Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-02-11
.rREEDoM OF ELECTION s."


When Con. Jackson went into Office, of The
FRI, of the important Reforms which he promised 10
.G.et was to prevent, OF il he could prevent, to
,unish the Interference Of federal officers with the
c...aom of elections. The patronage of that 60
,.roment, he declared, had been thus employed by
III. predecessul and he prc,cnde 10 dcprecate its
corrup,ing influence as an evil oil alarming magni-
,ude, which calledfsr speedy AID efficient correc-
tive. Instead, however, OF correcting this evil, it
grew pace with each succeeding year Of his admin
;,raton, until nothing was more common than to
see prominent officers Of the federal government o.
penly engaged in the conflict, with all the fury Of
hirsliug soldiery, fighting for bread. And Mr.. Van
Burcu's office holders like their employer, are now
walking in the footsteps Of their predecessors"-
Durin. the whole ofthe last and ofthc present
administration, not single effort has been made to
preyent the conspicuous interference Of federal Of
1ce.holders in popular eleciions-no law having
mi. object in view, was recommended to Congress,
md no order from the Departments, Which would
have been more influential than law, was issued to
xestrain their interested ardor. On the contrary
there is too much reason to suppose that their OWE
ra.erness " 10 whe,ted by the stmuant either Of
previous orders or of anticipated reward. 1t is
scarcely TO he wondered at. therefore, that, Mr.. Bel
Of Tennessee, has for years labored in vain - pro-
cure the passage Of law, which, whilst ii fully Sc
cures 10 Office hollers, well as TO other classes
ofczsus, the free enjoyment Of their own opinions,
aud the untrammeed exercise Of the light OF sui
6ares is designed 20 prevent that active and Jealous
Interference with the opinions and rights Of others,
which has of late years been so co"speuons'y ex-
in, he vic %
Houses aud Land Offices. But it was hardly ITO have
been sup posed that like proposition
hx MIR. Critenden in the Senate, would have pro-
dnceJ an elaborate Repsrt, in which the ideniicai
restraint upon this interested class, SO earnestly re-
commended by Gen. Jackson in 1928 would be com
psred to the tyranny OF the Spanish inqulslton and
declared TO be host- to the freedom Of opinion! Is
M, Jackson Demot ratio Rrpublicanism the same
now that i, was when The old llero's banner of Re-
form was hoisted he eastern portco oil The Cap
itol! Or is ii RepnLlieansm TO recommch" mea'
sure which ii is despite to adopt The promise
10 reform tbs evil like most OF those with when
Gen Jackson garnshed his Inaugural Address, con-
,rxs,s most broadly, NC had almost said ludc'ously
with the history of his understanding evidences OF
the infrmty olhuman purposes, or the lnslncerny
with which hi. pledges were os,cnlaonsly ponoun-
ced We suppose, however, that Mr.. Van Buren
finds il vsrv convenient have the aud OF an array OF
ofieehodcrs, scattered throughout the county, in
a. hard piuch, such as he looks iof"afd 10 III ioio
and hence his eagerness to prevent the passage Oh
a law which will puta curb upon their ACTIVITY II
sbe,,cr to succeed by violating an old Jackson pledge
than TO- run the risk Of defeat in order to be consis
tent and homes,