Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-11-06


him long and intimately, and UNDERSTOOD PEI
fectly his character, his temper, his ieeihgs, ms
situaton-yet neither of them bad ever nin'eu
his purpose 10 him; and he always oelleseo
that they RETAINED from doing SO because they
thought they had right to act, in soch case,
apprehended thew would fad in his remon-
strances an obstacle to the execution OF their
design Thenceforth, Immediately ana ever
since, Whenever any opportunity mao oeen
presented to him to speak upon inc suoJect,
without mourning the ridicule OF aHectitig 10
disclaim an honor which he had not the ieas'
reason to hope,-in his correspondence win
those who were intent on making the nomina-
ton,-in conversation with every person VINO
alluded to it, whether common acquaintance
or confidential friend,-he had, uniformly ana
uneuuivocally, renowned all pretenslons, ana
stated, in the strongest terms the utter hopeless
ness of the proposed nomination. IL was now
ever, formally made in few countles IN 'H
gnia. He was not deceived by those appear
ances of public favor-no, not for moment.
He had long been al close observer OF the
hayward workings of party splrlt-aud ne
knew we'll that so soon as the popularity OF zen:
Jackson should be understood to be arrayed
against him, many Of those VINO had oeeh
among the most earnest, in advocating his pre-
tensions, would make merit OF abandoning Nun.
He had not, indeed, anticipated that any OF
them would also denounce him-that any OF
those who had united in the proposal to elevate
him so far above his deserts, and thereby make
him an object Of jealousy, suspicion, and male
violence, would join the partlsans OF Mr.. van
Buren, in their hue and cry-that any OF them
would be found to take chance In the SHOOT
ing match themselves, where he was the target
to be shot at, and share Of Jacksonite favor
the prize to be shot for. And never-never,
surely, till these times, could such thing have
taken place in Virginia! He sad he thought
he understood his own situation and feelings,
perfectly. He was well aware OF his long con-
tinued obscurity-services in the national coun-
ellis he could boast literally none-he under
stood the nature ofthe presidential office, the ar
duous duties that belonged to it. the cruel and
continually increasing difficulties that beset the
incumbent-he knew that the habits, the pull
suits, and the studies Of his life had not institute
! ed his mind in the duties of statesman at the
! head of affars-he knew, far better than any
other man could know, his unftneSs for such a
station. And this was the language he had con-
stantly held-let his most intimate confidential
friends be put to the question, and torture could
not extort from them a word to contradict him.
He should take this opportunity to say puohcly
NOT for the purpose of deprecating the enmity
Of Jackson-Van Burenism, Gas the company
would presently see) nor for his own sake, but
! for the sake of the public-that he did not now
entertain, and never had entertained, the least
hope of the presidency, or the least desire Of that
, high dignity. Whether, if he could be inspired
with such hope, that hope would kindle his
ambition, he really did not pretend to know him
self well enough to say, with positive certainty;
but he conscientiously believed that it he could
reach the presidency by taking single step
towards it, far from taking that step, he should
recoi from it. He did not say this, in the hope
that the partisans Of Mr.. Van Buren, would be-
lieve him. He doubted whether they were ca
pable of conceiving the possibility OF such
state of feeling. There were men, very know
ing and penetrating in their own concet whom
of all mankind it was most easy to deceive-one
had only to tell them the truth. They interpret
ed mems actions and words after the method of
interpreting dreams-namely, by contraries.
They especially insisted on the application OF
that rule of Interpretation to his actions and
words He had been well informed that his dis
clamer of all pretensions of fitness for the pre-
sidency mad been imputed to vanity; and his de-
caration Of reluctance to be put in competition
for the Office, had been considered as proof OF
an inordnate ambition Oft. They thought HIM
so blind as not to see, that the course he had
pursued, and was pursuing, led not towards the
presidency, but directly from t-they thought,
that if he practsed none of the fraudulent artl-
fees of ambition, il was because he was such
simpleton that he did not know how, not because
he knew, contemned and detested them, as eve
ny man ofhonor onght and dd-and, above all,
sumption in him, that others had thought him
worthy to succeed such man as General Jack
son, and had presumed to name him as COM
pettor ofsuch man, forsooth! as Mr.. Van Bu-
rem.
The abuse they were heapng upon him might,
he said, detract from his reputation in the eyes
of the world-such abuse had furnished the
fame of better men-but he trusted il could ne
yer subdue his spirit-or, what his enemies were
pleased to call his pride"-' his passions"
still burning as they sad with as intense a heat
as in his youthful days. Yes, indeed-the in
born pride of free mantle passion for 60
vernment of Laws-the detestation of govern
ment of will-the love ofciv liberty and public
virtue-the hatred of corruption-were yet bur-
ming in his bosom; and he trusted the lust of
power or of distinction would never smother
them. Praise might initiate Mr. Van Buren's i'm
portance; but, if the elevation were not in his
sentiments andcharacter, no praise could ele
vate his soul to the dignity of the Presidential
ofice,-raise him above the influence objection,
and inspire him with just sense of the duties
which President of the United States owed to
this great nation IL was not. certainly ont of