Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-07-30
POLITICAI..
From nc Richmond Hhig.
TO HENRY CLAY. Esq.-Lrrrre tx


Sir-ln the history of the world. there is perhaps
no portion more calculated To engage the attention
OF the philosopher, aud 10 damp the hopes Of tho
Trend OF liberty. than that which relates To the af.
lars OF the United States during the last ten wears
10 u.s. at this day, II Is full Of perplexing mystery
In alter times, many OF the hidden springs Of action
may be detected, and that which is now a riddle
and wonder, may then seem plain. In tho page of
Tue future historian, II may appear only new
example OF that game Of ambition and interest oil
c'ail, Discrimination and ialsehood, which forms tho
staple OF all past history and which, from frequent
repetition, ceasesto interest soon as is fully I'M
dersood.
IL ~ not gwen 10 man To penetrate luturity.--
nu' may we not permit ourselves to anticipate some
thng OF the Judgment ofthe future on the present
ana TO form conIectufcs concerning the discoveries
OF what is passing around us, which are 10 be made
by those who are to come after usl Could We sue
coed IN this, how many things now incomprclensble
would then be plain
Suppose II to be now revealed TO u.s. that, about
the tine Of Mr. Haynes celebrated defence of Null
hhc'uon lie and his friends were made 10 understand
mat Heh' Jackson elected to the Presidential
Char, would give his countenance to the doctrine ,
That he would leave il TO South Carolina to decide
Tor herself on the adoption Of the measure and
thal IN case she should adopt it, he would hold
oaok tue arm OF Federal authority from any at.
tempt to enforce the Tariff law within her li,ni,s-
Should we be any longer NJ loss to understand the
eager zeal with which that State aud the Anti Tariff
party every where hurried to his standard! Should
we wonder Al the nlacriiy with which Mr. Calhoun
took his place IN the old line OF succession ns Vice
President to this champion Of State Riphts J.
Should we wonder that his jealousy was awakened
when, after tis tho President was seen TO give the
htst place IN his favor to Van Buren--a Missouri
kestrctionist-an ultra Tarfhte---a man who had
given his vote for establishing turnpike ea,es on the
Cumbel land Road Can we be surprised a, his
fear lest the great Mokannah shou play him false
m In tnue ilto ,I
the advancement OF the Secretary of State the FIRST
man IN the favor Of the President, IN preference 10
the Vice President, the second man in the favor of
the people! (a)
Should we lind all this to be true, sir we should
but ascertain what many suspected at the time. aud
II would make the breach between MIR. Calhoun aud
the President as plain as il is now unintcgblc. Il
would explain some other matters. TOO. IL would
explain why Gen. Jackson from that time looked
coldly on scheme which If successful was 10 give
the ascendant TO Mr.. Calhoun, and why that gen.
rleman pertinaciously adhered to it, Az his only
chance for battling the schemes Of the President for
the advancement OF his minon.
w hlle we are thus looking into the minor Of the
future to catch reflection Of the pa I, what if in ia,
magic glass it should be seen that prospect of re.
ei 10 the South was held out, in the plan of ncgo-
ciation new commercial treaty with England ba-
sed on aRTrEAL of the Conn Laws, and the NE.
LiNQuIsHMENT of the PRoTEcTiyE SYSTEM II
such had been the Presidents plan, We should no
longer wonder, that, though still siding with the
South, he admonished them, through his parlizans,
to give up The thought Of Nullifcalion and TO lrus,
Tor ielleito his power, influence and address,
Judge Smith would be a good witness, to show by
what authority he held out this idea. with so mucl,
confidence, TO the people OF South Carolina. The
President, too, perhaps began to see, that NuGca-
ton, however right IN principle, would be OF Difficult,
application TO such case as that OF the Tarin and
the experiment, would be delicate and critical
Such was certainly the opinion of such of his
friends AS were neither the partzans OF Mr.. Calhoun
nor involved IN the May metaphysics OF the South
Carolina school OF politics. They might indeed
have doubted man, who, If not decelyng them, had
certainly deceived the other party but these doubts
might well have vanished AT the vetocs ofthe NAYS
Vile Road Bill, and the Charter OF the Bank of The
United States.
llerc then, Sir, would be something to accoun,
for the Increased popularity Of the President with
party who had stood in uniform opposition TO the
Federal Government, from the very inception of the
Tariff policy Ii was TO the votes of this parry. II.
ned to those OF the drilled corps of Office holders
and TO the votes of certain States who Fever have
proved unalthu to the actual possessor of Federal
power, that he owed his triumphant re-clecion.--
And by what was this coalition brought aboui BY
the manifestation Of the power and the will TO put
down the authortyof Congress, and to bend the lie.
gslaon of the Union to his views.
Such was the state of things (no matter what tic
tauses) in December, 1882. At that time, II was
not yet certainly known how the President would
bear himself toward the experiment Of Nulli6ca-
tion, II should be actually made His bitter and i'm
paeable hostility to Mr.. Calhoun was, indeed mole
Than suspected They who knew him WELL were
aware too Of the mixture of feline craft with the
feline terocIty OF his nature. But he had so long
shown nothing but the velvet paw to the South that
they had for often the keen and rendng claw that
lay shealhed within The idea that he was quietly
lying IN wait, until his enemy should come within
had mn no
mind. To the Northern Leaders of the Tariff par
~ II seemed as if the South had determined to en-
dure tie Protective System no longer aud that
there was no probability that the Executive would
concur in any measures 10 enforce submission
We all remember Mr.. Adams declaration, at the o.
penng Of that Session, that the South must have
relle-full and substantial relief and such as sho uId
be felt and acknowledged by themselves TO be So
We all remember the favorable auspices under
which Mr.. Verplanck's Bill was brought in and en-
tertained. The Tariff Party reluctantly made up
la They who will compare the Constitution before and