Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-08-18

4
The PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES
arrived in this town on Monday last, a
bout 10 O'Clock NJ, and early on Tuesday
morning set out for West Tennessee. His
health, which has, for some time past,
been feeble. has improved since his depar
ture from Washington. In common with
a great number of citizens oil every party,
who were in town, we paid our respects TO
the Chief Magistrate. DuIing the short
conversation which passed on general to
pics, we heard nothing from him having
any allusion 10 the approaching Presiden
tial election, or 10 party politics; but we
have learned, from sources, the correct
ness of which we are not at liberty TO
question, that during his stay he assumed |
the character of an electloneering partizan |
This we extremely regret, both for his
own sake, and for the sake Of the country
for, while we are unable TO conceive Of
a more undignified position which aPresi-
dent of the United States could assume,
we are well assured that the example, il
followed, must prove most pernicious to !
the best interests Of the country, and most
dangerous TO its liberties. These consIde
rations, we presume, have hitherto indu |
ced all former Presidents, from Washing !
ton down TO the present time, carefully to |
abstain from declaring a preference for
any man as successor
If it be said that A. Jackson is citizen
OF the United States, s. tina. IN his cha
racter Of a private citizen he has as much
right as any other man 10 use his perso-
nal influence in elections, we say that he
is not how private citizen, but the Chief
Magistrate Of the whole nation, possessing
apower and patronage. which gives to
him an official Influence far exceeding any
OF personal character which as private
citizen he would possess. That during
his continuance in office the separation of
his private from his official influence is ma
nliestly impossible; both must be exerted
or neither. If Gen. Jackson may rigbtfully
exert both, every future President will be
justified IN doing the same. Whatever
confidence, therefore, may be reposed by
the people III the integrity and patriotism
oil Gen. Jackson as an individual, this does
not diminish the danger of the precedent
"a precedent which 1t is most manifest
may be used by his successors, for The vi
lest purposes, from the most corrupt mo
tlyes, and perhaps TO The very destruction
OF Liberty itself We, therefore, entertain
no doubt but that all rejecting men, who
look beyond the momentafy effect of the
ultimate consequences Of a political proce
dure, and their Influence Oh the best and
highest interests of the country, 10 whale
yer party they MAJ belong. will unite in
strong expressions of their disapprobation
Of course OF conduct on the part of the
Chief Magistrate Of the nation, so unwor-
Thy OF his station, and so pregnant with
al To ~
gard 10 the people OF Tennessee, we have
too much confidence in their intelligence,
IN their manly spirit of independence, and
IN their patriotic devotion TO the liberty OF
their country, to believe, for moment,
that they viii, by surrendcrng their own
Judgements, and bowi0g TO the dIctation
OF any man, however exalted his station,
tarnlsi, their own honor, and forfeit the
high reputation which their state has ac
qured throughout the Union, and we
might say almost throug bout the world,
by the noble stand assumed and hitherto
maintained, both by her people aud her
Legislature, IN favor of tie freedom and
purity Of the elective franchise. No! the
people Of Tennessee claim, and they be
iieve that they possess Sufficient intclli
gence 10 enable them TO elect their own
Chief Magistrate without the aid of either
a Rucker Caucus, or Of Presidential die
tation and whatever others may think Of
the correctness of their pretensions, they
know that they have the right, and like
ireemen they will exercise it, of udging
for themselves, in matter vitality affect
ing the rights and liberties of themselves
and of their posterity, for generations yet
unbo,n.
We therefore deeply regret The preva
lence Of those malign influences by which
Gen, Jackson has heen induced to adopt
course Of conduct alike hostile TO his
own fame and dangerous TO the best int
rests ofhis country.
We regret 10 add that the President,
under the influence of some vague and un
founded suspicious of us connexion with
parry politics, expressed his decided Cd
position to the proposed Charleston and
Cincinnatt Ralroad- an enterprise alike
honorable and beneficial 10 the whole
country, and yitally interesting to East
tennessee IN particular, whose future
prospects OF prosperity are all dependant
on ITS ccompllshment-an enterprise
which We had Iondiy hoped would have
Oeen hailed with applause and good wish
es Tor ITS success, by every patriot in the
land, to whatever party he might have
been attached. But such is the baneful
influence party spirit on the minds of
men, that II too often dstoris their judge
mems, and leads them 10 adopt and TO act
upon opinions which, under more fayora. |
bic circumstances, they would be among
the loudest in condemning.
From the Richmond WIKI