Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-10-17
POLITICAL.
Ftom Tire Political Arens.
TO THE PEOPLE or VIRGINIA.


the following questions:
Uhethe: crery important measure ,chich you dis.
dPProrcd IN Mr. idGmS has not jeen pursued by Gen.
.JdckSpn?
gr0rGti"g circumstances If opposing the declarcd
popular sentiment, and If rioGting his solemn pLcd-
eeS 10 the nation?
Whether, in addition 10 these political tranSprcs
so"s he las nat long list that peculiarly his
Ia GnStrcr |Dr7
Whether any Chief Magistrate before him crcr
h"d an open rupture tojth the Vice President for a
cd"&? fhdt ,caS purely FcrSondP
whether any one cUcr before attempted 10 Eyrce
upon Society ,cho had been preuiomsly excluded
from IL, because The iad;uidUai so excluded ,cqs a
JricHd or fdrorite2
Whether entire cabinet crcr before changed
for so disreputGLie Il cause?
Whether far The sake of conccaiing the real cause
~ Such change, 80 silly cue, presented
10 the public as thut assigned by Gem JackSoa9
and Justly, rhetber for these and other similar in
duigenc'cS 81 pirate feeling, he has not dlready
done morc 10 offend yo"r honest pride, and degrade
tie "atiOnat character, than all your preceding Pre-
Sidcnfs pet together?
lffcllow citizens, (you answer these questions as
believe the greater part OF you Will in the air
native, you cannot again vote for Con. jackson
without descending from that elevated ground which
Virginia has justly prided herself occupying
OF acting upon principle-nor without being in
consistent as Gen. Jackson himself. But will
not hazard the injustice of making the supposion
Will not suppose that fine edge of national honor
which once distinguished you to be worn off, but
that you are the same highnndcd patriots you cv-
or were. Assuming then that you cannot vote for
Gen. Jackson for whom ought YOU to give your
sutiragcsi
The only individuals who are fairly before the
people or have any chance Of success are John C..
Calhoun, now Vice President of the United States,
Martin Van Buren,, late Secretary Of State and
now minister Plcnipotontiary to Great Britain and
Henry Clay, formerly Secretary of State, and now
a private citizen of Kentucky. There may be cit
liens whom very many Of you would prefer to eth
er of these gentlemen Nay without going out
OF your own State, there individuals whose
opinions are more in accQrdancc with your own or
who arc personally more 10 your taste But some
respect must be had to the wishes of our sister
States. Besides, if your choice TO range be
yond the names of those | have mentioned, and
was moreover TO be limited to Virginia. YOU would
find 1t impossible to unite i'll favor of any individu
al, and probably no one could he named to whom
the greater part OF you would not have some per-
sonal or party objection. You will, of course act
III this, i'll ordinary elections; co nsidcr what is
practicable and in bcsowing your votes select tho
candidate whom you like best Of those who have
any chance of being elected. take il for granted
indeed that Virgnan wishes the vote of his
state thrown away, and that he will bestow his suf-
irage either on Gen. Jackson, Nr. Calhoun Mr..
Nnn buren,, or Mr.. Clay. | have cndcavorcd to
Shew that he cannot vote for Gen. Jackson Twill
now submit my views of the relative merits of the
other three.
Of Mr. Calhoun's talents it is unnecessary to
speak No one can bo acquainted with that zen
tlcman without being strongly impressed with the
high order of his intellect. Quick pcpetratipg
and sagacIous, he sees at glance the origin and
tendency of the most complicated political move
mcnts, provided, however, that he do not look at
thom with too much interest, for like very ortli-
nary men, his passions blind his Judgment Ambi
ton has placed prism before his ewes throuuh
which every object is colorcd and distorted But
Tor TINS he never would in his eagcrness TO bind
together the southern States by one common prin
Inc to 81
present extreme. lie would even have thrown his
wcgat INTO the opposite scale. and for himself
the same sort OF popularity that now rewards Col.
| Drayton's dslntcrcstcd integrity.
| Perhaps It was part of Mr.. Calhoun's original
plan to conJure up the spirit of notification that he
Inght have the credit of laying it, and even now,
as soon as he finds that all those who dearly love
| the Union and think It's dissolution practicabic-al
who are at once tmid and loyal-arc seriously
alarmed, he may intend to come forward to rescue
the nation from the pitfall into which the tariff has
betrayed them, by the same lincsso as the Eastern
people are said to tame Elephants, and TO find the
reward OF his services to the Union in the Office of
! President. If such the game he meant to
\ play, he has delayed the critical move too lonp
I TO make it now, might cndanger the loss of the
| friends he has, without rceaiuiDo thcso he Los
| lost.
lie never can succeed in pcrsuaCinu the people
or The United states that he is not responsible for
| much OF the doctrine of notification and disunion
Wicn now stands forth, IN proud defiance, in South
|
adhcTcnts. 1t is they WHO bring il forward on all
| occasions and will not suffer mems minds to cool
| upon the subject. Besides, who does not see that
South Carolina has greater interest in the Tariff
IMAM the States Immediately north, south and west
OF her, except the single one of having one of her
citizens candidate for the Prcsidencv and that ali
IN which she exceeds those other states in tnc vlo-
cnco OF her opposition to the general government
is attributable TO nothing else? The higher then
the opinion that the people may have of Mr. Cal
nouns talents, the less will they be disposed to
forgive INN for so abusing them.
The political opinions which divide our citizens
ana winch arc deemed by Virginia of The first i'm
portance in President, next to the new tangled
doctrine of nufcation,) are those concerning the
tariff and the power of tho general government to
make roads and canals.
OF Mr.. Calhoun's precise opinion either of the
consttutlonality policy Of protecting duties the
public have no certain information. 1t is however
TO be presumed that he in common with large ma
Jority not only of his own state but of all tbc
southern states is opposed to the existing tar If ne
injurious and unjust to those States and so far his
oslnions may recommend him to the majority in
virginia. But indeed Virginia has scarcely more
70 expect from him in regard to the tariff than she
had from Gen. Jackson. They on the one h1nd
both arc from anti-tarIT states and, on the other
thHy must both owe their elections in part TO tariff
states; and Mr. Calhoun, more than General
Jackson, VIII be able to control decisive uaioriiv
IN congress, acting IN pursuance Of the wishes and
interests OF their constituents, if they should be so
inclined Nor is it probable that he more than
Gen. Jackson, would really have the inclination
~ the interests Of New York and PcnnsvIyari,
were to come in conflict with those of the South,
crn states, MS they certainly would a tariff qucs