Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-08-10

states, why should they not herc3 Why
should wings conclude that they will not
1t is worse than vanity to consider ourselves
more intelligent than they; it is bigotry to
claim any superior virtue. When circum.
stances. therefore, have occurred to present
the subject in n new light, freed from the
influence of preconceived opinion, they
will, reason as we do and come to the same |
conclusion. We have pledged all that we
hold dear, that the principles we profess I
are sound and true. They are so, they
have been examined, and received the
approval Of the wise and good; they have
been tested by the practice of ages, and
the result has been national prosperity.
What has been put in competition with
them' the dreamy conceptions of visionary
men, the vagaries Of undiscipined minds,
the experiments OF ambitious, selfish men,
chiefly intent on place and power. Under
these circumstances to doubt that aces.
sions will continue TO be made is to dlsbe-
lvve the omnipotence Of truth, or fix a
libel upon the character of our opponents
The force of prejudice is very great.
Men are slow to shake off preconceived
opinions but all honest men do it when
convinced. There were strong and pow.
erfn reasons which impeled men to join
the Jackson party, which have little or no
Influence to retain them in the ranks of
Van Buren,. Gen. Jackson was VIVA: may
be called strong man, bold in his concep
tons and firm in his purpose. 1t is gener
ally granted that. though rash, he was
man Of integrity. In addition to all this
there was a chivarous spirit about him
he was the brave captain, the successful
general--and though in him there was
much to condemn, there was much to
admire. There was not man in the
nation that did not read his letter to Mr..
Monroe with undivided interest. Who
then shall marvel that the very children
should hurrah for Jackson. But turn
from him 10 his successor, and achat q
change. 1t is said that nature produces but
one progidy in an age. Most truly it is
verified here. If nature intended Van
Buren, for q great man, his production was
an abortion. The elements Of greatness
are not here found, the inspiration of soul
necessary to the constitution of man was
never brea,hed upon him, the impress Of
intellect is not there. He is a little man.
contrver OF small things, dealer in
small wares. He has studied man in his
worst condition, and may be an adept in
managing their bad passions; but with the
generous, the noble and The great he has
no fellowship. He is q creature of mega
lives, his success is an anomaly. and his
fail certain. His measures are the patch
work Of disjonted schemes, without form
ami without symmetry. A little mind can
never entertain great conception hence,
his plans are but expedienls. The vast
interests of the republic are too grand for
him, he cannot grap2le with them, his
examination is by halves, and his views
extend but to parts. Look at those who
have gone before him, and we feel the
native pride of an American bosom, as we
behold the majesty of mind, the grandeur
of conception, and the force of intellect
that is Swallowed forth in their measures.
Their broad views were only circumscribed
by the world, their desires went out into
every corner of the land. Read the inau,
gural address Of Jefferson, and then of Van
Buren,; the one is the stupendous exerlion
of n great mind, the other the froihy exer
iion of sophomore. IT'S not in the
nature of things that Van Buren, can sue
coed. He falls never to rise again.
Party discipline may retain men for
while, but truth is more powerful, and il
the end will set them free. When mel
begin to shake off the influence OF precon
ceived opinions, they readily SEQ things il
their true light, and will follow when thei
interest leads, and on the suppositon tina
they are virtuous, duty and interest coin
eide, leading to national prosperity. TIL,
signs of the times sufficiently indicate thu
direction that men are taking, and we shal
soon witness the demonstration of it will
great power.
The people of Vermont have decided
interest in adopting the view we hav'