Litchfield enquirer., 1832-01-05

HepubiicaR COHUentsen so t"s Y eSf'N
 CM"~prr~ident Ct,sg ever entered on the duties .r nj. office under circumstances more tavOr- "rI., to a successful discharge'Of them than she nresent incumbent. The country. thanks so ProVidence and to the ability and good fortune with which the public ahaiFs had boau carried on by preceding administrations wns in a high state of prosperity, Al the public establishments, and all the great bran ches of private industry were m the mOss flourishing condition. Agricnlture was rap. idlv extending itself in all directions, ana an.S.;cuIarlv through the wide and fertile re- v;ons of inc Wust--lnanufactuTes were ad- vancinr with unprecedented rapidity--c0m.
 meree. internal and Eareign, was animated with corresponding vigor--our relations with foreign powers were Ot the. most amlea- bic character-at bOnne, tranquility and gen aral cOntentment peryadeds every corner oI the Union-the parties that formerly dlVloeo the citizens and distracted the country, nad in n great measure become. extinct under the ~nerstion of time--the growing prosperity of the nation, and the judiciOus and liberal conduct Of the Government. In the pride and rleasurs which we all felt in claiming the character of citizens efthe United States. we were ready to forget that our latnershad heen chased as Republicans and Federalists. The name of American had, by sort of common consent, taken the place Of all Oth- er nelitical distinctions. American principles had heoome the common creed of the high minded and patriotic adherents of all the for uner parties. In word, the best friends of the country had little more to wish or nope, ia regard to our political situation than that we might proceed in the course which we
 were then pursuing. aud remain. m every thing belonging to character and principles ot Government, substantially as we were.
 This state of things afforded, of course, tho best evidence that could possibly be had ;n favor of the administration under which it had grown up. Much of it could be traced directly to ths character and opinions of the leading members of that administration. It was. however, under these circumstances, that vigorous, and, as been shown by the issue. successful effort was made to effect a change and to place in the Chair of the Chief Magisiracy the present incumbent. Of the eugaparativs qualifications of the President and his predecessor, for the high station which they have successivsly flied. we will not here speak. We cheerfully resign task so ungrateful in one of its divisions. to the impartial and unshrinking hand of History.-- Nor will we here enlarge on tho meaus by which the change in question was accom- plished--the reckless and persevering ca!- umny, which was constantly poured forth from hundreds of presses. on the best and purcst men in the nation,--the false preten- sions to exclusive republicanisln-the fac- tious elamor which was kept up in Congress -the artfuI combination of conflicting per- sonal and party interests for common Ob- feet, and the various other unworthy arts, that were brought into action on this Occa- sion. Suffice it to remark, that the change was effected-in form at least-in legal and constitutional way !; and, however justly Of- Hensiye the circUmsiances that brought ite about, might and must have been to the friends of the last administration, however deficient the present incumbent might have been supposed to he in the qualities most re- quiste for the station to which he had been raised, it is believed that when he entered on his office, there was no disposition in any portion of the people to commence prema- inrs or !aetious opposition to his n,easurss.-- It was alarming enough to prudent and well sseaning men that the government of the country had fallen into such hands, and far from attempting tO perplex or embarrass the adminisfrati0n, they would rather have lent all the aid in their power to carry the coun- try safely through SO dangerous a crisis. On the other hand. the military successes of the President had gained him an extensive per- sonal popularity, which would have enabled him, had he known how to turn it to account, l to carry on the government with extraOrdi i bary facility. Under this combination of cir l cumstanees, it is believed, that had the public affairs been nnanaged with tOlerable pruslence and discretion. General Jackson might have gone through his term of official life without a show of opposition, and have been -elpc- ted, had he been so inconsistent as to desire it, by a very unanimous vote.
 Nor were the friends of the country with out strong hopes that such result would fol- low. Deficient As the President was known to be in the qualities aud accomplishments most essential to a civil magistrate, it was yet anticipated that ho might be found to possess the courtesy, the generous feelings, tho high sense of decorun and propriety which form the appropriate ornaments of the military character, and would have secured him from any open offence against the digni- ty Of bis office. Alter the letter to the ven- sFable patriot Monroe, in which he had 90 emphaticayly recommended the oblivion of the old party distineti0ns, 1t was confidently expected that nothing would be done by
 himself that should tend to revive them. He had given, on several public occasions, opin- OnS on points of administration, which however Ut the time incorrectly applied. would have served exceIlcntly well as guides for his own conduct in office; and it was perhaps not unreasonable to hope that his actions would correspond, in some iuspe erfect degree at least, with his previous professions. Had this been the case, his administration