The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-09-05
From The National IRtelkgeAcer.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.-No.

I
may be at least able TO conjecture ~ReFs "e
noic are"
We resume the survey Of the course ., pun
hc affairs for the last three years, 10 oFuet u
ascertain in what latitude we are, anu nv" W. we
got thore, before we take new oepai'uio,
see the rocks ahead, and the shoals arounu US
requires but single glance. II IS only oy
calm and deliheraie review of The past, and
thence reasoning to The future, that We can ar
rive al a knowledge of the errors we have COM
mitted, and of the path which duty now points
out to u.s.
In our former observations on this subject 1t
has been shown that this Administration set
out IN error, by acting upon system OF he-
wards and Punishmens for opinion S sake, upon
which many changes in othcc were made moi
required upon any other principle than that OF
prescription on the one hand, and favoriiism
the other We have further seen. tina, the
President. in order to carry out this system,
got rid of the Senate, then in session, by IN
forming them he had no more business to lay
before them and took the whole power Of APP
pointnent into his own hands. We ought TO
nave added, in iilusirancn of this ST statement,
the facts, that the Senate we're adlnuruea, taf'
ter being in session for twelve days. on the
l7ih March; and that, the Goth of the same
MONTH only three days after the President had
told them that he had no more business TO fay
before them, the following (among other) ap'
p0latnents, we're announced, VIZ
Isaac Hin TO be Second Comptroller,
Amos Kendall to be Fourth Auditor
Ii has been stated as fact, also, and not de-
MED as far as we know, that, as early as the
second Of March, one of the individuals above
named wrote to his friend at home letter, Tor
publication, stating that he had been offered
and accepted this very Office. The Senate did
not adjourn till fifteen days after the date OF
that letter of his, and then the President told
them that he had no business to lay before
them! There can hardly be doubt that Mr..
Hill and Mr., Kendall both mad their letters OF
appointment in possession before the Senate
adjourned. In the determination to concen-
trate, as far possible, all the powers OF the
Government in his own hands, as well as that
ot considering his election a victory, giving
hiun the lights of Conqueror over his adver-
aaries, the President appears to have been in
duood to take his ground very early. To do HIM
justice, the first of these rules is one which,
whatever may be said Of his INDIGESTION on other
points, he has been consistent in practising up
ON throughout.
The next striking feature of this Admins
tFation IS the new character given 10 our dlpio
macy by the instructions given 10 Mr. hlcisane
our Minister 10 Great Britain, by The Secreta-
ry of State, Up to that time this country had
ever maintained, in its foreign intercourse,
character of dignity and propriety, united to
great ability, which commanded admiration
al home, and ensured respect abroad That
character was new 10 be jeoparded, as The great
domestic. interests Of the country have since
been, for the sake of Z" the party
For these instructions, Mr.. Van Buren,, then
Secretary of State, has heretofore been held
responsible. On that ground his nomination to
London to succeed Mr. McI.ane, was, in jana
AIRY last, rejected by the Senate. Since that
event, however, the President Of the United
States has taken occasion, under his own hand,
to assume for himself the entire and exclusive
responsibility for those parts of the instruc-
tons TO which exception has been taken, and
innst, therefore, whatever may have been
thought of them before, be now taken 10 be
their author.
In wing such instructions, we find Genei al
Jackson again acting as one who had, by con
quest, acquired the RICH: to use his own plea
in regard to our foreign relations, as he
had already done unreservedly in regard to the
public offices and emolumehts, which he por
toned out so freely Among his followers. Ht
undertook to consider all the preceding actor
OF the Government as that OF a prostrated ad
yersary, which he had right to disaooio al
well as reverse, 1t is recorded by Hume, o
The first Of the English Stuartss that on his sd
yanceInent from the throne of Scotland to tina
OF England whilst war existed between SpaiI
and England, he showed great Impotence Il
put an end to hostihties; and, soon after hi
accession, before any terms of peace were con
certed, or euen proposed, by Spain. he recalled
GH the letters Of nargue lchich had been grant
ed by has predecessor " But what is remarka
@Ie, says the historian, a. in Jasness proclama
ton for that purpose, he plainly supposes, that
as he had himself always lived in amily with
Spain. peace was attached to his person, and
shat merely by has accession to the crown OIL
England, he had ended 1he between the
two kingdoms" In the same spirit. and III
like erroneous conception Of his rights and
his duty. the President undertook, sans cere.
ml0nte to nulihy the acts of his predecessors
disclaiming them all, at one sweep. as unwar-
rantahie pretensions. Having done this, he
directed Mr. McLans TO place his solicitations
for some arrangement with Great Britain, fa.
vorable TO the views efthe incumbent, on the
ground OF the part taken in respect 10 the same
matter "by those TO whom the administration
OF this government is now committed, that
IS, by himself and his party ITO set no the
acts of the late Administration" saws he " as
the cause OF forfeiture Of privileges which
would otherwise be extended 10 the People Of
The United States, would, under existing cir.
cumstances, be unjust" &c. " You cannot
press this view Of the subject too eaInestiv IN.
on the consideration Of the British Ministry ::
IL has bearings and relations that reach bevond
the immediate question snaer discussion .
What those bearings and relations" were, the
Instructions do not disclose. We have some
recollection of rumor, which arose about the
time those instructions were on the anvil. tina,
Mr. McLane was to be instructed to offer
surrender of portion or our discriminating and
protecting duties for certain other acts of con-
deseenson to be asked from Great Britain. If
any such Instructions were given, and are al
tuded to IN the mysterious sentence we have
last above quoted from the instructions thew
Info frrif Ia - 4,
the rejection of the nomination Of Mr. Van
Buren,, as Minister to Great Britain, has, like
an untimely frost, nippod them in the bud; or
that, yet yelled from the public, they are al
nurse under the care Of the gentleman who has
succeeded the FIX. Minister as our Representa-
two to the Court Of ST. James. Be thai bovy
~ may we believe that the spirit of the instr,Ic
lions to which We refer has been uneouiyocaIIv
condemned by public sentiment in this con, ntry
On the fioor Of the Senate, thew were indi,.
hAntly denounced as staininy The I,Tther,o n,s,si
noa uIpomauc Character Of the nation; as un.
ns,edessarhy and wantony humiiiating its lofiy
P.ae ' as violating the national honor as ~,
, ,pas The American people in the person ~
I"er government as attempting In nron,a, "
DgJo'etgn oid the objects of a DarI,, p pn,"
=. unu as disclosing a total ignorsnca ~ ~
paoPef principles aud feelings which sa ne
49,, ,he dlplomaiist. Nor were ,h.so s"ouau
Sona, uenlee, with any earnestness. by ,t,nss
eTcon,;H VINO n supported the nominpiios TI
p'lonahle character of tbo,o go. ne
eo unused expressly admitted hv oa."ctlons'
ochutofs who voted IL 80 y ooHe OF TIE