Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-10-20
70 THE FREEMEN OF VIRGINIA.

L Il lkGAACAfk 4
army Of one hundred thousand Office.
holders has commanded the American
People to choose as his successor Mar.
tin Van Buren,.
The people ef Tennessee with all
their Partially for the President, have
nobly resolved to resist dictation and
choose for themselves!
What will you do, frcemen of Vir.
giniai Will you basely submit like
slaves to the Imperial ordcr-or will
you swear ON the altar of Liberty, that
your choice shall be as free as the air
which we breathe
Remember that we are the descend.
ants of that glorious band Of Patriots
who in 1875, resolved that no foreign
monarch should appoint for US a ruler,
and expelled from our shores the last
of the Royal Governors.
Shall we so far degrade ourselves,
and insult the shades of our ancestors,
as to render obedience TO the will of
n man because that man has been
elected our Chief Magistrate
We trust in Heaven you will not
lfthere is one spark of honor, courage,
and love OF liberty, left among US, let
US resist. We address ourselves to all
parties without distinction-we are all
interested in the result, and if we yield
to this high handed and arbitrary at
tempt at Presidential dictation, we shall
be equally degraded-we shall all be
slaves.
Fellow citizens-if Martin Van Bu-
rem we're the purest man in the Repub-
lie, We ought not, under such circum.
stances, to give him our support. But
who and what is he Let us Cor once
discard party spirit and enquire into
his character calmly and dispassionate-
ly.
Has he ever rendered any service
to his country? Ifso-when or where?
Washington rendered service we all
know. So did Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe. and even the Adams's. So
also, Clay, Harrison, and others, have
conferred much benefit on the republic.
But in the name of all that is just and
true, what has Martin Van Buren, done,
that should even entitlc him to ordina-
ry thanks, much less to the highest of.
flee in the nation?
Fellow.citizens-he has done nothing
to deserve your confidence, but he has
done much to forfeit it forever. His
whole life has been one of low intrigue
s~elishness, and ambition. The great
De Witt Clinton who knew him well,
compared him to a cat, continually
purring over petty schemes , without
honor, courage, talents or Integrity
He has in truth never exhibited any Of
the higher qualities Of a statesman,
and his friends may safely be chullen.
ged to produce any satisfactory evi.
dence ofhis claims to that character.
If Martin Van Buren, had been con-.
scious ofpossessing the enlarged capa.
city and shining qualities requisite in
the first magistrate of this country, we
ask you fellow. citizens, if he would not
have chosen a more manly course to
secure his elevation? We ask you if
hN hCbiu lOt idtlCl nave ItllUu uDOu
his W strength than upon that Of &c.
neral Jackson When Jackson was
first nominated for the Presidency, Van
Buren, and the Albany junto treated
his ~pretenslons with contempt. They
sneered at him as Mr.. Jackson, and
proclaimed that he had not one senti.
ment in common with the Republican
party. When the tide of success turn
ed in favor of the Victor ofNew Orle-
ans, behold how the New York Regen-
cy changed their tune! The vocabu-
larry was not sufficiently copious in the
language of eulogy. From that mo
ment the magician perceived that Pre-
sidential favor was the only path 70 his
own advancement. 1t was then that
the servile sentiment escaped him
" Glory enough for me to have served
under such a chief"-a sentiment for
which a Virginia negro would have
been spurned from his masters pres.
ence.
Then it was, that Mr.. Van Buren, IN
all his ele%ctioneering lett ers and spec
ches, proclaimed that General Jack
sons sentiments were also his. AS
jackson thinks, so do ms he changes
his opinions, so do |: | am his faithful
mirror, and humble organ" You who
doubt, fellow.c itizens, that this has
been the mean and disreputable course
of the New York candidate, we need
only refer you to his recent letter to
Sherrod Williams, without specifying
others. That letter is unanswerable
evidence that Martin Van Buren, is
destitute of every feeling of manly in
dependence.
Freemen of Virginia ! now is the
time to throw off the miserable tram.
mels Of party, q rally for our country.
The times are portentous, and nothing