State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-08-16
For the State Journal.

When reading the proceedings OF the
various Van Buren, Conventions, it has Oft
en- occurred to me that there must be some
strange infatuation that prevents some of
our old political associates from discover
ing the true position that they are occupy
ing in supporting the Van Buren, party.
see not how they can possibly reconcile
their course with their former support of
antimasonry. ! am not ignorant of the
efforts of the Van Buren, leaders to coax
the antimasons into their ranks; nor can
any intelligent man be ignorant of their
motives and object. The leaders, say,
have an object. Such men as look to office
us means of livelihood, or as the gratifica-
ton of an absorbing ambition feel an inter
est in the election of Mr. Van Buren,. And
why ? For the obvious reason, that they
know that should he be placed in power,
he will reward his friends and punish his
enemies They have the surest guaranty
of this course in the management of the
Albany Regency, of which he may be called
the head of its body and father of its spirit.
They we'll know that this system of favor
itsm was introduced into the administra-
ton of the General Government when he
came into the Cabinet, and has been acted
upon at all times and all places in which
his influence concentrated. Office, then,
being the object they see plainly that par
tzan services are the means of obtaining
it, in case MrVan Buren, succeeds to the
Presidency. appeal to all intelligent and
honest men, and especially antimasons, for
they are almost uniformly such. Have
not fairly and truly stated the Van Buren,
policy? Then look through the State and
see who are these Van Buren, leaders !?
who figure most in their Conventions, and
are at home and abroad in bar rooms, and
on all public occasions, loudest in MIR Van
Burens praise? Are they not generally,
Office holders and Office expectants under
the General vernment--Collectors of the
customs, deputy collectors, district marshals,
district attorneys, post masters, printers 'by
authority &c? The holders and expectan,s
of these and other offices that the SUCCESS
of the Van Buren, policy might throw open
to them, have an interest in the election of
Mr. Van Buren,, distinct, and widely separa-
ted from motives of patriotism; for they
consider their merits and qualifications
will be estimated by their partizan efforts.
Such men, then, say perceive the connex-
ion oftheir success with the prevalence of
such policy and system as have de-
scribed, and they know that in the defeat
of Van Buren, this system falls to the
ground; for it is understood that in the
election of General Harrison, candidates
for appointment must possess other and
different qualifications from that of mere de-
votion to party. Here, then, my antimasonic
fellow citizens, is the secret of the Van Blu
rem leaders; they know to an absolute GER
tainty that without some aid from you they
cannot succeed hence, then, the effort to
coax you into their ranks, thereby TO place
themselves in power. They know that
antimasonry is democracy in its pristine
purity hence their never ceasing prating
about democracy. They know that ours is
democracy of principle, while theirs is
patented, first at Albany, afterwards at
Washington, and consists in nothing but
devotion TO one man, and is transferable to
has chosen successor. In short they know
that antimasonic democracy and Fan Buren,
democracy are as different in their nature as
light and darkness.
The two parties have nominated and
supported entirely distinct tickets ever since
their existence in the State. The Van
Buren, democrats have applied to the anti
masons every abusive epithet their vocabu-
larry afforded. Just as a specimen of the
spirit of the Van Burenites ! copy two
paragraphs which appeared about year
ago, in the Vermont Patriot; hundreds of
others of like import might be collected
from the Van Buren, papers. "Ihe niiltieiO
Of antimasonry has indeed beclOuded our po-
litical horizon, and blasted for time, the
hopes Of our democratic friends, but thanks
to the leveling system of Palmer, Clarke,
Flint and company, their mean and mig
gardty policy, so long pursued, has al
length become intolerable [intolerable j the
bubble has burst and we have nothing to
fear further from these DIsoRGANIzERs."
off gentlemen editors, you ever wit
messed loathsome toad, stung by wasp,
tossing and throwing himself in wild and