The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-22
TO THE REPUBLICANS OF THE UNITED
STATES.

severe conflict as interesting and important to The
Republic any that has transpifed since us organi
cation The cause and our course, have attached
10 us MANY interests which will not permit US to re-
tire as we contemplated.
A period has arrived, therefore, when ii has be-
necessary, in justice TO ourself and the public,
to indicate our course for the future.
II is well remembered that the MApIsoSAN was
established in the conviction that the great character
and interests of the country as we'll as the success OF
the administration required another organ at the seat
of the National Government Born in the Republi-
can faith, and nurtured in Republican doctrines, we
DESTROYS of seeing the leading principles of the
party TO which we were attached preserved and car
ried out, not only in theory, but in practice. We
pledged ourself to sustain the principles and doc
trines Of the Republican party, as delineated by Mr..
MADISON and came here in good faith to support the
present administration upon the principles tcteh go
peraed the PARTY which elected Mr. Han Buren,, and
upon the pledges By achieA that election secured
We have throughout strictly adhered to those prin-
cipes Had the Executive of this nation done the
same; had he received in the spirit in which II
offered, the advice Of his best friends, the continu-
ance Of this paper would not have been necessary,
should have beheld the distracted counsels by
which he is governed, or have seen the disjointed
and defeated party by which he is surrounded.
No Chief Magistrate since the DAYS of Washing
ton to 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 his
popularity. But, il-omened and evil counsels pre-
vailed, and the hopes of that political millennium
which many Republicans cherished as the ful6lment
oftheir creed were disappointed and postponed
Whilst the MApIsoNIAN and its friends were en-
deavoring to the prosperity of the country,
the Executive and his advisers were urging forward
measures directly calculated to destroy ito keep
the country convulsed and prostrate-measures,
subversive Of The principles of Republican govern
ment, and tending to the establishment Of an unmit-
tigated despotism. Accompanied as they were by
war upon the CREDIT SYSTEM OF the country, and an
unusual spirit of intolerance, denunciation and
prescription, Justice could not have required nor
honesty expected any support from consistent Republi
cans In that spirit Of independence and love of
freedom which characterized the founders of our
institutions, resisted these nefarious attempts
depreciate 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 il necessary
It is an incontrovertible truth that every prominent
act of this administration has been an open, une-
quvoca violation Of every principle and profession
upon which Mr.. Van Buren, was elevated to the
Chief Magistracy by the people.
In his unfolding 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 subveIsion of the entire practice Of the go
vernment, and still perssting in it, notwithstanding
it has been four times condemned by the Represen-
tatives of the people;
passed by Congress- applicable only corporations
SO that this government should possess an absolute
control all the State institutions and be able to
crush them all at pleasure; and taking all jurisdic
ton over 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 ruinous practice
of deprecated government paper money, for crcu-
lating medium; thus exercising power derived
only from loose construction of the Constitution
and repudia.ed 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 Deposite
the public moneys into his actual custody and con.
troll;
In his attempt to divorce the government from the
interests and sympath's 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
our 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 hroug 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 attempt to cram obnoxious measures down
the throats Of dissenting brethren by means unbecom-
ing magnanimous Chief Magistrate;
In his refusal to acquesce in the decisions oil the
majority and
In the despotic attempt of his parsans in the U.
S. Senate on the I'd July, inst to seize the public
treasure, by abolishng all law for its custody and
safe keeping.
He has abandoned the principles by which he came
into power, and consequently, the duty which they
prescribed and he has obstinately persevered in
his erroneous course as to preclude all reasonable
hope of his retracing it.
And finally, to this long catalogue OF grievances,
we may add, what may be considered minor Of
fence but certainly very obnoxious one that con-
trary to all preconceived opinions of his character,
Mr. Van Buren, has rendered himself the most
inaccessible both to friends and adversaries 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 Magis
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 infatuaion which has needed
not this rule of the American people, must and
ought to meet its reward and sink in indiscriminae
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 perpetuity 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-
venient currency, and system that will equalze
nearly practicable, the domestic exchanges, is de-
manded by the practical wants of the people, and,
or later, in form or another will be OBJ
tanned by them. To accomplish this end, and TO
preserve and regulate" the credit system of the
country, which this administration has attempted to
impair, will be of the great objects for which
We feel constrained to continue our labors.
No Administration of this Government can pros