Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-01-13

wrong. 70 operate upon public opinion, govern the
perding elections and acquire the ascendency in the
suing legislature.
Mr.. Ven Buren,, then young man, had just entered
the Senate at the Of this extraordinary
struggle. lie entered IT, November, lsl2 and had Just
distinguished hinsclfin the opposition OF his country
the renewal Of the first National Bank charter the sup
port of Vice President Clinton for giving the cast
ing vote against il, and in their noble support ol
Governor 1onpkns, for his Roman energy in pro-
rogang the General Assembly, april, lol2) which
could not otherwise be prevented from receiving, and
cmbodyng, the tansmigraory soul of that defunct
institution, and giving IL new existence in a
place, under an altered name and modified FORM
lie politically borne out of this conflict and came in
To the Legislature agains, the Bank and for the He
was the man which the occasion required the ready
wrlter-prompt dcbaer judicious counscllor-courte-
Gus IN manncrs-irm in purposc-inilcxiblc in prn-
clpes. He contrvcd the measures brought forward
the bills and rcports-delivcred the spcechcs-and
drew the State papers, Especially the powerful adj
dress TO the republican voters of the State which,
eventually, vanqushcd the Federal party the
doubtful scales and gave the elections of April 1874
the friends and supporters Of Madison and The war an
event, the intelligence of which received at Wash
ington with an exutaton only inferior to that witt
which was received the of the victory of New Or
leans The Legislature, now democratic in both
branches was quickly convened by Governor Tompkins;
and Mr. Van Buren, had the honor bring forward and
carry through amidst the applauses of patriots and the
denuncation of the antwar party the most energetic
war measure every adopted in Amerca-the CLASH
cuton BILL he called it, the conscription BILL as they
called it. BY this BILL the provisions of which, by
and summary process, contrived to act upon
property MS well as upon persons, an army of twelve
serve Tor two years and TO be placed the disposition of
the General Government
The which signed in the last days of Deem
ocr iSl4, rendered this great measure of New York in
operative; but its merit acknowledged by all patr
ots at the time the principle of it adopted by Mr.
Madison's Administration; recommended by the Sec
rotary Of War; Mr.. Monroe the Congress of the Uni
ted States and found by that body too energetic to be
passed To complete his course in support of the war;
and to crown his mertorous abors to bring il TO happy
close il became Mr. Van Burens fortune to draw up the
vote OF thanks OF the greatest State in the Union to the
greatest General which the had produced, -"the
thanks thc ~ y Legisidtret TO Major General jackson
has gallant officers and troops for their iconderfh and
heroic cictory defence Of he grand emporium Of tho
Uest Such the appropriate conclusion TO his pa
trotc services in support of the war; services be
not rvang sendor the heroic achievements of vico-
ous arms; but services, nevertheless, both honorable
and merltorous, in their place. and without which bat
Ties cannot be fought, victories cannotbe
tries be saved Martial Tenown, IL is true he did
acquire nor attempts but the want of that fascination
ms name can hardly be objected to him. in these days.
when the political ascendency of military cicftains so
Paheticny depored and when the entire peris of the
Republic supposed be compressed into the SINGLE
danger OF military despotism.
Such is the in brief and in part, the flip
pant inquiry, What has been done?
The vote in the Senate for the tariff of 1928 has some
times been objected TO Mr.. Van Buren,; but with how
much ignorance of the truth let facts attest.
lie was the first eminent member of Congress, north
OF the Potomac, to the ut the right point upon
that tariff OF 1898 then undergoing the process of ncu-
baton through the instrumcntaty ola Convention sit
at Harrisburg. His speech at Albany, in july 1897
openly characterized that measure political manGu-
vre 70 influence the impending presidential election and
the graphic expression, ga proceeding from
the closet of the politician than from the workshop of the
manufacturer, so OPPORTUNITY, and fecously, used in
that speech became the opinion of the public and
subsequently, received the impress of from the
abandonment, and the manner of abandoning, of the
whole fabric of the high-tarf policy. Failing to car
ry any body into the presidential chair, its doom pro-
nounced by the election of jackson and Van Buren,
ii abandoned, as it had been created upon a DO.
litcal calculation, and expired under fiat emana-
ting, not from the workshop of the manufacturer, br
from laalnr the ,.n1sfs, a.,
Buren, voted for the Tariff of 1893, notwithstanding
speech of 1897; but equally true, that he voted und
instructions from his State Legislature, and in obedien
TO the great democratic principle (demos, the poop
krdteo, to govern) which has always formed dis T.
guishing feature and dividing landmark between
SVo grSai political parties which, under whatsoever
has always'exised, and still exist, in country 81
tingfdhe chuir next to him at the time ofthat vote
ing as he did, andupon the principle nterchang
opinions without reserve Disguise it within
perception Of my to know, that he .clt or
repugnance to the provisions ofthnt tariff act of 5
voted for it,-as did in obedience to n principle whi
we both hodsacred
No public non since the days of Mr. Jefferson h
been pursued with more bitterness than Mr.. Van Blu
rem; none, not excepting Mr. Jefferson himself, has
ever had to Withstand the combined assaults of
n.y. and such formidable powers. His prominent posi-
ton i'm relation to the next Presidency has drawn unon
him the general attack of other candidates. themselves
well as their friends for in these days chow different
from former es candidates for the Presidency
to take the field for MISUNDERSTANDING away their
competors,-sounding the notes of their applause
and dealing in the tricks and can't of veteran crossroad
or ae-house Sconeerers His old opposition. and
ly declaraon 800 against the Bank of the u. States
has brought upon him the pervading yengence of that
powerful Institutions and subjected him to the vicori-
vltuperaton of subaltern assaants inhamed with
wrath. not their whatsoever spot that terrific
institution maintains branch press retains an adj
hcrent, or holds debtor. (t was under the stimulus,
and predictions of the Bank press, that Mr. Van Buren,
was rejected by the Senate in 1922 Yet, in all this
combination ofpowcrs against him. and in all these un
Tclenng atacks there IL specification of misconduct
All Is vague, general, Indefinite mysterious Mr. Craw-
ford, the open direct and palpabe of public men
was run down upon the empty cry of giant AT Intrigue
second edition of that sercotyped for harder
use IS expected to perform the service upon Mr..
Van Buren, while the orignators and rcpeacrs of the
cry in both instances have found it equally impossible
To specify of intrigue in the life Of one the other
of these gentlemen.
Safety fund banks is another of those cries raised
against him; as if there any thing in the system of
those banks to make the banking system worse or
if the money, and politics of these safety fund banks
at the service Of Mr. Van Buren, On the contrary
il is not even pretended by his enemies that he owns
single dollar of stock in any of these banks and
have been frequently informed from entitled
my confidence. that he docs own dollar of interest
ed from becoming the of any bank stock or taxi
ing an interest in any company incorporated by the Lee
gsaturc, since he first became member of that body
ABOUT twoand twenty years ago And for the poll
tics OF the safety fund banks it has been recently and
authenticity shown that n vast majority Of them arc
under the control Of his determined and active OPP
Ponents
No public has been opposed to the extension
of the banking system than MIR. Van Buren, The Jour
mas of the New York Legislature show that the many
years during which lac prominent member of that
body he cxcrted himself in a continued and jealous on
TO the Chief Aagstracy of the State finding the system
OF banks incorporated with the business and