Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-11-06
2ys q Constitutional 1IlBi9.
luR run VINO.


somewhat drscursivc fancy, have imagined tn
myself tho picture which future historians would
draw oi the times in which We live. Transport
ing myself in idea three or four centuries hence,
an! pntting myself in the place at one living ut
that day, nave underworld to look with his eyes
the scenes that axe now acting around me- In
uf thrs" day dreams, mcthousht read in the
pages Of sou,c Americas ilInc, Il passage oil near
" the following" import:
1--WE have already briefly noticed by what uni On
Of parties and cOucrrroncc oil circumstances, An.
drew Jackson was elected the 18th President of The
United States, aud that John Quincy Adams and
his able coaduioc, Henry Clay, were rendered OBJ
iscts of suspcin and contumolv with tine ignorant
and preludlced part of the uaion Cor other rca-
sou, as 1t now appears than that they had cndca-
vorcd to prevent, and had actually delayed, the
modification aud disgrace which the succeeding
Administration brought upon the country. 1t
will now ho duty to pourtray the principal acts
vi that Administration, well as the character of
him in whose name they were performed.
"Andrcw Jackson was born III "nc ofthc Carroll
mas, and being carried by his parents at an early
age 10 Tcnucsscc then wilderness, he was placed
N Sthca,ro exactly suited to his temper aud cha
ractGr. In frontier settlements of that day, cx-
posed they were to the incursionS OF hostile IN
dams, courage was dccmcd tho first of virtues, and
that lie possessed. THIS quality, and the native
energy "l ms character, made amends for the
"i education and intellectual power; and growing
with tho growing State, Inc gradually rose To the
highest nblIc stations. lie successfully n
Member Oft The Legislature, Judge, aud a Senator
IN Congress. Throughout his whole career, he
exhibited both the virtues and The vices Of a vchc
meat temper but both OF them served To recon-
mend him To popular favor in tho rude society by
which Inc was surrounded. He ardent in his
friendships X his cnmites but with this difference,
that he $sidom forgot friend, but he torgayc
AN enemy. lie habuaily IL cock fighter an
horse raccr-and il his conduct ut these times did
not always square with very scrupuous notions OF
honor his reckless, hradlong daring always re-
deemed, with the multitude, his want of good
faith. That popularity which had been confined
chiefly To Tennessee, had been diiiiIscd over the
whole nation by his success in defending New Or
lcnns, then small town, containing not more tina
21,0O0 to 10000 souls. This battle was magniiicd
by our simple ancestors into of the most extra
ordinary achievements of heroic valor and militia
ry skill ever Witnessed though the loss of the enc
my was not greater than was frequently expert
cnced by of our oraging parties in the late war
with Mexico and il dispia yed not as much know
ledge oftactics as any ordinary cadet in of our
Military Academies now possess. 1t is cvon said
that the chief merit of the defence was in placing
our men 10 fight behind cotton bags so little was
then known by our progcnitors Of the art of forti
cation. 1t is certain that this cxtocd the General
as one o the greatest captains o! the age and as
some OF the invading troops had fought in Spain
under the Duke OF Wellington, who subsequently
had the good luck To overcome Napoleon, Jackson
was said by his sycophauts to have conquered the
conqucrors of the conqucror OF Europe
''Somr time before his election as President he
procured friend 10 write for him a loitrr To Presi
dent Monroe, in which he strenuously urged
TO disregard all party distinctions i'll making his
n
ddate's qualifications for office. The liberal sen
timents continued in this letter. for which letter he
had entire credit, contributed TO reconcile MANY
rejecting men to the danger of clecting to the
Presidency one who was incapable Of being his own
minister.
whilst the canvas going on, there were
three grounds of complaint against MIR. 4 dams
which were more prominent than tho rest: These
were, that ne appointed Members of Congress to
lucrative offices, by which he had ondcayored to
corrupt the purity and independence OF co-ordi.
nate branch OF the Govcrnme.t-tlIat, by distri-
bu'lng the public printing exclusively among those
editors of the public journals who had supported
his Administration, nc had sought also 10 corrupt
the press, the bulwark of freedom in all popular
Govcrnments-and that he had sanctioned ana en-
c"uragcd public officers 10 use the power and means
placed III their hands for the public benefit to in
hucncc the elections dcIying public opinion, and
contcmning decent regard to consistency Yet
in the very first year after he was elected he an
pointed to offices of honor and omclumcnt, moro
Members OF Congress and more Editors of ncwspa-
peTs than Mr. Adams, or any others OF his prede-
cesSors had done during the whole of their Adj |
mmistration. Under the preteXt that public Of |
iccrs should not concern themselves in the elect !
ions, all who had voted for Mr.. Adams were un- |
tremendously removed. No length OF e xpericncc |
no degree OF skill probty or fidelity, held to
compensate this sngie offence OF pIefcrring another
to Gen. Jackson: and Uili Sos thus uncoingy wrcs-
cd from tho mcritorious, often bestowed on
the most worthless and proil;g gate of men. The
new officers, finding that what had been deemed
uupard"n bic sin i'll others was lc highest me-
rit IN themselves, began to engage in the elections
with a zeal, an activity and efficiency, which
had never before been witnessed a Member Of
thc Scncte openly avowed, that in tho struggles of
parties, public offices the Spoiis Of ricfOrY Af
ter which Infamous avowa, lac was culled in deri.
sion "Mercy," pronounced in those days Marcy)
and hence some derived the familiar phrase ''mercy
upon us" Even the Post Office, which circulates
the lifebood OF Intelligence every free and com
lncrciai community, amd which Political party.
would dare TO ta'npcr with in our day, it is said,
was prostutcd to Discriminate between the Adlni-
nis;ration aud its opponents
'in his first communication TO Congress, Gen.
jackson vas made to recommend for he had the
prudence never to write for himsclf) an amend
ment to the Constitution, hy which no President
shall serve more than single tcrm--tc elim-
hllity % tut officer BENZ rcpclc with danger and
mischief yet, the second year after his appoint
5ncmt his Prrtizaus began openly TO cloctIOnccr for
him.
''Such an utter disregard of consistcncy--so cla
ring contT dction between T., ofcssous and prac. !
tee, whilst IT greatly shocked the sober minded |
and vlruuus part OF the community, went far to |
among his partizruS, and less TO demoral- f!
i've The whole nation. Al thls period, when such
distant events too dimly for to trace all
tho Spfngs Of action, II sceinS rcasunnhe ,tri-
;c 'lis cause the various strange scots and per
ties aud doctrines that about this time semc
OF who" EuCou,h nalcS arc now unintcigble, as
those e., tic NullIiicrs-thc AnIB VI ID .nns the 4
Mormon 'cs, aud several others. A lcw If tl;s e.
nets Of these scots, viii scrvr us spccimcu OF
the rest. Ii was maintained by some Chat If an,
one OF the StItcs (therc about 25 at that pc
rOd,) considered any law to bC rcpuguant 10 the !
right to resist its execution until three ourths oC
The states had settled the question 5y an amend
mcn. Indeed, there was lately found in an old IL
brary III BOSTON, a paper defending aud explaining