The Arkansas advocate., 1836-07-08

 alarming fact proven to us, that thers h ;,,t thls country a large body of men--corrunt hirelings-who have sold their princpies for the paltry boon of ofiice-and such men ara dangerous to a free government.
 hat partisan bigetry and zeal has haeeme an indispensable requisite to every mai ,ho obtains office by appointment of tho govern nieat in this country. is nndeniahlv true.Z ihls rule, so unworthy the rulers of freo people, has predeced its natural operation and effect. When men find that certain poiltical creed IS necessary to obtaining of nee, ther principles are easily accommodate ed to the required standard--and in this way iias the great party been formed and strenrth- ened against which the people are now war. ring. This party has gone on increasing. organising and condensing it's force by disci. pline, until, to reflecting mind, it presents the singular scene of Il great military en. campment Tn a free land. It is every dnv adding recruits to its forces. It is composed of two classes--the men who hold office, and the men who seek office. The same corrtitt. ing principle has been busilv at work with both, to wit the principle that the support of certain men is the only contingency upon which officeSor enrichment can be granIed. They have interests and views separate and distinct from the interests of the mass of tho people, They follow the banner of their leader, and are regularly trained to act in concert They form great eleetioneerinr army, and are now waging war against the gigantic but undirected strength of the peo4 ple:
 This party offer to us Martin Van Buren as their candidate for the Presidency, and have determined that he shal, be elected. Ii will therefore be proper for us to consider the qualifications of their candidate, and his claims to that high office. We may then the more easily judge of the motives of his sup porters-and whether we do or do no. owe it to ourselves to oppose them.
 Who then is Martin Van Buren--and what claims has he upon our support The only way by which we can justly judge of any mans political principles, is by his political acts. Professions are at tke present day, but little evidence of principle. By his acts therefore he shall De judged.
 In 1872, Mir. Var. Buren was t member of the New York State Senate. The war with Engldnd had just commenced, and MT. Mad ison was a candidate for reelection. At nd period of our national history has party spirit run higher, or party lines been more clearly and distinctly defined, than at that day. Tho old elassifcatiens of Federalst and Demo- crat were kept up--but all the principles which had formerly distinguished each party. were merged i'll the all-absorbng point of dspute--war or peace. The Federalsts iri New York and the New England States vera accused of being infavor of England-of be. ing even in the pay of the British Govern ment-whlle, on the other land, the Demo- crats were stigmatized as the French patty.
 Every method of attack was used against Madison and the Democratic party. He was IaI .rt. who hadfoolishly plunged us into war which he was incapable of managing. It was then generally supposed that New York would go against the war. The great iDi,ify occasioned to commerce by the embargo had created strong party in that state against l Mr. Madison. Under these crcumstances, the Federal party brought out Dewitt Clinton of New York, as their candidate against Mr. 1 Madison. It has been said that he was brought out by a portion of the Democratic party. We have now before us the address of the committee Of the City of New York. speaking the sentiments of the men who nom mated Clinton. They accuse the Adminis- tration of Madison of incompetency and inat- tenton. They accuse Mir. Madison with having neither foresight nor vigor--and enl- phatically allege that he is chargeable with want of preparation and with culpable nega lect They accuse the Administration of iIi- sultng the patriotism of the people, and pre-. sent De Witt Clinton Gas relief from the evils of an inefficient Administration and of an inadequately conducted war; This ad. dress is signed, among others, by Natthias 5. Tallmadge-and in looking over the pro. ceedings of Congress for that year and 1913, we have found him uniformly voting with 1 Quincy of Massachusetts, against every measure intended to aid in carrying on the war. Martin Van Buren was warm sup porter of Clinton, and an equally warm op. ponent of Madison. That he was opposed to the war we know, from the fact that meeting was got tip under his eye by James A. Hamilton his particular friend, at which the war was stigmatized as unjust, i7apolitic md disasfrous. In his course Tn this matter. he was found acting with Josiah Quincy, Ga. leb Strong, Timothy Pickering and Harrison Gray Otis. In 1914, however, finding that the war had become popular, even in New York, Mir. Van Buren discovered that 1t was just war, and became it's supporter--an act III our opinion, still more contemptible and reprehensible-for we may respect an honest and consistent opposition to even good measure, but we despise man who can change his opinions for expediency's sake. With one other remark we close this part of | the subject. In the session of 1sl3. the House of Assembly of New York stood, 50 i i feaeyaiisss, 8 Republicans, SO that Mr. Clinton was certainly supported by the Fed eral, and not the Democratic party. New York was also represented in the 18th Con gross by IT Federalists and Republicans.
 In 1890, Mr. Van Buren was again mem- hor, If fbd q VcfE =.