The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1839-12-05

elegant language exceedingly testy on
the imma culateness Of Martin Van Buren,. No |
sooner is any thing said in Disagreement Of
the little Magician than pen is dipped in
ink and with nervous haste an article is indit.
ed in which the offender is asked without cerc.
mony to consider himself fused up.'' Every
action of Matty's life, every sentence he ever
spoke, the very words he used to express his
meaning are sacred things with this hidden de- t
fender. "Put thy shoes off, reader, for strange
as it may seem, "thou art on holy ground"
We mention this circumstance not to amin
advert on it. Far be such injustice from US ~
Ingratitude is liorrid crime. With those who
have been created by him he should be rever.
enced-from those who are supported by his in I
diligence and favors, he should receive nothing
but grateful adulation and high eulogy. We
would not have him feel
''How sharper than scrpent's tooth it is,
To have thankless child"
No. We look on it as a charming instance of
gratitude and hold them in high reverence for
it.
But to the point We charged Martin Van
Buren, with voting for a $3.50 qualification in
voters--and we did so first, because we knew
he was in favor of a property quail fcation and,
second, because 1t was our impression, taken
from exchange files that $25G was the sum for
which he contendcd. We care but little for
any specific sum-it is the principle we look
at-and it will be our object to prove that he
e., rnf tho Ill &,
to free suffrage. We suppose, however, that
the editors purpose has further extent than
the convection Of poor US of verbal misstate-
mcnt that he wishes to prove to the voters of
this territory, to whom he is trumping up this
god of his idolatry, that he was supporter Of
liberal extension Of the right Of suffragc-that
under his policy those who now vote, could
then have voted in fine. that he was as he
pretends to be and his friends insist he is, good
homespun democrat. For this purpose we Eavc
selected the following extracts from Mr. Van
Buren, speeches to show candid men that the
cncomiums so literally lavished on this second
''Apostle of Democracy" have no foundation
except in the brains Of their publishers. That
if Martin Van Buren, had had his ''say;" a
large portion of the people of this territory and
of every state in the Union would be deprived
OF the most invaluable heritage of freemen.
In the Convention Debates, p. 366, Mr. Van
Buren, says:-''The qualifications reported by
the first committee were Of three kinds-viz
the payment OF a money tax-the performance
of military duty, and working on the high.
T~l L., loI,
baton: to the latter he wished 10 add the adj
d;ional qualification, that the elcctor should II
he paid no tax, performed no militia duty, but
offered his vote on the ground that he had Ia
bored on the highway, also be a householder
Speaking Of the inconsistency of member
relative to the report of the committee spoken
Of, he says--''1'hc very next day the same
gentleman who thought the highway tax toe
liberal qualification, voted that every person
Of twenty one years Of age having certain
term OF residence and excluding actual pau
pcrs, should be permitted to vote for any otfic'
of the government, from the highest to thu
lowest--far outvieing in this particular, thu
other states of the Union, and verging from
the extreme of restricted to that of uniuersa
!; suffrage"
And again :-'The question then recurre'
shall! an attempt be made to add that of house
holder. to the highway qualification and rul
the hazard of the re.introduction OF the propo
sition Of the gentleman from Washington, a
bandoning all qualifications and thro,oing opel
!, the ballot boxes to erery merchandising a
one blow, the distinctive character of an cleo
tor. the proudcst and most invaluable attribut
Of freemen.''
Mr. Van Buren, then goes on to enumerat
he evils which would flow from unrest,ictc
suffrage
"frst, it would give the city of New Yor
\ 10000 more votes than she then had-.and tina
!, the character of the increased number Of vote
!, would be such as to render the elections ours
rather than tlessing--,chich ,couM drire tro
the polls all sober minded people."-p 267.
: Again, 1.-The door would be closed again
; retreat, whatever might be our after convictio
founded on experience as to the evil tendenc
!, Of this extended suffrage" ''Thc just ECU
librium between the rights Of those who ha,
: and those who have no interest in the COVER
J. ment could when once thus surrendered new
8 be regained except by the s,cord.'
!. We commend the above extracts to the col
sideration of the editor and the candid OF II
party he represents.
e MASSACHUSETTS, ELECTION.
n 1t is now ascertained, beyond reason
n able doubt, that the wings of Massacht
If sets have suffered themselves to be bea
n en- in the State Election just Terminated
IS That they have been deluded into tails
at issue no one will doubt who recollec
ID that this same MARCUS MORTON, now SUI
e. posed to be elected Governor, has run Il
: that office for fourteen successive Perlo'
d aud fourteen times been defeated by
as average majority Of 10000; Ed'ra'
" Everett, the wing candidate who oppose
,e him this fall, having been elected son
4 four or five times. The false issue IN
". was presented was licence law or no
~l<tfN at I'M