The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-12-01

minis,ratons, IN all forms and by every means. IL
sumed 10 be "conserystye' when, IN 1900, resisted
the election Of Mr. JEFFERSON, as ieveler, agra
rian Democrat and affected the greatest alarm that
all civil rights and religious obsevanees TO be
lramped down, and lawess irreigion aud misrule 10
bear sway There was no term oil reproach or
tuney that they did not heap upon the head Of the
iastrous man whose life aud character, and whose
exposition Of the great principles Of civil and religions
liberty, the objects Of the wsrmesr euogy and
highest venention Of the American people. Il
conservative" also in its opposition TO the last
and in its attempts to paralyse the arm Of Government,
10 weaken the attachments OF the people 10 the true
principles Of segovemment TO mislead them as to the
great questions at issue in the conflict, TO draw them
away from the advocacy Of their own Government to
the approval Of the conduct and measures OF the
my, aud defeat the exertons aud wound the charac
tiers Of the gallant defenders Of the country IL was the
Peace party then, il the " Peoples party" in
"a, and the /" Wing party" in 1887 Il was Con
sentative also in its attempts TO defeat the great mea-
sure OF constitutional reform in lS202l and to
cude through the property distinction, the great body
of the electors from the rights Of the ballot box IL
was conservative again. in its assaults upon the cha
racter and services OF Gen Jackson upon the sancty
Of his domestic relations and upon every act and mea
sure OF his administration. Ii was conservative in
1894, when esgned with gigantic moneyed power, II
sought the demolition OF our State institutions and the
proslraton Of credit and commerce, sent abroad the
emissares Of panic and pecuniay pressure, aimed its
poisoned shafts at the good name OF Democratic deal
ers Eliminated sedlion from the rostrum aud through
the press proclaimed on Sundays, and IN the streets,
the return Of revolutionary times; and hnay through
riot and tumu orcbly entered and held possession OF
the public arniory II has been Conservative" also,
in the embered hostility with which It has pursued
Mr. VAN buren, from the earliest period Of his public
carecr-throngh life devoted, with rare consistency,
talent, and fidelity, 10 the sound principles OF our 90
vernment and the best interests OF the peope-o the
present moment Such the claims OF the elder
Federalism and Of its modern Wing offspring, to the
distinction of being " Conservative party on the one
side I" and shall venture to show with what grace
the Democracy Of the country can be charged as being
I" DesEneiipes on the other"
The Democracy OF the Union are, Of course to be
garded in this I" new organization the Dssfruc-
pcs" The term has been already applied tothem and
to all the friends Of the administration. by their old an
tagonists the Federalists Wings. In the new vo-
cabulary it can other, and designed 10 mean
no other But with what truth justice is this great
party denounced as Desiruehrcs' Let us see.
In l793 at the primary division OF parties. when the
elder Adams sought fasten the high-oned Federal
doctrines upon the country and by the aid Of odous re-
strcons upon the liberties of the press and Of speech
and the rights Of the citizen TO perpenate the Federal
party, the Democratic party, with Mr. Jefferson at ITS
head stood forward the champion of the unaienabe
and constitutional rights of the people, arresng the
progress Of Federal encroachment, and giving an mpe-
tus TO the Of segovernment, that has been ielt
with sautary influences, IN all changes oil admnlstra-
ton for the last forty years In that day. the cry Of IN
fidelity agraransm and acobnism, went forth from the
ranks Of the arisocracy against Mr.. Jefferson. Our
grandmothers alarmed with the hideous aspect Of
the Democracy, it came to them through the dstort-
ed and sinister misrepresentation OF It's adsersaes and
they feared them, affect to fear them now that
their bibles were to be burned and their churches de-
molished But the apprehension was unreal. The
prediction verified The success OF the De-
mocracy the preservation of the Constitution, u
was literally "Conservatiye." And truly may ex-
claim in view Of the result which, going out from that
great conflict and pervadng the action OF our Govern
ment in some FORM apparent or mPercepube' from that
day to the present, We thank God we have unwa-
voring confidence in the people, as friends Of order,
lovers OF right, Conservatives Of truth No truth once
committed to their custody ever lost no franchise
Of which they the guardians will ever be surrender
ed. There rising of the people against the
fundamental principles of Government The instinct OF
order and security Of property and tranquility, is uni
versal and innate, like the instinct Of freedom
Again, during the war of lsl2-l4, when every
CINE employed to bring the American people and
the American Government TO the footstool Of the TO-
reign and domestic enemy--when seaboard was
invaded frontier the Of savage barbarty and
our capital in ashes-when suffering and deprivation
were abroad in every FORM and when the presses and
forums and pulps of federalism came IN, as IN all
Of calamity with mighty effort with all the
weapons Of deracton Of Misrepresentation, and with ap-
peas 10 the suffering interests Of all classes, and part
culary he mercantile classes, to PROSTATE the Admins
traitor OF The country derdng It's efforts, embarrassing
its measures Of relief soothing at its victories and ca
Illuminating its defcndershe Democratic party arrested
these destructive tendencies and sustained the common
cause by the highes, examples of patriotism, devotion
and energy. The Republicans Of this State in partcu-
lar with ToMPKiNs their head, and with VAN buren,
at his sde gave such tone and vgor to the Of the
country, Notwithstanding the Federalss in sing in
stance in that dark period carried majority OF the
Housc) enable the Government to maintain what
- Liz al, FnlAr InofV
do W. and TO preserve for the lasting welbeing of tho
country what their business, in the worst form
OF hostility to overthrow.
Again. under the new organization GcneralsJAcx-
SON was obstructive" He came into power in 1923,
and 1882 under the same charges and denunciaons.
and from the parythe party which, according TO
the nomenclature Of the Madsonian, will lay claim to
the title Of Conservative And how were the " desruc-
tive tendencies of his Administration manifested by
starting in his domestic policy, with the great moral
and political axiom, that the blessings of government,
like the dews of Heaven, should descend equally upon
the rich and the poor-and in relations with TO-
reign powers, with the determination ito ask nothing
that not clearly right, and to submit to nothing
wrong" BY maintaining these positions, during all the
period Of his Presidential Office, with an nfexibe spirit
and the hg aspirations Of the welfare Of his country
BY the adjustment Of every question Of foreign diploma
cy, the most honorable and satisfactory manner and
upon footing Of the highest advantage to the American
interests BY the recovery and payment Of every UNI
satisfied claim Of indemnity from foreign nations, by
aordng equal protection and security to oil interests,
and particularly the mercantile interest, for which he has
recovered more in character and amount, than all the
preceding administrations of the Government BY the
settlement OF the vexed questions OF internal policy,
which threatened the tranquility OF the country and the
integrity Of the Union and by the preservation Of the
latter under circumstances Of the deepest interest and
socude to the friends Of free government all over the
world and finally, by arresting the Entertainments and
conceptions OF great moneyed power by defeating Its
gigantic effort PROSTATE the business interests and the
local banks, particularly of this State and by turning
back upon it the tide Of panic and alarm which it had
urged forward for with such fearful results 1t
is indeed for this last act of protection and defence,