The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-11-24
TO rHE nEPuBLIcANs OF THE UNITED
STATES.


severe conflict rs interesting and important TO the
Republic any that has anspifed since It's orsahi
zation. The cause, and our course, have attached
to US many interests which will not permit US to re-
tire as we contemplated
A period has arrived, therefore, when II has be-
come necessary, in justice TO oursef and the public
to indicate our course for the future.
II web remembered that the MADIsoMAN was
established in the conviction that the great character
and interests Of the country well as the success OF
the administration, required another organ al the seat
of the National Government Born in the Repuoli-
can faith, and nurtured in Republican doctrines we
were DESTROYS of seeing the leading principles OF the
party TO which we were attached preserved and ear
ried out, not only in theory, but in practice. We
pledged ourself TO sustain the principles and doc
irines of the Republican party, as delineated by Mr.
MADISON and came here in good faith 70 support the
present administration upon The principles adieh go
peraed tie party schich elected Mr. PdR Buren,, and
upon lae pledges By 1Aieh that election icas secured
We have, throughout strictly adhered 10 those prin-
cipes Had the Executive of this nation done the
same; had he received in the spirit in which il was
offered, the advice Of his best friends, the contnu-
ance of this paper would not have been necessary,
nor should have beheld the distracted counsels by
which he is governed, or have seen the disjointed
and defeated party by which he is surrounded.
No Chief Magistrate, since the days of Washing
ton, ever came to that high station under favor
able auspices than Mr. Van Buren, A combination
of circumstances, which seldom transpire, clearly
indicated the way to the affections Of the people, and
gave him the power to have disarmed opposition by
The very measures which would have established his
popularity. But ill-omened and evil counsels pre-
vailed, and the hopes of that political millennium,
which many Republicans cherished as the fulflment
oftheir creed were disappointed and postponed.
Whilst the MADrsoNIAN and its friends were en-
deavoring to restore the prosperity Of the country
the Executive and his advisers were urging forward
measures directly calculated to destroy tito keep
the country convulsed and prosrate-measures,
subversive of the principles of Republican govern
ment and tending 10 the establishment OF an unmit-
tigaled desPotism. Accompanied as they were by
war upon the CREDIT SYSTEM of the country, and an
unusual spirit Of intolerance, denunciatIon and
prescription, justice could not have required nor
honesty expected any support from consistent Republic
cans. In that spirit OF independence and love OF
freedom which characterized the founders Of our
institutions resisted these nefarious attempts TO
depreciae and destroy them, with the best of our
ability The same spirit which prompted us to do
this finds justification in supporting the men who
made it necessary. .
It is an nconrovertble truth that every prominent
act of this administration has been an open, une
quivocal violation Of every principle and profession
upon which Mr.. Van Buren, was elevated to the
Chief Magistracy BY the people.
In his unfolding the specie circular, which made
Determinations unauthorized by law, and which
had been twice condemned by Congress;
In his recommending the Sub-Treasuay scheme,
contemplating a union of the purse and the sword,
and the subversion OF the entire practice OF the 60
vernment, and still perssting in it. Notwithstanding
has been four times condemned by the Represen-
taves of the people;
In his recommendation of a Bankrupt law TO be
passed by Congress- applicable only to corporations
SO that this government should possess an absolute
control all the State institutions, and be able to
crush them ALL at pleasure; and taking all urisdic-
ton them from the hands of the State tribunals
In his breaking faith with the States, by recon-
mending a repeal of the distribution law
In his repeated recommendations of the issue of
Treasury notes. to supply the place Of legal money,
recurring thus the exploded and ruinous practice
Of deprecated government paper money, for circu-
lating medium; thus exercising a power derived
only from loose construction of the Constitution;
and repudiated by the best Republican authorities
In his attempt to establish Treasury Bank with
an irredeemabe paper-money circulation; .a,.
In his effort to overthrow the State Bank Opposite
system established by Presidents jackson, and take
The public moneys into his actual custody and con-
In his attempt to divorce the government from the
interests and sympahies of the people;
In his attempt 10 create multitude OF new ON
ces and TO send swarms of officers to harrass our
people and eat out their substance !"
In his attemp, to take away our charters, abolish
our most valuable laws, and alter, fundamentally, the
powers Of our governments" ...-
In his display of sectional Partially;
In his cold indifference to the interests and wants
of the people during period Of extreme suferins
In his attempt TO throw discredit upon, and even
tuay, to crush the State banks through the revenue
sumption of specie paymentsj
In permitting the patronage of his office TO come
in, conflict with the freedom of elections;
In his open contempt of the will OF the people as
expressed through the ballot box;
In his attempt to cram obnoxious measures down
the Threats of dissenting brethren by unbecom-
ing a magnanimous Chief Magistrate
In his refusal to acquiesce in the decisions OF the
majority; and
In the despotic attempt of his partisans in the U.
S. Senate on the I'd July, inst. 10 seize The public
treasure by abolshing all law for its custody and
safe keeping
He has abandoned the principles by which he came
into power, and consequently, the duty which they
prescribed; and he has so obsnately Persevered in
his erroneous course as to preclude all reasonable
hope of his retracing II.
And finally, to this long catalogue Of grievances,
we may add, what may be considered minor Of
fence but certainly very obnoxious one, that con-
trary to all preconceived opinions of his character,
Mr., Van Buren, has rendered himself the most
INACCESSIBLE both to friends and adversares of all the
Chief Magistrates that ever filed his station.
And from all these considerations, TO what conclu-
sion the nation come but that their Chief MagiS-
trate is either wanting in integrity, or wanting in
capacity?
We need not say that we expected different thing
of public servant, bound by his sacred pledges, to
regard the national will as the supreme law OF the
Republic That blind infatuation which has needed
not this rule of the American people, must and
ought to its reward and sink in indiscriminaie
and everlasting overthrow.
The financial policy OF this Administration cannot
be sustained upon any principle of necessity, eape
N.Y. Its plain object, the perpetuity of power, and
its plain effect the destruction of the banking SYSTEM
require of course too great sacrifice from the
American people to be, for moment, tolerated
The sreatdesderatum, sound, uniform, and con-
vcnient currency and system that will equalize, as
nearly as practicable the domestic exchanges is de-
manded by the practical wants OF the people, and
sooner or later, in one form or another, will be OBJ
tanned by them. To accomplish this end and 10
"prc$crve and regulate" the credit system Of the
country which this administration has attempted to
impair, will be one of the great objects for which
we feel constrained TO continue our labors.
No Administration of this Government can pros