Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-08-13
Richmond, Tuesday, August 13
7'HE J,LuES-No II ~

D. Lsa W T. Booker they
there is least DANGER Toast BY A. Bos -' "''o
We have brought the course of this paper down
to the present administration. We are much mista-
Ken, II we have not shown that State Rights have
been frequently i'm great danger to that periodand
that where the battle has been the tbickest we have
borne our share in the pers of the day. Better SOL
ders have gone forth to defend the rights of the
Staes-but, we will venture 10 say, none more zen
lous or more honest i'm the cause,
What has been our course, i'm regard 10 the elec
ton and the administration of Andrew Jackson2
The great principle of State Rights was still our
leading star. why did we take him up at all? Why
did we expose ourselves to the imputatons we in
curred-the rdcule we have experienced from
supporting man the President of the IT, States
whose election we had at time deprecated as
curse TO the country The desire to bring back
the country from the misrule of the Federal party
to the Republican tack" of Mr. Jeffersons adminis-
ton, was still the leading consideration with us Il
was evident that Mr.. Adams would not do. His
nrs. message TO congress had exposed the clovcn
foot too distinctly to be by any sort of dis
guse. Never was any Document SO ultra federal in
its principles or propositions 1t went the whole
doctrine OF the general welfare 1t transcribed
even Monroe's Memoir, and Calhoun's principle of
approprating money actually in the Treasury, to
the same underlined and unspecied object II was
impossible for any State Rights man to support such
politlcian-and the moment we saw it, mind
was made up to take up any other man who could
be elected, before Mr.. Adams.
How were we situated ? The Public voice
again brought forth Andrew Jackson as his compe-
tor ana we had to choose.between them. We were
aware OF all the difficulties which were spread be-
fore us. We had censured Gen. Jackson's course
during the Seminole Campaign. We then thought
! and we still think, that he ought to have thrown
hifnseif upon Court OF Enquiry-and that ge-
nerous country would have forgiven, if they could
not have justified, his measures i'm Florida We
disputed also his qualifications for the office We
were afraid of his military habits; and strongly
mistrusted his ineXperence i'm civil concerns These
w ch xyo r.oI, l.
TO the first Presidential contest i'm which he was
brought forward, when supported W. H. Craw-
ford for his State Rights opinions, and we opposed
both Adams and Calhoun for their Federal doc
trines, and Jackson for his measures in Florida and
his want of civic qualifications
But, from the time that Mr.. Adams was elected bv
the management of the H. of Representatives In form
OF election which we shall always atempt to nrc
vent,) Gen. Jackson rose upon our good onn;on
and Mr. Adams fell in esteem. The magnani-
nous bearing of Jackson towards Mr. Adams him
self his frank and honorable reimbursement with Mr.
Crawford; his manly and eloquent letter TO Col
Swartwout; the forbearance and dignity with which
! he bore his disappointment the various anecdotes
which we heard of his courtesy, his temper. his
generosity, his patriotism, and his good sense con-
trIbuted not little to conciliate orr esteem and
soften the objections had entertained towards his
character-We lay our sentiments freely before orr
readers we have put ourselves voluntarily upon
tne coniesslona and we have but ourselves to
blame for the criticisms we have to encounter Bur
OF one thing we shall be assured ; that though the
reader may find fault with our want of discretion he
shall not complain of any want of candour
Such was the state of our feelings when Mr.
Adamss Message burst upon us. The die was cast
We determined TO resist the reelection of any s,,cb
poitician-and we had to choose between him and
his single competitor. Adams OF Jackson WINS the
question. Inc reader may ask, what reasons had
we 10 suppose the latter more State Rights
man, than the former? We answer that when Gen
jackson was in Congress, during Washingtons adj
ninstratlon, he stood in the same ranks with Nicho-
las ana uiies. In the days of the first Adams, he
was warmly with the Republican Party-opposine
the Alien and Sedtion laws upon constitutional
grounds. His queries Mr.. Dickinson showed him
sui attached to the same principles And this new
,act was early IN 1916 brought accidentally to our
knowledge; viz. The day after Mr.. Adamss Mesa re
mad arrived in Richmond, we had come out i'm the
strongest manner against its an-States Right prin-
cPles. This No. of the Enquirer was enclosed by
neInper OF congress, from Tennessee, who was
writing to Gen. Jackson some private business.
Inc General repied-and after noticing the bust
Hess part OF Zen IS letter, referred to the news
paper he had received, and expressed in the strong
est manner his concurrence with the views which Il
had taken of the Message This letter was acct
dehtaily shown 10 member of Conpress-apd wa
were some weeks afterwards appraised of its contents
WIN the nope, therefore, of oustng man who
was 50 utterly opposed to the Rights of the States
by supporting tile only man, who was nominated
against hini-the only man, who seemed to have the
siShtesl chance of turning him out-and a man.
VINO was attached TO the Rights of the States we
| ""cu W support "A. Jackson and risk
the ridicule and the tauns of our opponents They
have brought up the "Cuse against u.s. AS if il were
tnat OF hehama. They have charged us with the
West terglVersaton and the grossest inconsstencv
but II 1t be nconsistencyt should in Justice be re-
presented as change about persons, and not about
Pr1nc,pteS.-Such our course i'm the election of
Zen. Jackson; and with the single remark that we
gave to, or received no pledge from mortal man
mat we have asked or accepted no favor from him,
and that we shall ask and receive none-we pro-
ceed 10 sketch the course we have pursued during
his administration.
Inc first question Of great interest to the cause of
1tate Rights, which came up, the MaysvilIe bill
IL was one which touched the power of Internal
Improvement We saw at once, that if such bill
as hdt could pass, the whole power was gone Anv
! Improvement might be adopted The most mil
mited appropriations might be made We 6n The
grea danger on which we stood-and we did not
hesitate one moment to express opinion, on the
hTSt suggestion of the measure. We were not aware
OF the views, which were taken at Washington We
mad not the slightest intimaton of the Presidents
WISHES. But we took the broad ground at once that
the power III question gross usurpation on the
CONSTITUTION. We do not at this time recollect n
sngic paper, at this moment, which adopted the
same course. Either they had not turned their at
tenon towards the subject or they did not take the
same views of it. Let us not he charged with the
vanity OF surprising, that opinions affected the
result IL is amply sufficient for us that we dis
charged our duty TO the best Of our abilt1es-,Tbe
Constitution triumphed the bill was rejected and
blo 4.