The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1838-05-23

back, wheeling. attacking, defending, sur
prising; 6gkIing every where. and fight
ing all the lime. In one particular. how.
ever. The campaigns, described in this let
ter, differ from the manner in which those
Of the great Frederick were conducted.
| think we nowhere read in the narrative
Of Frederiek's achievements. Of his tax.
ing a position TO cover an enemy. or 4
position 10 hold sn ally in check. These
Iefnements, in the science of tactics and
Of war. are Of more recent discovery.
Mr.. President. public men must Ger.
Iainly be SLOWED 10 change their opini.
ons, and their associations. whenever
they see hI. No one doubts this. Men
may have grown wiser. they may have
attained 10 better and more correct views
Of great public subjects. II would be IN.
fortunate. II there were any code which
should nblige men, in public or private
life, 20 adhere 10 opinions once snlerIsin-
ed, in spite Of experience and better
knowledge. and against their own con-
vicIi0ns Of their erroneous character.
Nevertheless, sir, il must be acknowledge
ed, that what appears TO be sudden. as
well ss great change, naturally produ-
ces q shock. ! confess. for one, | was
shocked. when the honorable gentleman,
al the last session, espoused this bill of
the administration. And when I first
read This letter Of November. and. in The
short space Of column and a half. ran
through such a succession Of political
movements, all terminating in placing the
honorable member in The ranks Of our
opponents, and emitting him 10 take his
seat, as he has done, among them, il not
al their head. | confess felt still greater
surprise. All this seemed q good deal
too abrupt Sudden movements of the
affections. whether personal or political.
are lin!e out of nature.
Several years ago. sir. some Of the
wits Of England wrote a mock play,
intended TO ridicule the unnatural and
false feeling, the seniimmtaiiiy, of a
certain German school oil literature. In
this play, two strangers are brought
together al an inn. While they are war.
ming themselves at the fire, and before
their acquaintance is yet five minutes old,
one springs up and exclaims To The other.
&" A sudden thought strikes mel Let US
swear an eternal friendship"
This anecliona,e offer was instantly
accepted, and the friendship duly sworn.
Interchangeable and eternal! Now. sir.
how long this eternal friendship lasted, or
in what manner it ended, those who wish
to know, may learn by referring TO the
play.
But il seems TO me, sir, ina, the honor.
able member has carried his political
sen,imentali,y a good deal higher Than the
flight oflhe German school; for he appears
TO have fallen suddenly in love, not with
strangers, but with opponents.
Here we all had been, sir, contending
against the progress Of Executive power,
and more particularly. and most strenuous
ly, against the projects and experiments
of The Administration, upon the currency.
The honorable member stood among US,
not only as an associate, but as a leader.
We thought we were making some head
way. The People appeared In be coming
to our support aud our assistance. The
country had been reused; every successive
election weakening the strength Of the
adversary, and increasing our own. We
were in this career of success carried
strongly forward by the current Of public
opinion, and only needed to hear the
cheering voice Of the honorable member.
"once more uato the breach, dear friends,
once more!'
and we should have Frustrated, forever.
this Unconstitutional. anii.commercial,
anti-republican, and anti-American policy
of the Administration. But, instead of
these encouraging and animaling accents,
behold! in the very crisis Of our affairs,
on the very eve of victory. the honorable
member cries QUITO the enemy-not Ia
US, his sllies-but To the enemy" Hol.
loa! 4 sudden thought strikes me! |
abandon my allies. Now l think of it,
they have always been my oppressors!
| abandon them, and now lei you and me
swear an eternal friendship"
Such proposition, from such quarter,
sir, was no, likely 10 be long withslood.
The other party was little coy, but.
upon the whole, nothing loath. After
proper hesitation, and a lniile decorous
bushing. i, owned the soft impeachment.
admitted an equslly-sudden sympathetic
Impulse on its own side; and, since few
words are wanted where hearts are al.
ready known. the honorable gentleman
takes his place among his new friends,
amidst greetings and caressps. and is al
ready enjoying the sweets Of an eternal
friendship.
In this letter. Mr.. President, the writer
says. in substance, that he saw, at the
commencement Of the last session, that
affairs had reached the point. when he
and his friends, according to the course
they should take, would reap the iull
harvest of their long and arduous struggle.
against the encroachmenis and abuses of
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