The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-02-22

OF THE STATE CONVENTION sTo TUE

Having met in Convention for the purpose Of 70.
organizing and re-estsbshing the party the old plat
form Of Jcersonsn Democracy and also Of nomisting
officers Tor the ensuing year, deem duty 10 lay
before you the result OF deliberations The organ
zaton which has been adopted by the Convention, we
believe will be found 10 be strictly Democratic. II
brings the nomination Of state officers more directly
from the people, than the method heretofore pursued by
the party by the method proposed by the Convention
the voice Of the people will be heard and their influence
felt in The selection Of candidates for Office BY this
means, will be prevented that degree OF interference and
dlcatlon which the officers of the federal government
have lately exercised IN conventions and elections.
The individuals nominated for the various otces, are
men whom we confidently recommend TO the people
Tor their sufrages They democrats IN heart as
wen as in name" and WILL if elected, act for the good
OF the country, well Of their party The principle
object Of assembling in Convention at this time, Is one
Of great and momen,ous importance To The Democratic
party, one which calls for the OF all the WISDOM
skiil, and experience Of our best and oldest men,
Hitherto many occasions have Conventions from the
Deinocrac party been called together for the purpose
o. deysng measures, the ehecualy to resist their
odd enemy--the Federalists; but before, was
there Convention called for the purpose Of purgng
that party Of its impurities.
Ihat old enemy, to whom reference has just been
maa still in existence and active IN ts erdesyors
TO overthrow and destroy the Democratic party
As Democrats, it therefore becomes us, be always
viglani and not TO relax excTons in opposition TO
tnen, until we nave oVertnroWn suenced tnen py
FAIR and honorable But Federalism is not the
only enemy, the Democratic party have TO contend
wh--tere is another, which Turks in the dark, and is
insidousy undermining the ntestimabe institutions Of
the republic. This enemy has taken advantage OF the
past prosperity of the Democratic party and while the
people weIe of their guard has stolen and usurped
their prepgatves. This is a solemn lesson to the de-
mocracy that sleepess vigilance is always necessary for
the preservation OF republic. IL ought TO teach them
to look whha jealous eye, the acts OF those, whom
they have entrusted with powcr--that the least reaxa
ton would be Of uncomfortable injury to the democratic
party, would and as il has nearly destroyed its old
landmarks and thrown down the structure. which our
fathers he'd reared by untrng industry, against the
most unreentng bitterness and prosecuting intolerance
IL should teach them the truth Of the old maxim, that
power constantly stealing from the many the few"
II is time hat the peoe should awake from their slun
her, to SAFE the cherished institutions Of the republic
from being perverted and destroyed-that they should
rise in their strength and check the further progress of
political beresles and dlsorganlzation which making
such inroads in their ranks For who tell without
such salutary check how far 1t will extend itself
Who can tell how all republican institutions
after another, may crumbe under its whitening infu
encehow the Liberties Of the people may be taken
away, and they be reduced saysh obedience TO the
will Of masersl A timely interference on their part
will the country much trouble, and proong to us
the enjoyment Of all our republican institutions. The
people yet possess the porsr, and they exercise it,
to The utter disnay Of their oppressors.
Our political brethren in the city Of New York were
oppressed and tramplcd upon by the class OF sell
fish politicians, styled Loco Focos, who endcavor-
ing to rivet their chains upon the democracy Of Con-
neciicut Yet they dared to assemble together and
exercise the privileges Of reemen For that
we are much indebted to them. Had the Loco Focos
not that instance, met with signal defeat they might
have resorted brute force, they did there 10 pre-
vent our assembling together, But The torrent OF popu-
lar indignation which has burst upon the actors OF that
dspraceftiI has had tendency to prevent
similar manifestations Of coercion.
The democrats Of the State called upon by every
principle Of selEpreserva,on, to review canddly the
history Of the party for the last few years. Judge for
themselves, who it that is TO blame for producing the
singular and extraordinary embarassmcnts and difficult
ties which weigh heavily upon the party. threaten
ing to destroy its old peculiar characteristics II we
trace the party from the days Of Jefferson down until
within very few years, shall hnd 1t a history OF
almost continued prosperity. When the Jefersonian
doctrines were first proclaimed, very few found
who dared to advocate them, and those few suffered
much denuncation and persecution. Yet they perse-
yered in the good which they had espoused, until
they trumphed. 1t was triumph OF princ'Pte-a
triumph Of the people Jeto who would be their
masters From small beginning the party grew into
power and the longer its doctrines were tested by ex.
perence the more beneficial they found to be- and
the more popular they grew. Such icas democracy N
the davs OF jefferson In the days Of Madison the be-
nefts resulting therefom were multiplied and we, as
P'So
perous aud more respected home and feared abroad
During most of the first administration Of jackson where
was the limit prosperity. Democratic doctrines
were then in the full tide of successful operation The
national debt extinguished taxes were diminished
and wealth was flowing in upon us from every quarter
of the pobe Manufacturing villages were spnnging up
on every stream, and the sails OF commerce we're
whitening every In every direction were scenes
Of prosperity and every where marks Of advancement
and increasing opulence. Yet the administration OF
Andrew Jackson had not closed, before the clouds OF
adyersy we're gathering around the political hon
ION. His successor hardly naugurated into office
before the storm burst upon the natona storm unpa-
raeled in the history of the government. The Irea-
sury which before had been full to oyerhowing, is sud
denly no longer So Credit is destroyed the enterprise
Of our commercial cities is broken down, and the doors
Of our manufacturing establishments closed up All
this desoatlon has upon the prosperity OF the
country within few short years and the worst OF 1t u.s.
that it vet remains like an incubus upon it,
It behoyes every democrat therefore, candidy to IN
oure what has brought the country into this uniortu
nate situation! What has produced SO astonishing
change in so short period Why should the coun-
tty be as prosperous under the present administration
as il has been under previous democratic admmstra-
tons These important questions and deserve
much consideration Let cpcry democrat think and
ansrer for himself Our opinions IN relation TO them
may differ from those honestly entertained 10y many de-
mocrats In this address, however, we intend 10 defde
TO no man We yield to all, that liberty, which we de-
sire to enoyhe liberty TO think for ourselves ana 10
act as we think. In reviewing the history OF the en-
barrassments under which the country has aboed we
will begin with the period when the President refused
TO sanction the re-charter Of the United States Bank
That act was popular one-the people believed that
the charter was unconstitutional They believed also,
that it was an engine Of too great power ~ me nanus o
individuals and that il had been prosttu'ed 70 Dsd pu-
poses When therefore the President appealed TO inc
people to sanction his act, the call was responded TO- by
the enthusiastic and almost unanimous voice o. me de-
mocracy in every portion Of tho Union we DO not
mean 10 complain because the bank charter was not re-
newed merely refer to IT, IN this place ol ,ne PuI
pose Of showing the period when the spirit OF radicaism
first began TO make nroads upon the democratic party