South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1834-11-22

! out singularly unpopular administra,
lion, and to the election of General
Jackson to the Presidency--he con.
tribated has eforts-for there were
numbers equally active and more eff
cient some Of whom his and the Pre-.
sident's friends were now exhaustine
themselves in reviling. Mr.. Van Blu,
rem had his reward. He was appointed
| to the office Of Secretary of State. And
| The only remarkable achievements that
! distinguished his administration of that
department, that Mr.. L. remembered
(o.hers might add to the list, if they
could) were,-l. that he advised the
President flor it must have been his
advice--it belonged to his place) to
appoint diplomatic agent 10 Turkey
to negotiate a treaty, during the SEES
sion of,he Senate, without asking its
consent and advice as to the mission or
the agent, directly contrary 10 his own
declared opinion that such a proceed
ing was unconstitutional, 10 the famous
debate on the Pansma mission, on
which occasion, MIR. Adams had asser-
ted such power, bu, abstained from
the exercise ofit--and 2, that be de-
liberately instructed our minister at
London to exhibit our party contests,
recently terminated by the election of
General Jackson, to the British minis
try, as motive to induce them to fa-
vof Us in the then pending negotiation.
The first was point of constitutional
law, which this was no place to discuss;
he might refer MIR. Van BuFen's friends
to his own speech on the subject
But, as to the second, the good sense,
the good feeling, of every American
citizen, could decide without difficulty,
and almost without thought. The
statesman who could wiIfully and de.
liberately expose to foreign governs
ment, our domestic quarrels, our party
contests, and, as it we're, the weak
side of our institutions 40 matter for
what purpose. -mus', in his opinion,
be wantiog in the dignity, the magnani-
nifty, the national pride, the generosi-
ty, that became The American citizen,
much more the high officer of State.
Mr.. Van Baren's good nature, if not
his good sense and patriotism, should
have saved him from that exhibition of
party feeling. Mr.. L. by no means
thought meanly Of his capacity. His
personal acquaintance with him was
too slight to enable him to judge Of him
from his own observation--b but he had
never been able to discover, in any
thing that had been given to the
world as what he had said or done,
that Mr.. Van Buren, possessed the
qualities of great and wise statesman;
a liberal, comprehensive, long and
wide reaching, profoundly sagacous
mind and those commanding talents,
and yet more commanding virtues,
which might control faction, and ex-
empt him from the necessity of follow
ing, in order to have the appearance of
leading !: and it had appeared to him,
that Mr.. Van Buren, was deficient in
that which every man long conversan,
10 politics ought TO possess, since it
was 10 every mans power to acquire
political knowledge. 1t had
rarely il ever happened, that he who
acquired the reputation of cunning, de-
served the fame of wisdom. AS for
those talents which were so generally
imputed to Mr.. Van Buren--those tai
EMS that had acquired for him the epi-
tibet of the Arch Magician-whicb
Mr.. l.. was superslitious enough TO re-
gard as an epithet of severest reproach
talents to combine parties for nutu-
ally selfish purposes, and to manage
and direct their operations TO suit his
or their ends OF individual ambition:
TO talents ofthat kind, MIR. L. said, he
could not give any portion OF his esteem,
respect, or confidence. 10 his esiima-
ton, it was not talent, but vice-for a.
ny man, with meaner abilities than Mr..
Van Barren possessed, might Go the
same thing,-if he were reckless Of the
fairness OF his means 10 accomplish bis
ends--if he would disregard principle,
and aim only at snccess--it he would
only let it be known, that he was will
ing to log-roll with any body who would
log-rolI with him. Mt. l.. said, that
one principal objection with him to the
election of Mr.. Van Buren,, consisted
in the apprehension. of which he could
not diyest himself, that he would be
willing, or if unwilling, would be COM
pellsd, TO administer the Government,
upon the doctrine recently avowed, that
'1the victors are entitled TO the spoils OF