Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-08-09
For the Constitutional Hhig.
TO ANDREW JACKSON, PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES


more properly belong to history than to the
transactions OF the day. They serve, howe.
yer, 10 illustrate your character, which is ner
generally understood by the intelligent and
rejecting, and in time, the knowledge Of II
will reach the humblest intellect. Arbitrary.
uDgovernabie temper, consummate deceif
and hypocricy, low cunning, ignorant, illlbe-
raj prejudice, insafiate revenge, and pn
bounded lust of power, are prominent points
of a character sustained alone at present. bv
vulgar popularity. Bat reputation with no
other support must soon pass away. Unless
it be based on the approval of the virtue and
good sense of the country, its existence will
be but days date; future times viii deter
mine its true value, and that value, will be
weighed 10 other scales than those of your
.ephemeral popularity, The despicable an.
peals in your recent VETO MESSAGE, sufficient.
~ shew arhere you, and your wire workers.
expect TO find approval Most sincerely did
wish, that you could obtain the applause
OF that portion OF your countrymen, whose
good opinion is inttnsically valuable; but the
written testimony Of your good or evil deeds.
viii remain; and II is these which must stamp
your name with infamy or renown.
Your popularity is no mystery to one who
looks into the history of other nations. and
reflects upon human nature Military repu
taion under all forms of government, aud a.
mong all people. has possessed decided ad-
vantages over every other. There are two
reasons for this, the first is, that il is more
easily understood, and the full value not on
ly more easily assigned, but in addition. the
people are prone TO add 60 il by extrayagant
exaggerdtion. The simple untaught man.
who cannot comprehend the excellence and
the me'if oil statesman, or a PHILOSOPHER,
like Bacon, or Chatham, because that excel.
lence arises from moral attributes, and there.
fore not an object Of sight or Of hearing, can
readily place before his imagination the Incl
dents OF battles, and destruction: while those
engaged in them, become demigods in his
esteem, when in truth, they may have been
nothing more than ignorant rutfians. That
man can readily comprehend the services of
the brave officer, who has been placed at the
head OF body of troops, who has exposed
his person in battle, and has. by good for
tune, and conduct, obtained victory; but
he cannot see, or understand, the intellectu
al spring which has set the army in motion.
and directed when, where, and for what end.
1T has been ordered into the field: the motion
OF the arm Is seen, but the volition, which
nerves and directs that arm, is invisible. -
When compared TO this unseen moral inn
pulse, the mere soldier is of no more impor-
lance. than his own sword or musket com
pared to himself The child looks upon the
drummer, as the greatest man Of the army,
because be makes The most noise.
The secoud reason for this popular devo-
ton 10 military is, the greater notoriety which
it obtains. Hundreds may have heard Of the
achievements of francisco, to whom the
name of Patrick Henry is scarcely known,
and his transcendant merit still less under
stood. There is no spot so out OF the way,
so unifequented, TO which the fame of the
warrior will not penetrate. 1t will be the sub
jeci of the fire side tale, or the idle decia-
nation OF the noisy politician; it will be the
subject OF familiar conversation among those
who have scarcely heard Of the most eniigh-
tened and patriotic names of the country,
and whose moral Influence may have fixed its
fate and character. This is melancholy
source OF reflection to the patriot and phlo-
sophie statesman 1t was not without reason
that our statesmen were so apprehensive o..
the danger to our free Institutions from mill
tary men, and no one more eloquently, and
more propheticalIy declared its dangers than
Patrick Henry. When once the popular
mind is seized with extravagant admiration
uf Tue iuHtdfy SpiCuNOi Vi any onc, ~ 10
longer reasons, it binds itself to him with
the force oil religious faith; nothing can be
wrong which be does. while on other sub
jects, the ignorant are content to look TO those
of their fellow citizens who are better inform
ed, or have better opportunities relation
| to the military favorite, they consider them
selves as competent TO decide as any one else;
they beliepe in him, and therefore yield the
most implicit appreciation to every thing that
he does. Statesmen may warn them 10 vain
against those measures, whose tendency is TO
bring ruin and slavery upon them; their be
lief is fixed on the idol, and in matters Of faid.
reason is superseded. Ii is impossible for
you to do any act which will be disapproved
by those supporters; they will disbelieve, OF
! if they believe, they will say, that you bad
good reasons for your acts. II you should
declare that member OF the Senate who
dared TO vote against nomination made by
YOU, should be ban,shed from the Republic
that any Representative who voted or spoke
against fayorite measure, or iavorite III
IIiyidaal, should be beaten with hickory
Icudgel; or, II you should denounce the high
est Judicial Tribunal for having made decI
sion disagreeable TO you; in any Of these ca
.es, and in every other OF those examples
drnished by your administration, SO full Q
mischief, of error, and usurpation-your &C
would he applauded by those who place the1