The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-09-05


used To sustain The administration and its measures.
We might thus, by supporting you, be made most
efficiently to support an administration and measures
we most unqualifedly condemn.
am instructed 70 say, that will be much OBJ
iged by an answer 10 the enclosed al your earliest
convenience; and that we sincerely hope Il will be
such as viii enable MS TO give you the same hearty
support we have heretofore given TO Democratic
nominations; and 10 which we are especially IN
ened from the very high personal respect we enter
tain for you.
Under date Of the 9Th Of August Mr.. Van
Amringe answers the call Of the chairman Of
the meeting and says, t" | have received no re-
ply from Gen. Porter"
The Sentinel, in relation to these proceed
ings Of these gentlemen takes the following
position. II says:
They appear not 10 have been aware, that i'm
mediately after the nomination Of Gen. Porter by the
9Th Of March Convention, movements were made in
several sections Of the State by active friends well
as opponents If the Sub-Treasury system and other
questions Of national politics. TO address thar gentle
man for the purpose Of elciting his sentiments
speeding them Amer full reflection, Gen. Porter
came to the determination not to engage in any cor
respondeDce on such subjects intended for publica-
tion during the tendency ofthe contest for Governor
and announced that determination in conversation
with his friends, and also, we believe, BY letter 10
some leading members of The party. The 9Th Of
March Convention placed his nomination expressly
on pennsylvania grounds, refused 10 entertain any
question relative 10 national politics. This course
we know, met his cordial appreciation, and he inra-
rably referred oil inqurers TO the Address of The
Convention as expressing his sentiments and ind-
eating the line of conduct he intended to pursue
The proprieiy of this determination universally
admitted; and we understand has been strictly adj
hered TO, up TO this time. All differences that ind-
viduals desirnus of elicting his opinions any Of
these questions, may attempt TO draw from his 81
lence, are therefore entirely gratuitous and unwar-
ranted." I.
The course of policy which the Sentinel
says governed the 9Th of March Convention
which nominated Gen. Porter might have been
all right and proper at that time. But have
not things undergone great change since
Who would have supposed then that the Sub
Treasury would not have been finally disposed
Of, never TO have been agitated again, before
the period Of the election arrived in October
Who would have supposed at that time that
the influence of the administration of the Ge-
neral Government would have been brought
to bear upon the elections Of the individual
States, and that an unqualified approval of its
leading measures would be made the test Of
party and the orthodoxy Of individuals hereto
fore belonging to it! Such however is the
fact. The influence and power of the Gene.
raj Government has overshadowed all State
grounds" in the State elections, and merged
every thing into question Of appreciation or
disapprobation, in their results of its own mea-
sures; and of that great leading measure,
which already stands five times condemned by
the present Representatives of the people.
The question is emphaticay made, through
the influence Of the General Government, in
the coming State elections, SUB-TREASU-
RY OR NO SUB-TREASURY. The fact
cannot be disguised, THAT is THE TRUE ISSUE.
We think Mr. Van Amringe was perfectly
right, in delaying as he did, forwarding The
communication containing the interrogatories
to Gen. Porter. He saw that, although it
was destined to be defeated in Congress, yet
he in the language of Mr.. Thomas in the
House of Representatives
On this great question Of the Sub. Treasury
! scheme We must GO TO THE COUNTRY; we
must APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE. Let THEM
decide, through their agents, how, and by whom the
| Treasury Departments to be administered. Neither
he, nor those with whom he was acting had cause
to dread the issue"
Mr.. Van Amringe could not but have then
seen that " the hope" he had INDUCED in, :. that
it might net be necessary" could no longer be
INDUCED. He saw too, the very men who
supported the Sub Treasury with heir voices,
and by their votes in Congress, the most ar
dent supporters for, the elevation of General
Porter.
Under these circumstances it was proper,
and in our opinion, those who wished to give
their support to the election Of Gen. Porter
provided, they could do so " consistently with
their principles" owed ii to themselves to in
quire ofhim declaration of his " views of the
leading measures of the administration" And
we can see no reason why he should not have
complied promptly and fully with the request.
This silence on the part of Gen. Porter to-
gether with all the other circumstances very
naturally leads to a suspicion, that if elected
his "patronage ,ciH be used to sustain the ad-
ADMINISTRATION and its measures
We cannot conceive how il is possible, for
any individual of Pennsylvania, however much
attached he may be to Gen. Porter personally;
but who is opposed to the Sub-Treasury on
principle to aid in placing him in the Guberna-
torial chair !; when by declining to answer
proper interrogatories which have been ad-
dressed TO him, it is made almost certain, that
by so doing if he shall be elected, they will
by thus supporting him "BE MADE MOST Eff
FIciENTLY TO SUPPORT AN ADMINISTRATION