The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-01
TO THE REPUBLICANS OF THE UNITED
STATES.


Republic as any that has lranspred since lis organ
cation The cause and our course, have attached
10 us many interests which will not permit us to re-
tire as contemplated
come necessary In Justice to ourself and the public,
10 indicate our course for the future.
his well remembered that the MADsoNIAN was
established in the conviction that the great character
and interests of the country well as the success OF
the administration required another organ at the seat
of the National Government: Born in the Republic
can faIth and nurlured in Republican doctrines, we
DESTROYS of seeing the leading principles OF The
party TO which we were attached, preserved and car
ried out, moi only in theory, but in practice. We
pledged ourself to sustain the principles and doc
trines of the Republican party, as delineaed by Mr.
MADISON and came here in good faith TO support The
present administration upon the principles mach 60
reraed the party wAich elected Mr.. Van Buren, and
upon the pledges 6y lchieh that election secured.
We have, throughout strictly adhered TO those prin
ciples Had the Executive of this nation done the
same; had he received in the spirit in which il
offered the advice of his best friends the continu-
ance Of this paper would not have been necessary,
should we have beheld the distracted counses by
which he is governed, or have seen the diSloined
and defeated party by which he is surrounded.
No Chief Magistrate, since the days of Washing
ton ever 10 that high station under more 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 hfs
popularity. But, ill-omened and evil counSes pre-
vailed and the hopes of that political millennium,
which many Republicans cherished as the fuhlment
of their creed were disappointed and postponed.
Whilst the MADrsoNikN and It's friends were
deavoring TO restore the prosperity Of the country
the Executive and his advisers were urging forward
measures directly calcuated to destroy ito keep
the country convused and Observation-Disclosures
subversive of the principles Of Republican govern
ment and tending 10 the establishment of an unmi-
tigaled despotism. Accompanied as they were by
fha cprpt ySrEN nj he
unusual spirit of intolerance, denunciation and
prescription justice could not have required nor
honesty expected any support from consistent Repubi
cans. In that spirit OF independence and love of
freedom which characterized the founders of our
institutions, we resisted these nefarous attempts TO
depreciae and destroy them, with the best of our
ability. The same spirit which prompted us to do
this finds no 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
quivoca violation Of every principle and profession
upon which Mr.. Van Buren, elevated TO the
Chief Magistracy by the people.
In his upholding 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 union of the purse and the sword
and the subyersion of the entire practice OF the GO
vernment, and still persistng in it, notwithstanding
it has been four times condemned by the Represen-
taves of she people; ".
passed by Congress, applicable only to corporations
so that this government should possess an absolute
control over all the State institutions and be able to
crush them all, at pleasures and taking all jnrisdc
ton them from the hands of the State tribunals
In his breaking faith with the States, by recon-
mending repeal of the distribution law
In his repeated recommendations of the issue of
Treasury notes, to supply the place of legal money,
recurring thus to the exploded and runous practice
Of deprecated sorernment paper money, for circu
laing medium; thus exercising a power derived
only from loose construction of the Constitution,
and rerudiaed by the best Republican authorities;
In his attempt to establish Treasury Bank with
an irredeemable paper-money circulation;
In his effort to overthrow the State Bank Depose
system, established by President Jackson and take
the public moneys into his actual custody and con-
tIo; ". .-.-.,
In his attempt to divorce the government from tho
interests and sympathies OF the people,
IN his attempt to create multitude OF new Off
ceS and TO send swarms of officers to harraSs our
people and eat out their substance;
In his attempt to take away our charters, abolish
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 suffering;
In his attempt TO throw discredit upon, and even
ually to crush the State banks through the revenue
power of the government, and embarrass the re-
sumption of specie payments;
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 attemptto cram obnoxious measures down
the hroats of dissenting brethren by means unbecom
ing magnanimous Chief Magistrate;
In his refusal to acquiesce in the decisions OF the
majority and
In the despoic attempt Of his partisans in the U.
S. Senate on the ID July inst. to seize the public
treasure, by abolishing all law for its custody and
safe keeping.
He has abandoned the principles BY which he came
intn nd which
prescribed; and he has obStinately persevered in
his erroneous course as to preclude all reasonable
hope of his retraring II.
And finally to this long catalogue of grievances,
we may add what may be considered a minor Of
fence but certainly very obnoxious one, that con-
trary 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 filled his station.
And from all these considerations TO what conclu-
sion can the nation come but that their Chief MagS-
trae 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 meet its reward and sink in indscriminate
and everlasting overthrow.
The financial policy OF this Administration cannot
be sustained upon any principle OF necessity expe-
dency utility practical philosophy, or sound econo
my. Its plain object, the perpetuty 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 a moment, tolerated.
The greatdesideratum, sound uniform, and con-
venien 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 to
"prcScrve 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 10 continue our labors
No Administration Of this Government can pros
M Sucrpal is