Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-08-16
THE F.9I7,HFIJL CENyyN.Ey


us we had hitherto deemed ofits actous spirit its
uns!eadiness and tergversaons, its desttution of
All hxed principle ofaction its audacty of asser ons
It's reckless abuse, and its utter want of all the de-
cehcies ana dgntes of the Press, yet it's late con-
fesson must sink still lower i'm the esteem of all
honorable men. The Editor now comes forward to
say unblushngly:
"IVe nerer abused the Hero, or anu of,e, mn, f,
standing by State Rights. We have ever from, call
youth. been their advocate although we are scnsh,
enough OF the fact. and candid enough confess bat
a"hceu Ny party engagements; ha' ainp i'm
he common SIN OF the time, in looking moro than
70 "octne we did not from 1924 to 1888. prove our oya-
" 10 the cause we loved Is should have done Our
essness or apos'acy III the word suits Mr.. r. bette)
during That interval shall to 10 our con-
.e,ehess ana TO truth, by future fidelity. Having en-.
oraced the cause oil Mr. Adams at an early a,e we wcre
lea by tue natural tendency OF party spirit into many
'hings which were aerw ards rcgre,ted.'
E'en we had never considered the Wing to be
such an unpl7nc,pted politician. We had supposed
IT possible that its Editor had changed his prnci-
pies, rather than he had prostitutcd them to parv
We considered him rather as an Apostate. than nm
Impostor But now it appears by his own confess
SION, that he has sacrificed his conscience" 10 Wcn
And this is the immaculate Editor who has been in
.ne habit OF abusing others for mar-corship-and of
s!lg'nasing them "CoLar-men" Heaven save
me cause, which has such champion to protect III
kes for its priesis?"
ror nine years, it appears, he has abandoned his
loyalty to the cause Of State Rights, of which he
nua oeeh me advocate from early youth-and he
|
most uhrelenting enemies. "The still small voice
Oh conscience" never reused him to make any
oeihent lie saw the cause asaied; all the Officers
ms frst love ruthlessly attacked-but he stretch
Oh o' , not nm arm to shield them from violation.
Oh no: ne was then "trammeed by party engage
ments, and was blocking to men more than 70 doc
trines" Why did he not attempt to awake "tbe sheen
ing numbers" when he saw Mr.. Adans's high
'oheu message! Oh, no! the Centinel bimseIf
was asleep. lie looking 10 men more Man n
oocrmeS. When Mr.. Adams made his onset up
on the sovereignty OF Georgia where was The
i ia,thiui Centinel of Stae Rights? Still asleep
..ITo@'ng 10 men more than TO doctrines" When Mr.
Adams expressed himsefin such strong terms in q,
Vor oil the Tariff where then the yigant Cen,inel
upon the watch-towcr? Was he aslecp? Or are we
now 10 believe his professionalism he has been sim
cere IN his support of the American System,
lie was opposed to the election of A. Jackson
wen, give INN all due credit for the honesty of his
opposuon-yet, when he found that this man was
attempting to rally all the friends of State Rights in
,her oeience-when he arrested the siaysville Bill
by ms veto, why did the early advocate of Stale
Rights cheer and bark him on Was he s,;II
foo%,ng 10 men more than 10 doctrines ?" When he
saw MN striking down the Bank of the IT, States
~. very engine whch had made the very first breach
IN the Citadel of the Constitution where ,v,s ,he
the early advocate of State Rights? Asleen or yos
ne sincere IN the attachment which he professes for
that Institution f''''''es ioi
we VIII not put ourselves to the trouble of scan
hihg the numerous tergiversatiops of the Viii
even it we had all the materials beCnre ne p'e
nave never conned over the pages Of the Wbig
we have never read it with " the puncu,olitv and
aevoiIoh" OF which he speaks. The very first No
which he issued in this city, was so nucb IN nh'
ter with the Lynchburg Virginan. in which no had
ABUSED us, and so little in consistency with the nros
pectus to the Wing in which he had complimen,ed
US Ihht we came 10 the resolution of never cancinr
over ITS columns. We have adhered 10 tbat dn,ore
.li'nouoh ever SINCE Now and then we see an ex
tract copied into the Telegraph and other conoer;aI
o''oeS. Trend shows us scrap i'm the course of
wv VI '''iee months, and we sometimes hear re-
mark made upon its contents. Otherwise ,yo Sbo,,I1
=, DO 'P"orah OF IT'S contents, ms if we lived on npo
'her planet. But, little us we have sren ,vo hoc
seeh enough 10 satisfy us about its character The
avowal which 1t has now made gives ms even ,
iSe opinion OF 1t, than we ever entertained before
according TO ITS own showing, who can now confdc
I'D lis discretion or its integrity? Who can know ,,L
ne Is sincere When he is the proselyte of princ;
P'e or when he is the slave of faction? When he
, , 10 men, or when TO doctrine Catechise IFS
f'dor upon his opinions, at any period of his ex
istenco, and who can he assured whether at M.
moment he consulted his conscience, or NJ Hof
whether he prosituted his press to the purposes Of
faction? 49, f''l''0' vi
mo man mas more vehemently repuliatcd the be
resy OF Notification than he has-WeIJ vas I ~
hohest men, or was he not ? No one more vebe
mentiy supports the same doctrine at This time Is
nc honest now or is he not? Is he now the sincere
,, vi PTncPte or is hc the factions nstrtl-
ment OF party? Who can ascertain /? Who can
rePose confidence in the declarations of one who
unhnshngly avows that for nine years he sacr;f;cn
"h his strongest convictions to the irresistible nhu
ence of party engagements?
head The following character which he drew or
John G. Calhoun in 1880: "
law, y, % the Hon Vice President, who nnmcd by the same
ms eondnc, from 1871 TO 1926 Re t
syse%@z w r no @ The ass
cae ~ his report to Bank OF the ~ ,",
NO man SHOWS now what principles and in ibo W.
aen ihe States traitor himself the Jnins Who he @
on ;c OF ~ years The sh9ocock of party the pipe M
recognize the John Calhoun Of 1872 armod nno can
ioism, and received natons admiration
hath wrought the melancholy chnnrc. This has IT,
on once ieh or the whole, sectional sorvlitS
comprehensive statesman, whose eye mcasuted ~ INC
county into the miserable whose oo OF ms
60 ony Tor self and tho generous Ccn ; oeath
oIs haior ready 10 dhonou county IN nnic % un en-
no9o rival Candid observers pauc,afe oot upon
deductions rom The history CaSoa"s necessary
ASK him, whether this portrait was drawn :, .
moment OF iactous frenzy or indignant principle?
ne says That his first love has returned upon hin,
ana tbat he means 10 compensate for b;s nine
years want OF political chastity by his future flelfy
TIC tic Is 10 out-herod Herod-and like all new con |
VIE ,'ong the Turks, he is attempting to gain the
I1nuence OF the public, by the excess of his zeal
ne now goes for State Rights-nnd the first s,en
which he makes, is to plunge into .Ni.liifcot;on
,yuch are ms professionalism we believe them
he question still returns to us what fit is upon him.
,r part is he playingf The character of real
ne, or the counterfeit Of The drama the honest
poseiyte OF principle, or the slave ofa faction?
lie tells us that Mr. Clay is not i'm the fieldtbo,
we are mot to Judge Henry Clay by the standard 81
our own mind"-tbat "Mr. Clay knows the G,ct -,
De so, and will not quarrel with it's annunco,;on
mat his vanity will not be gratified bv heinz co;
ieren candidate when he is not one: and that viii,
more riends IMAM any man i'm the Union /, ;e 20,