Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-10-13

DGn Biren has got to be synonymous wit
that of politician. His friends join with 9th
ers in celebrating him as the "LITTLE Ma
GIcIAN;" and the highest qualities imputed t
him, are subtlety and dexterity in devsin
schemes for the success of his party, and hi
own advancement, as their leader. His plo;
are contrived behind the curtain, where no
body can see the hand he has in them.
they succeed, lie has the credit and reaps tn,
benefit of them. If they fail, he changes hi
course. and goes on plotting and scheming a
IT he had no concern in the matter; leaving
his friends, tho actors in them, to shift fo
themselves and bear the disgrace. This wal
his treatment to his most intimate friend, Mr.
MLane, whom, with smiling appreciation, he
saw fall a sacrifice TO the resentfnl passion:
ofPresident Jackson, for having done (while
Secretary Of the Treasury what he, Mr.. V
B. had privately advised him to do. We dc
not question Mr.. Van Burenfs pre-emncnce
as willy politician. His whole life has been
devoted to the art Of politics. But the char
acter of the politician is the very reverse OF
that Of the statesman. The first plots and la
bors only for himself wholly regardless of
the public welfare, and ready to sacrifice ii
to his own aggrandisement, while the states
mans sole ambition is to identify himself with
his country, by contributing all in his power
to her prosperity and glory, that he may par
ticlpate in them. Thus we find that in every
high public station in which Mr. Van Buren,
has been placed, he has continued 70 play
the part of the politician never that Of the
statesman. A most signal proof OF this he
gave, while Secretary Of State, in the only
public act Of his life which has ever attracted
the public attention.: we mean his Instructions
TO Mr. M'Lane, thea our public Minister at
London. In those instructions, he orders our
Minister to propitiate the British Government
by confessing to them that the American Co
vernment had done wrong, "in foo long and
too tenaciousiy resisting" &c, certain claims
set up by Great Britain; "and IN omiHing TO
accept the te,1ms offered by The act Of Parliament
Of July, 1926" And, having made these sub
our Minister is directed to assure
the British Government that the late .1dn,inis-
tration Mr.. Adams which had committed
those wrongs, had been condemned and dis
missed; and that The present administration
dsaUoiced and abandoned those AMERICAy
and hoped that the British
would not "set up the acts of the late admins
tration as The cause" &c. Of refusing 10 grant
The Jarors solicited By the present administration,
tchose feelings aoere so Kindly to,cayds Great
Britain. And, as if the America Secretary
Of State had not sufficiently degraded his own
government in the eyes of foreign, rival,
power; i'll order to tender his supplica,ions to
The British government the more persuasive,
he bcgs their atteEtion to the eulogy pro-
upon them by the President, in his
message. "H is 10 be hoped (says Mr.. Van
BUREN, that the Presidents Message ,OM all
Ae liberal piees which the principal members
)f the British cabinet are understood to en-
erfain," &c. The Presidents eulogy referr-
ed to by Mr.. V. b. was in these words: "Ds-
ingulshed in peace and in war, every thing
n the condition and history of that country is
'alculated to command our respect"
A commercial treaty with England was
ormed in pursuance of these instructions
And by that treaty our extensive und lucra-
i've colonial trade was sacrificed and destroy
ed; and every advantage, which the Ameri-
cans had before enjoyed, surrendered to the
British; whose triumph over US was loudly
boasted by them,at the time; and all the COM
ncrcial advantages they had gained by.that
treaty, over the Americans, specifically point
I'd out and dwelt upon. Those who persuade !
themselves that it will be polite for the
Worth to prefer .Torfhern p,d,, for President,
will do well to remember this transaction, as |
we'll as the broad hint given by Mr.. V. b. that
he protecting duties will find no favor with
lin. A Northern President, (f mere poll
ician) will naturally count upon the supports
If his own section Of the country as a matter
II course Ii is the distant sections that hs
policy will lead him to court and favor. We
ave already seen the slight regard entertain
ID by Mr.. Van Buren for the laws of his
country and the constitutional powers of the |
legislature, when interfering with the Ex-
'cutive will. His letter, Of the 9Th of Octo-
Ter, 1880, TO Mr.. M'Lane, relative to the
anne negotiation with England, exhibits a.
,other proof of the same kind. In this letter
he says, "the President has derived great
abstraction from The candor and LLerulity
which has characterized his .Najesty,s minis
ers throughout The negotiation; and Particular
y an mol suffering the ,nadUertencies of our
;gfs'aiion, attributable 10 the haste and contil-
ION Qfthe closing scenes of the session, TO de-
eat or deiayhe adjustment" Tie act of Con-
ress thus spoken of, and which the British
government was thanked for paying no re gard
}, was that which secured to our citizens
'ciprocity in the exports of foreign goods.
These are Mr.. Van Buren's public acts:
ld all his public acts TO which the attention
the public has ever been attracted. And
these are we to look for the evidences of
8 capacity and fitness to conduct the affairs /
the nation. The people will Judge wheth-
.either the interests or honor Of the country
ould be safe in such hands. Is it for the II
ipporcrs Of Mr.. Van Buren, to charge Gem
larrison with want of eapacity7 with want
fidelity to his country they dare not charge
i'm. II
We cannotfor the sake of contrasting Gen.
larrison's civil services with the poor per-
'rnances of Mr.. Y. b, separate these from
ne services he performed in his military ca
aclty, as we at first intended. Ills civil and
Military employments were blended together.
nd required all the qualifications appropriate
both. lie entered into public life in 1901, 4
the age of IL years, with n commission
40. Ai1..lk D.. L.. l.