M ] expressed a doub. OF the
fact! Major Lewis continued, that the President
would be compelled to consult the popular voice
and that 16 members of the Pennsylvania deIega.
ton had waited upon him to express their prefer
encc for Mr.. Ingham-and he compelled TO ap-
point him. Again i expressed establishment, that
tho members of congress should appoint his cabi-
net from their own body. To this he answered that
the President must consult the wishes of the peo-
plo, and he had other criterion, or expression
of their desires, but through their representatives.
but he added that General Jackson had not vet de-
cidod upon his cabinet and would chcerfully listen
! TO the advice and opinion of his friends Surprise
almost deprived me of the power Of thought, the
faculty of utorance; but after declaring him the
astonishment, and the shock that would be expert
enced by his early friends in Pennsylvania, asked
whether Cen jackson intended to he a candidate
for re-cection7 JIo answered. ycs-thot his friends
intended to rur him second timc-and if hi,
! health permitted, he thought he would again be
candidate. The conversation was here interrupted
/ by the entrance Of Major Donelson--to whom
/ was presentcd-and after few common place re-
| marks, ] took leave-having been invited by the
| General 10 join him at tea, at T.