Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-11-14
POLITICAL.
MIR. LEGARE's SPEECH INN YORK

Ills most scathing and scorching remarks
on the Administration, were accompanied with
expressions OF perfect respect for the mass of
those opposed TO him in opinion on political
questions. lie seriously believcd-he had
the most solid conviction-that they We're
wrong, but they were honestly wrong. He
spoke not of them, but of the persons whom
they had trusted with power. He smoke of
the system adopted, and attempted TO be car
rIed out, by these persons,-the end of which
he lett assured, ifit could be effected. woulJ
be destruction and ruin to the prosperity and
liberty of the country. To entrust such pow
ers as the sub-lreasury confers, to the men
now In Office, would be to place an engine of
association and death III the hands of malir-
nant spirits. ''War and spois'' are their
motto. They would make every man an Jsb-
maeiite, exciting each to raise his hands AGAINST
his brother. by their accurscd distinction be-
tween classes.
Here Mr.. Legare, in burst of INDIGNANT
eloquence, denounced the odious attempts of
MI. Van Buren's official organ-the Globe
TO lncite the Americanpeople to Agrarianism,
by making arbitrary distinctions between our
ci'iZens, as productive and unproductive labo-
rers, and calling on the followers of the cabal
at Washington &c destroy and utterly extin-
guish these whom it designated as unproduc-
tive.
The utter absurdity of the distinction at
tempted to be set up, he illustrated very hap
ply, by reference to the pine barrens of n.
Carolina. His picture of the iron bound coast
and the dreary wastes of those portions of the
old North State, by the way, was wonderful
~ striking. The whole scene was brought
as distinctly before the minds eye as if it had
been represented painting. There logs lay
useless and rottlng for years-and SO would
have continued, had not the far seeing eye of
the adventurous and entorprising merchant
discovered them. and his energy and industry
determined him to convert them to some prac-
! teal use. Then it was that their immense
trunks, which had no value in the eve of the
productive laborer with his axe on his Shout
der, became of immense importance in the
estiinatlon OF the ''unproductive labOrer," as
the Globe styles the merchant.
!hcse attempts to put man against man,
and class against class, became more fearful
and more wicked, when connected with the
spolls system on which the Administration
now regularly and habitually acts. There is
not, SAID Mr.. L., among the most odious max
ms OF Machavelism, sentence so replete
with cold blooded and accused wickedness
more stepped In shameless and sinful prof
Hgacy-more utterly inconsistent with the
dignity OF Government, or the obligations of
the social state, than that which has been as
crlbed to person who has held a high office in
this state, and who may again hold that sta
ton, unless God should prosper the eXertions
OF the friends of liberty and the Constitution,
In good cause. The infamous declaration
he referred to, was, ''To the Victors belong
the Spols." Sin no collection of the dicta Of
systematized malignity-in no record of the
rawlings of those bold, bad men, who have re-
gularly trampled on their fellow citizens, as if
they We're their predestined dupes and slaves,
Is there sentence more infamous than this
which represents the powers, and dignties,
and trusts, OF great nation, as plumber and
booty, to be acon, as by camp of bandits or
crew of pirates.
Fouche-for twas that remarkable person.
age, and not Talleyrand, as has been errone-
ously reported-said in reply to some one who
had spoken OF the murder of the Due D'Eng-
hlen as a great crime-''It is worse-it is a
blunder!' Europe stood-or affected to stand
aghast at the internal irony-the diabolcal
malIgnlty couched in such saying. But Mr.
Legare maintained it was innonence itself
compared to the remark which had been utter
ed by an ex-governor of this state-.sto the
vlctcrs belong the spoils." Let that once be
adopted and carried out, and who could fore
tell the consequences? Murder has no charms
TO any man. There are terrors to scare-fu-
RES to agitate. A nation of assassins was
historical anamoly, until France III her revo-
luton, presented another example. Let this
odious doctrine be regularly acted upon, and
It's spirit imbibed by our people, and there may
be another instance to add to the list.
The Infamous doctrine under consideration
has not been maintained merely by heated po-
ltclans out of doors. Attempts have been
madet to give dignity to it, by introducing and
proclaiming 1t in the Senate of the United
States! There the maxim has not only been
justified, but twas also shamelessly maintain
ed that the man who got the spois should do
something in return for them This was the
spirit which ran through all the speeches of
those who advocated the right of government
officers to interfere in elections and to disturb
and prevent the pure, conscientious, indepen-
dent use of the elective franchise.
What honesty can be expected from men
appointed on such principle. 1t would ap-
pear from the course of the President, and MS
counseliors, that they no more counted on
honesty and integrity, than the public would
be likely to do. For in their famous sub
Treasury bill, they proposed what the Presi-
dent called more ''severe and salutary legis-
lation," to punish the rogues who, they seem
to have madeup their minds, would assured
ly be appointed to office. They, in fact, pro-
posed to build up safe wherein to keep their
moneys; and, side by side with it, to keep a
Penitentiary, wherein to keep the keepers !,
''QuiS custodiet ipsos custodes ~
A free government should be, in practice,
perfect system of distributive Justice. What
is the practice of our rulers, under their spoils
scheme
A. says to the President, 81 led ten