The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-07-20
POLITICS OF THE DAY.
From The Winchester Republicans.
.ux. ~ nIULl

p;chmo,d a mony those who paid this tribute 10
the merits OF Mr. Rives are 70 be found The names OF
John Brockenbrough Philip Norborne Nicholas
Thomas Jefferson kanaoPn 1osepm p Wn.s,hs
,;ree NJ sentiment and song was the following
nOnr distinguished guest, VIM. @. Riyes--The
faitbiul representative OF yirginia-the accomplish
ed diplomata-ihe aoe aavocae OF lne righ's OF lhe
states and OF the Union oil the States-and The prac
,ical friend of the right Of instruction" To these
sentiments 50 just and so appropriate, Mr.. Rives
was pected to respond, and TO them he did respond
In The following toast;--
:" V;rgnia lie blessed mother Of US allthe rights
az the states and the Union Of The States, the che
rishpd twins Of her political affection"
Tn. promptness with which Mr.. Rives responded
10 The main idea In the regular toast the beauty Of
STYLE In which that response was made, transferring
To- Virginia the tribute paid TO himself personally
and claiming 10 be only one Of the family OF which
she was the blessed mother, and The delicacy with
which he avoided any reference 10 the right OF in
s,ruc,on upon which he had effected triumph;
each and all Of these, but features in the high
minded, noble and generous, character OF Mr.. Rives
which obScured as il then was by the breath Of adu-
lation has been mos, signally and spendidly Illus
lrated within the last year Of his public life lfany
thing could be conceived necessary IL complete the
moral and political portrait OF Mr., Rivts drawn by
Dr. Brockenbrough and Judge Nicholas, il would
be the sentiment which MIR. Rives expressed IN his
remarks un that occasion, when among other things
he declared" that whilst he enjoyed the confidence
Of his constituents he coveted no other distinction
than the high honor of being Of the Representa-
tives OF her rights, interests and principles" And
IL his moral and political sincerity 10 be put TO
the Severest tests after the expression OF that
feeling the highest distinctions placed before
him 10 lure him from his allegiance to his blessed
mother" No Office within the gin of the newly
elected President was beyond his reach--nay the
highest Offices in the gift Of the Executive prof
fered and pressed upon him. He declined them ALL
and with exemplary purity realized in his own per-
son the perfection OF Virginia Senator. One event
has occurred since all this which more than all
others combined has tested The strength Of Mr.. Rives.
He has tested his Independence OF thoushl-he has
asserted the moral attributes Of his nature in exerc
sing freedom Of mind-and the civil attributes OF his
station as citizen Of free country and member
of the American Senate in fearesSly expressing
them. Il may now be said Of him. modern degen-
eracy has not reached him-originaI and unaccom-
mpdatng the features Of his character bear the her-
dihood OF antiquity" As soon as Mr. Rives was eli
sibe under the old constitution he was elected de-
legate from Nelson county with only two or three
dissenting voeS In the whole county, and from that
day until this has been in public lite with the excep-
tion Of two short intervals. In all his public stations
he has sustained the interests OF the country, and
more than sustained his own reputation, that he
has constantly been enlarging his horizon and add
ing to his weearned lame. That all his votes should
please either party was not to have been expected
but speak Of the main tenor OF his public life
The question is now agitating and will continue to
agate the country whether Mr.. Rives is to be rec
lected /, his place in the Senate The public senti-
ment so far the press has spoken is clearly in IA
vor of his reelection. Virginia cannot spare MIR.
Rives-Virginia cannot surrender such son TO the
cannibas wao control the orgies Ut the Globe. II
the Communications Of the Globe were Of any value
they could be adduced 10 endorse the merits of
Mr.. Rives as strongly has been done by the Pre-
sdent Of the Bank Of Virginia, Judge Nicholas Jos.
Watkins, and others. The real question is not whe-
Their Virginia will repudiate Mr., Rives-but whe-
Their Virginia will be the executioner TO execute the
sen,ence-the warrant issued from the inquisiton
which sits at Washington, and promulgated through
the columns OF the Globe win she sacrifice her
to propitate the favor OF the future aspiranl
TO the Presidency, who solitary and alone has set
this bali in motion" There is no reason 10 think
that the difference Of opinion bstween Mr.. Rives.
and Mr.. Van Buren, has created any unkind personal
senlimenl-so far from it The President in his tour
through Virginia last summer sought The hospitality
Of Castle Hill, after Mr.. Rves had fully expressed
his views on the policy OF the Government, and boldly
declared that he was the representative of Virginia
in the Senate merely 10 register the edcS oil the ex
eculive. Mr. Rives is not ia Mr.. Van Buren's way.
But lustrum shall not have elapsed from this day
when the people OF this country will have 10 select
their Chief Magistrate, and their choice will be mar
rowed down TO two individuals who are now as far
apart in every thing which adorns the civilian and
the statesman, the present Secretary OF the Trea-
sury was removed from him who looked down with
Patrician disdain on the rude democrat
The elements of distant battle are all in motion.
He who said, 81 the old States shall give The pub
lie lands or with an oalh) we will take them"-He
who Is now exercising mysterious and unaccount-
able sway large portion Of the sentiment of
the country by great intellectual power, and BY an
organized corps, when has all the machinery Of The
Government TO sustain IL, will sooner later take
the public land" and set his foot on the Atlantic
States unless he is checked in his bold career. The
deep conspiracy OF uniting the South and WeS',
which was developed in the Senate in the debate on
Fooi'S resolutions, and which was demolished by The
giant arm Of Webster, and which ended in laying
m nj C.r.li mo brill On fha
shelf and letting the real author OF the conspiracy
pass unScathed that deep conspiracy Is now being
concocted in another form. The policy OF receiving
new States in the Union as fast as they can be manu-
fac ured-lhe policy OF the Government in giving
away The public lands so as to induce emigration
from the old STATES into the far West TO carve out
from those buffalo regions new members for the
Confederacy must end MUST END as certain as the
laws Of gravtation, in transferring the balance Of
power beyond the Aeghanes He who reflects
that our territory runs To the Pacific ocean. He
who looks and secs what Tremendous efforts are en-
gagged in raising up, Stale after Stale, in the far
west so that State is ready for admission into the
Union before we can well pronounce lis name-s
premature Senator'S entering the Senate Chamber
and taking their seats in advance by couresy-he
who looks this state OF things mist that il must
all bring a tragic end 10 the Atlantic States. II is
10 vain 10 shut our eyes TO the coming storm. The
Legislative policy nf the Administration must be
changed or checked. IL this were done soon, that
evil day, which possibly will come sooner or laler
To the Atlantic States, might be postponed Virginia
who has given 10 the Union solarge porion d her
public lands, who is the prominent party ofthe con-
tract tciH be heard The most efficient mode of ex-
erciSing important influence upon The Legi>la-
tive policy Of the Government in this respect will
be through her Senator'S There is no man in Vir-
gInia who would be heard, and who would command
upon the imen OF the country an iunuepce equal
TO WIN. C. Ryes. II is n Il necessary 10 draw here
any invidious comparisons. Circumstances have
thrown Mr.. Rives in the public eye of The Union.
He fills. all men admit, no small space in the eyes
of his countrvmcr He has been tried by all The Sc
dicements that Satan could throw in his way to
abandon his allegiance as Senator of Virginia.
lie was unfoilei by all the ambi-dexterily of the
accomplished organ of the Adminisirati,, in de-
bite He Is of an age which fits him for the hattie
IRA III LII IL