The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-09-04
p me Editor offAs Richmond Enquirer


beyond controversy. that there is material difference
upon any prominent political topic, between you and
the object OF your vengeance, Mr.. kvcs; yet, SIR,
since The month Of January last, when suddenly some
new light seemed have burst upon your beclouded
vision and Mr. Rves treason laid open yonr aston
ished gaze your columns have teemed with charges Of
aposiarv and desertion against that gentleman aud
when YOU have been called upon point the solitary
principie upon which he has changed his opinions you
dexierousy evade direct answer. by asserting that he
is opposed Mr. Ven Buren,. Now, sir, what has pro-
duced the difference between Mr.. Van Buren, and Mr.
Rives Has il been Of any change OF OPT
MON in MIR. Rvest Or, has it been the result OF
change on the part Of Mr. Van Buren, Mr.. Van Buren,
elected anti-Sub- ueasury man he is now Tor
it's this change is il not Mr., Riyes was them
and is now, opposed TO itIs that change! II them
Mr. Van Buren, has changed his opinions, and Mr.
Rives has no--as TO the policy which divides them
upon what principle Of nstce patriotism is II. that
you sustain Mr.. Van Buren, and oppose MIR. Rives,
with whom you accord, and that, too. with so much
violence and bitterness II you sincere in the OBJ
ectons which you have urged to the Sub.treasnry po
lcy you view the prospect Of It's establishment,
with any other than feelings Of apprehension and aar
You certainly connot for you have expressed your
self Yet. sir you pursue that course which, above
all Others is best calculated to its success, BY
sustaining its decided friends, and sacrificing its enc
mics, thereby making resistance hopeless II there Is
any better way TO promote its success, pray, sir en-
tighten benghled and dcuded public mind pray cir,
by supporting its friends. II you will recur not to the
very distant past You will find that when you spoke out
your objections 10 the Subtreasury policy, tone
that became free man. and with himDess which DO.
came sentinel upon the watch tower Of liberty, you
yourself charged with having apostatized and in
Cured little Of that hot dseasuTe with which Mr.
Ryes is now pursued. You will remember that two
correspondents Of the Enquirer, = Attaus and An.
other Democrat rated you roundy for your rebellion
against the administration, and departure from the foot
If T..sk .,a bat
your reply In the Enquirer Of the 22d Of August, 80,
you say They may reeoiieet that their system Of
Subhedsurifs ADVOCATED BY the Ways three
years ago; and that The Republicans then resisted me
proposition. II, then, zoe advocate heresy no'o q
| ,eas The heresy Of the Republicans in 1884 ~ Hbe
| our thunder noic, 10 Mandey, and rhat IS
| more important, THEIR thunder thea" This, sir, was
,npregnahe defence, and as il was to you then,
so it is to Mr. Rives now. and proves that all the
charges Of aposiacy which have been rung through your
/ columns against Mr.. Rives, utterly unjust and
| founded. Your whole ground Of complaint, then,
against Mr. Rves, is, that he thinks that Mr.. Van Blu
ren's recommendation Of the Snb-treasury policy, and
tho pertinacy with which he pursues H. is sufficient to
forfeit his confidence in Mr.. Van Buren,, and induce
him TO withhold his support his re election while
you, agreeing with Mr. Rives all his objections think
that ysu ought to retain all confidence In Mr.. Van Blu
rem, and sacrifice Mr. Riyes If you successfully
maintain The propricty and patriotism Of this position
before dispassionae, impartial and an enlightened
| people, then will acknowledge you the Prince Of
| !" Magicians."
But, sir, what's the pretex, by which you a,remp.
Justify yourself IN occupying tho most extraordinary Of
all extraordinary positionst Your dread Of Henry
| Clay--yes, sir Henry Clay-that who hauns your
dreams by night, and alarms your thoughts by day
For sir tell you Of any OF the of this adinstIa
tion your ready response is Heary Clay and The Bank
tell you of any of the enomIties of the Subtreasnry
policy and its dangerous tendencies and your prompt
reply is, Henry Cay and The Bank-and thus your hor
rifyng fears Of Henry Clay and the Bank used to
cover every error Of this administration however
threatening in its character and dangerous IN its ten
dency II is very much to be feared, sir, that when
Mr.. Clay and yourself shall have laid down all that is
mortal and meet in the peaceful shades Of Paradise
first sight your terrified spirit wl vocherae invol-
untary exclamation Of HAIRY Clan and The Bank, and
rush Mortified and alarmed down the battlemcnts Of
Heaven" ,chcre, 4 eanncf TELL"
| Now, sir, if both Mr. Clay and Mr. Van Buren, main
tain doctrines which obnoxious the princi-
pies OF republicans, and dangerous TO the liberty and
prosperity of the naon can you not imagine to your
self, sir that Mr. Rives may, upon principles Of
rcpublicansm, and true feelings Of patriotism, refuse
enter actively into the support Of either II both Of
these genemen If elected, shall carry these measures,
one says he will, and You say the other will into the
practical administration OF the Government does it
necessarily follow that Mr. Rives must oppose the adj
minstTaton Of either How, then, he take very
deep interest in the election of either when he must
oppose either, when elected and why should he be
condemned for preierrng some citizen, maintaining
what you, and he and the great body of the Virginia
republicans regard as the true faith Why sir sacri-
fee him, who will carry into the legislation Of the
try sound principles aud wise measures the success
Of either Of two presidential aspirans who maintain
ant-republican and obnoxious principles! If Clay
would bring into the practical administration Of the Co
vernment, National Banks, Protective Tariffs, and In
ternal improvements, Mr. Van Buren, has brought and
il reelected, will bring into il, Bankrupt Laws, Sub
treasures, Jobbng in Stocks, Improvement of naviga-
Bile rivers, and graduation schemes, in my humble APP
prehenson, equally obnoxious and dangerous Yet,
sir, you and your school of " sink or strn" De-
mocrais who profess hold these systems in the Ut
most abhorrcnce aud agree with Mr. Rves, who has,
with the spirit Of patriot and the independence OF
man, resisted them all, having soemnly pronounced
that Mr. Rives worthy Of death, and shall die under
the infection Of the excruciang Of the Rich
nond Inqusion, because he has adopted the only ef
fectiye mode of MISUNDERSTANDING his support
from the man who recommend and who is now press
ing Them regardless Of the most decisive demonstra-
tons Of public sentiment against them Such sacri-
fee for such cause, would tshonor the Autocrat
Of Russia the Sultan of Turkey and truly charac-
terisc Of the monocatc and proscrp,ve feeling Of the
day. For this fact, twenty years ago, Mr. Rves would
have been hailed as patriot and benefactor; but
nos, he is stigmatzed aposate and traitor How
rapid the progress Of degeneracy
Has Mr. Riyes u,isreprescnted the sentiment of Vir-
glna No, Sir be has not. The sentiment Of the
State is decidedly hostile TO every of the adj
mlnstraton which Mr.. Rives has opposed--yet Mr.
Rives, for his fidelity to his principles and the OK.
pressed opinions OF his constituents, to be sacrificed
because he cannot conscientiousy his determine
ton to sink or SWIM with administration which
is pressing with inacxble determination system
Of measures Of which YOU sir and he believe to be anti
republican, dangerous aud alarming Look at these
words s-weigh their force and import, before your
ready gulotine is stained with the blood Of your VIC
tin Is il rights il just that Truth shall be sacrificed
to Error Righteousness to SIM This, sir is what
you are about to do. II said by the celebrated
Junius, il mistake not that violence of the Con-
suton epea The slightest should be tolerated. be-
cause violation led another, unit, finally these
violations would rpen into prccedens and these preee-
dents be substituted for the Constitution itself III this
be true regards the Constitution Of England, how
much moro so Is IL as regards our federal