The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-10-03
COMMUNICATIONS.
FOR THE MADIsoslAN.
i"me washington Correspondent Of the Baltimore
Democratic Herald

/ FOR THE MADIsosiAs.
To- me Washington Correspondent of the Baltimore
Democratic Herald
! In the Democratic Herald Of September 2Ist, you
say you admire the openness and honesty with
which some but the intolerance and boisterousness
with which many, in the departments at Washing
ton give vent and expression their feelings against
the administration Of Mr.. Van Buren," You have
made discovery in the latter part of your assertion
which there are no facts TO justify. There is no
clerk in any office here, il is believed who uses any
intolerance or bosterousness In the expression OF
opposition 10 Mr.. Van Buren's administration. The
number is very small Of those who express any ad-
verse opinions to Mr.. Van Buren's administration.
With such strong recommendation as yours in favor
OF prescription they might perhaps rue the express
sion OF any such sentiments; certainly they would
the expression Of them In the manner you aver that
they are expressed. Your hopes of the application
OF the Democratic principle Of rotation in office"
would then probably be verified at least in reference
TO them. You hope, you say, that "when Mr. Van
Buren, shall apply the democratic principle Of ro
talion in office" TO some of those men, who he e. e.
the editor of the Wing says are Democrats, and who
Mr.. Bond, of Ohio, says sinecures,' y that he
Will not reiterate the trickery Of prescription for
opinion or that they were dismissed, because they
were opposed TO Mr.. Van Buren," There is very
little danger of the application of the principle to
them Of rotation in Office IL they in favor of Mr..
Van Buren,. But then you would like them, as the
tenor OF your article indicates to out and with
bodness and fearessness to express their opinions
in other words to take an active part in politics.
If they do not this you to Judge them necessa-
| rily opponents of the administration If they 60
along the way of life mingling but little in the strife
n de- thepi m he fam Pc
they think that the safest position and probably you
think it position consistent your views and hos
| tile to that gigantic patriotism Of which you a
professor l am sorry to be obliged TO suspect you
of less purity than you vaunt yourself TO have but
when men are fighting in the dark their forms even
are sometimes not visible, much less their proper
tons, Unmask YOURSELF sir, and do not be afraid OF
| the Judgment of your fellow citiZens-come forth
| under your proper name-and your true character
and position will then be understood.
Stand forth thou slanderer. You have put down
men federalists, who are better democrats than
yourself. You have put down men as opposed to
the administration who, though not as incorporate
as yourself in its behalf would probably adhere to it
longer. Others, whose opinions you have desig-
mated in opposition to the administration, are no
doubt so but some of them are men whom the deli
cacy of such position restraints from all active OPP
position, and of whom you cannot truly aver any
such opposition. What benefit do you expect to de-
live to the administration from the effort to place all
these classes of men in false positions
! What benefit will the administration derive
from having so many men known to have been its
friends ranked among its enemies? Will the posi-
ton be agreeable to them Or do you expect them SO
to lose all sense of propriety and self respect as to
come forth under their proper names TO answer an
anonymous scribbler? How many will you drive
from their position on the fence? How many do
you expect, by menaces, to induce TO change their
silent opposition into expression of zeal as intem
perate as your own and which would probably,
should they change under such circumstances, be of
similar DURATION that is to last as long and longer
than the power of the administration-perhaps not
so long-perhaps not longer than they might expect
promotion from it, Ii it did not fast they
looked for it, they might probably, with the first
convenience afforded by a misplaced letter, forget
their warmth Of heart and fire of patriotism in the
| great democratic cause, and deposite it safely in
their pocket their escrutoire and hand it over for
the injury Of the man in whose cause they had shout
ed with all the strength of their lungs.
You say, you have them before hand; you have
their names and political opinions recorded"
| Why do you not produce, then, at least the evil
! dence of your own word on this subject. Why do
YOU not abide the shock of exposing your own name?
You have all the advantages on your side for doing
SO safely. You expose the names of others freely
Have you SO little courage, so little manliness that
you cannot peep from behind your vizor? say
| again. sir, unmask.
FAIR PLAY.