The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-11-17
TIL e PROSPECT BEFORE US.

News from all quarters, in which, public
opinion has been expressed since the deter
mina,ion Of the Executive TO depart from the
settled principles and ancient usages of the
Republican party, leaves us but little whereon
to congratulate the members of it on the pros
pect before them But yesterday the Re.
publicans might have stood against the world,
defying the enemies Of free government to
show, in the whole course of time, an exam
pie of prosperity, national and individual,
pie from all restraints but those founded in
general and salutary policy Instituted by them
selves, and their exemption from all govern
mental influences designed to check and hrart
their efforts 10 improve their condition, has
been the ground work Of our wonderful i'm
provement in general intelligence, in arts, in
navigation, in commerce, in manufactures,
and in the facilities Of intercourse.
The Government, from the Inauguration of
Washington, excepting the intervals of the
Presidency of John Adams and the close of
the administration Of the late President, has
been careful to nourish and protect, by acts
within the pale of its defined powers, the en-
terprise and capital of our fellow citizens,
whose joint employment has placed us only
second to the first commercial power Of the
world. To noursh and protect their interests,
was one of the first and assuredly is among
the most important duties for which Govern
ment was instituted: and, if not for these
ends, for phat ,Das itcreated? This has been
the doctrine, with but one exception, from
'76 to '37, but within the latter period it has
been thought necessary to treat it as stale
dogma, to denounce it as if one of the here
sizes of Sir Robert Elmer, although conse-
Grated by the martyrdom of the illustrious
Sydney. The official organ and unthinking
partisans Of power have proclaimed, that the
Government have nothing to do with indivi-
dual interests that the past incidental results
of the sympathetic action of the Government
has been radically defective, and must be
changed that the Government of the U. S.
must be diuorccd from the people-from the
institutions Of the people; it must be sole,
independent, absolute, divorced from all inte-
rest in, and sympathy for, popular,establish-
ments, from which are issued the habiiual,
PRACTICAL indispensable CURRENCY Of the peo-
pie.
And are these to be the sentiments Of
the rulers OF this land! Are these to be
the sentiments of the chosen Rulers of that
land which gave birth to Washington, JEFF
ferson, Madison, Henry, of the Southern
States, who made so many sacrifices of we'll
founded apprehensions on subjects of vital
importance to them, in order to preserve
party unity, and with it the further success
of their principles in the election of Mr..
Van Buren,! Are these to be the sentiments
of the Rulers of the enterprising, hardy re-
pubicans of the Northern and Eastern States,
of men who so well understand all the true
sources Of national ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and in
dividual prosperity Are these TO be the
sentiments Of the Rulers of the Western
freemen--men whose proud spirits are told
in every word they utter-men who, leaving
their ancient grave-yards and domicils, their
youthful friends and numerous kindred, in