The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-07-23


sincere friendship, and believe me 10 be, respect
fully, your obt servt. ANDREW JACKSON"
And now, Mr. Chairman, mark how full were
General Jackson's expressions of disregard of
"party and party feelings" How deep and strong
his adherence of"the monster called party spirit"
How earnestly were "probity, virtue, capacity, and
the eyes of General Jackson, that 'the Chief Mag
lstrato Of great and poweri, natoi SLID sc".1 ""Ds'
sndutge in partgfecLings" How important, then,
that chs conduct should be liberal and disin-
tcrested bearing in mind that he acts for the aohole
Gnd not a part of the community % Sir, do not
doubt the sincerity Of this advice. General Jack
son felt all that he wrote He had not then be-
come corrupted by ambition. He had not in
contact with the men who, afterwards, sought TO
use him in accomplishing their purpose of''putting
down "pure" Administration lie was Gener-
al Andrew Jackson, fresh from tho conflicts and
tolls and victories of war; and unpractsed in the
ty in him, then, became the rankest hypocracy in
those who used it ten years afterwards He depre-
Gated, truly, the prevalence of prescribing, exter-
minatng party spirit. They sought TO him to
accomplish lis worst purposes. He and felt
the value of "probity virtue, and capacity" in
public station: They eaw and felt the value of his
recommendation of these qualities in aiding them
to crush pure vrtuous, and capable Administra.
ton. He saw that MIR. Monroe might acquire for
himself an imperishablo name by following his
noble advice. They saw, with the keen sight of
political gamblers, that they might acquire po,osr
by skilfIliy using that advice and that, having
acquired, they might improve it for purposes Of
But sir ! will do them the Justice to say that
do not believe they then contem plated the full ex-
tent to which the power they were grasping would
be carried under the new Administration. 1t seems
impossible they should have even dreamed that
Gen. jackson, the author of the noble sentiments
have quoted, could ever be brought to enact, in
his own administration, an utter Justification of
coery profession they contained-a Justification
complete, that there should not be- in truth there
is not, found single one of his friends whose face
does not crimson with bushes mt exhibition of
he nnntr R,ttfl Tho e.
ing hat purpose had not then taken the stage as
chief actor The time had not come for hirn to
spread his coils and spring the snare. But tat
cabinet was formed The work was commenced!
Mr. Chairman, you know the history. The country
knows 1t. The arts by which an ambitious aspirant
for the highest honors gained the confidence of the
old chief, and the unscrupuousness with which
that coniidenceS was abusot, familiar TO all Ger
Jackson yielded 10 the subtle infnennn and without
ever oIseoursed Of probity, virtue, and capacity as
qnalllcations for office without seeming to recol-'
iect that he had ever denounced party spirit as a
monster, and recommended Mbcralitg and disiater-
estedneSS as indispensable Cor the Chief Magistrate
OF great nation, he became suddenly and strange
~ metamorphoscd into the mere President of a
pagty-eXating party devotion above the uualGca-
uonS he had so strongly commended, and convert
ing the whole power of his high Office TO the aG6-
e'at and Interested purpose OF serving party friends
ana accomplishing the designs of party ambition.
The history of inconsistency, from the beginning
OF tune to This hour, cannot, fearessly assert, fur
nish parallel.
Gen JachSon acas to seroo 6ut one tGr,n
Bat this is not all There were other uledses,
You remember Mr. Chairman, how slrenuously it
was maintained durIng the administration of Mr.
Adams, that President should not be a candidate
Tor second election 1t became a favorite doc
trine of the Opposition. 1t was Just then discover
ed that Executive power night be used by Pres
dent to secure his continuance in Office. Tho
danger otthis was portrayed in strong colors; and
General Jackson was Tie nan in whose person a
reform was to be commenced, If the People would
honor him nv! with their confidence. The suggestion
took. Thousands believed, and voted for the man
who would retire at the end of four years He
was elected; aud so strongly did he himself seem
TO be Impressed with the danger of giving Pres-
dent second election, that he actually recommen.
ded, in three successive messages to Congress- an
amendment Of The Constitution rendering Their pres-
dent ineligible for second term. And yet when
the four years drew close, and the People
looked preparing to him retire, behold thew
found him prepared to extend his iron reign through
another four years! The humbug h ad served its in
tended purpose. 1t had aided in putting down a
pure inistration, and now it must be exploded
to sustain the power of corrupt one.
Members Of Congress scere not to be appointed to-
office.
come now to another pledge made antecedenf
to the election which spot down the pure Ad-
1t was among the earliest and loud.
est of the complaints against MIR Adams that he
had appointed MIR Clay, member of Congress, to
me Office OF Secretary of State. You remember,
MIR Chairman, the stereotyped charge of "bargain
and corruption, as connected with that election,
the sweeping effect of which, in the hands of its
inventors was as signal as the conviction Of its ut
ter groundlessness is now universal 1t was used
not only to bring odium on the administration for
an act already done but fill the country with APP
prehensions of future danger from the practice of
appointing members of Congress to office The
ponsp.rators suddenly became great sticker for the
purity OF the Representative bodies, and eagle ey-
ed to the danger that purity from the rrac-
lice in question Upon tho people every where
was urged the great and Indispensable importance.
Of reform, which should exclude the members of
those bodies from Executive appointments, and
General jackson was held up as the man who
would etfectually work out that reform and secure
Congress from the corruption of Executive inhu-
ence. .rtE
l said that General Jackson was he6 up as the
champion of this promised reform SIR there was
more than this He held himself up IN that char
'cter the very outset Of the canvass which re-, re-
uled in his election. He was nonihateo ny the
Lea,si,ture of Tennessee i'm October following
Mr. Adams's inauguration; and on that occasion, in