The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-10
MR.. VIM. C. RIVES.


eloqueny written. article from the Richmond Cpa)
Wing OF Tuesday:
MR.. VIM. C. RIvES.
A stray number OF The National Inteigencer has
afforded me perusal Of Mr. Rives' speech In the
Senate nf the United States on the Goth December,
on his Resolutions calling for information from the
Treasury Department. IhopeI shall say nothing I'M
acceptable 10 the editors of the Wing, or any member
OF the Wing party, in pronouncing II display wor-
thy Of MIR. Rives' early promise-worhy Of Vir-
ginia Senator-worthy Of Wing Statesman-not
meaning by the term Wing, the party Of the day, but
usir il in its broad and if may say So cosmopli-
teal sc ,se inclusive of the enlightened friends OF
human rights and opponents Of despolic power. every
where. There is and has been no theatre on which,
had this speech been uttered there, it wouidnot have
reflected credit on the speaker for not only is its rea-
soning lucid, its logic severe and unassailable, its
connexion and continuity unbroken, but its style as
mere composition, is in the best taste-elegant
without ambition, dignifed without imitation, plain
and simple, without insipidity, or needing any in
gredient TO give il relish with the reader. feel
vocation 10 speak of the relative merhs ofthe two
financial systems which Mr., Rves treats of but |
cannot close this letter without congrauating the
public upon the soundness Of the constitutional
views presented by Mr.. Rives, his wise jealousy OF
Executive power and aggrandizement and above
all, upon the glorious hopes which these and many
| other circumstances OF the time encourage, OF a
| speedy termination OF the long and ignominious
! reign OF manworship, despotic experiments Char
latanism, and public plumber In the name Of God,
will not The people noU awake-now when blind
devotion to Gen jackson has resulted in system
Of general public robbery BY his partizan Office
holders-now when the honor of the United States
has been furnished in the eyes oftbe civilized world
and her Boosting Democrats must appear to Europe
as as, ii,'le better than community of punderers,
Will not the people NOW, after their long and
perilous dream, rouse up TO full sense of their dan
ger, and the determination Of prosrang that array
of office holders and Office hunters, who Tor many
years, have governed them by the magic of jack
sons nume1
Others may take an i'll naured pleasure in aon-
trasng the Republican elevation Of Mr. Rives' sem
| limenS in his late Speech with his protracted de-
volion TO Gen. Jackson /; but, for my own part am
disposed rather 10 rejoice that he has repudiaed that
DEVOTION and resumed the independent exercise of
his own fine intellect, than 10 find taalt with his
not having done SO sooner. am warm party
man myself and know from experience, how pain
full il is TO cut a>under the ties OF party connexion
and from observation and history, that the mos up
right intentions, united with The cearest head, will
be drawn into The vortex OF party, and carried by
| il far beyond the limits of what was first proposed
or even deemed possible. The greatest luminary
that has arisen among mankind, the all learned,
sublime and upright Milton, was himself an ex-
ample in point, whu commencing an ardent Repub-
lican, ended in becoming the apoosist and partizan
of CromwelPS usurpaiion.. Ii Milton yielded 10 the
force OF party, who ought to plead in vain the fall
libility of human Judgment, or The fraity of human
purpose7 Let, Messrs. Editors, Bygonss be By
gones, and in this momenous hour, when we are on
'he eve VI giving nhdl paie, WIN the duVeIsai.eS
whom, If we are honest, we believe 10 be rapidly
Subverting the political system and liberty OF this
Country, cordially welcome every one TO combat
in our ranks; and the more especially one whose
proves will give the van Of fight That Mr..
Rives convictions have forced him to abandon for
ever The corrupt party which holds power, is mani
fest from his late speech On the finance question
he has been consistent throughout, and while the
administration continued TO drive on the scheme
which he from the beginning pronounced fatal TO
liberty and integrity, he could not do otherwise
than separate himself from that administration
That upright eonpietion has coerced Mr.. Rives into
his present position OF hostility to the Admnistra
ton, is equally evident; for, who is ignorant, that
any Office in the gift of Mr.. Van Buren, would have
been Mr. Rives' on the condition of his continuing
his support In all these circumstances, the Wing
party cannot but perceive the fullest and amplest
guarantee for confidence in Mr.. Rives"