The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-08-28
POLITICS OF THE DAY.
Ffon hs R.sAmend WAe.
No TX.
~ Ms NdiIor. ef the RieAa.ead Enau,rer,

Vu hnst frequently tutSlel public nDinion nv
holding onl the idea that the President WAS willins
to meet bis dissenting friends upon what Won cali
MS second bea' measure, the Special Deposie
scheme, and which Is your hobby. II Il ir,,, ina,
ne PRESIDENT, 70 one OF his messages, limited thai a
would meet with AS apprebaiiog,-bu, What was he
plan which he suggested That which would ba We
leii the whole matter al executive dscreiona sub.
treasury, under the mantle Of a Special Deposils
system. has me President ever recommended your
plan Have any OF his Sub-lreasury friends voted
Tor ~ or even eounlenanced III Were moi some az
the dsspsed Wings admired Cpnse rvaiiyes The onlv
members Of Congress who gave support 10 YOUR
yiews--some Of those very Conservatives who now
share SO largely IN your decentralization and abuse and
who are The objects Of your inveterae prescription
II is true, sir, Buchanan, OF Pennsylvania. whose
hands were tied up by the Legislature VI his State
BY instructions introduced, what he called Speciai
Deposite scheme, but which, notwithstanding vour
efIurts. 10 find some similitnde was as wide anart
from yours, as the zenith from The nadr. II was in
effect the Sublreasuiy Bur all this is no, sniff ienr
10 restrain the violence Of your wrath or slay The
hand OF your prescription. You deiernine TO hash
your own friends into The ranks OF Sub-treasurysm
or execute them on The commons
u was said, IN many paris oil Virginia during The
late canvass, where Sub-reasuryisIn was moi sulii
cenily strong 70 bear Us friends into power, that
the Subireasury scheme would be abandoned ,hai
u would not be attempted again; and that those who
held il up, 10 all the nakedness of its deformity.
were only seeking 10 excite the people BY false
alarms; and thai alter the elections were over Eve
should hear nothing more about il. What Is The
result 1.-THE elections are over--the Subireasury
u not abandoned. nor intended to be Abandoned -
On The contrary, the President In The North, Mr.
Benton in the West, and Mr. Calhoun in The South,
are earnestly pressing Il Upon The People under cir
councils are again 10 be agiiaed the people harrass
ed with It's discussion, and the business and indus
Try OF the country palsied by the struggle What
will the people say 70 this1 With what Indignation
will they look upon those, who, candidates for their
sufrages, sought TO lull them into fatal security,
when such formidable and dangerous enemy was
approachingl Wilh what ardent affection will they
hug their bosoms those fai hfnl public servants
who warned them, and truly warned them that The
danger was not Overt that the enemy, though de-
feated was not conquered but was actually prepar-
ing TO renew The conflict with increased hopes Of
SUGGEST What have those coniding souls 10 say,
who, opposed 10 all those schemes. exerted every
nerve, and exhausted every effort, To sustain Sub
treasury, and sacrifice anti Sub-treasury men r.
What answer can they make, TO their consciences
their country and their Godl What have you 10
say, who have sung so many lullabies and hushed
50 many fears to sleepl What atonemenl have you
to make, for having administered 50 many sopori6cs
and disarmed 50 much of the vigilance Of a wake
lu, wachiul, and jealous people lear, sill,
you have inflicted wound upon the Republican
institutions OF your country, which whole Lille Of
repentance and good works cannot atone for
This fatal project, although rejected by the Re-
personalities OF the People thrice and by the People
themselves ttcics is again to be urged upon Con-
gress, and all the Influences OF power, patronage,
and party discipline TO be pressed INTO It's service
The President seems determined 10 effect, by har-
RAISING the public mind, that which be could not
accomplish BY appealing TO It's unbiased deliberate
Judgment II is rare instance in the history of
tree government, TO see the Chief Magistrate OF
free people, by successive appeals, fIa to the ma
tional councils and then 10 the people attempt To
wear down the opposition Of both 10 his faporile
schemes. ysSuch is now the case. This state of
things brings to my mind and orciby illustrates The
truth OF some of the reflections of The late able and
patriotic John Dickerson which may be found on
the 260h page Of the Isl volume Of his writings and
reads thus -" Custom, undoubtedly has mighty
force in producing opinion, and reigns in nothing
more arbitrary than in public affairs. Il gradually
reconcilcs rs 10 objects even OF dread and dctea-
tioR and cannot but think these lines OF Mr.
Pope as applicable 10 vice in politics, as to vice in
ethics.
:" Vice is a monster Of 80 holrid mien,
As be hated needs but to be seen
Yet seen TOO on. familiar with her face,
We first endare. then pity then embrace"
80 When an act injurious 10 freedom has been once
done, and the people bear IL the repetition OF il is
| most likely TO meet with submission. For, as the
mischief OF the one was found 10 be tolerabe they
will hope that Of the second will prove so too and
they will moi regard the in1aay OF the last because
| they are stained with that Vi the first.
lNDEEp nations, in general, are not apt TO think
Ieeb 'ueIclOie nave lOSt tTe1r
liberty; Tor as violations OF the rights Of the 60
rerncd, are commonly not only specious but small at
the beginning, they spread over The multitude in
such manner, as 10 touch individuals but slightly.
Thus they are disIegarded. The power or profit
that arises from these violations, ceteying in fen
persons is TO them considerable For this reason the
governors, having in view their particular purpose,
successfully preserve an uniformity OF conduct for
attaining them They regularly Increase the first
INJURIES till al length the inaenlive people are com
PEELED TO perceive the heavness of their burthens-
Ihey begin 10 complain and engure,-but too late.
lhey md their oppIesSors strengthened by sue
cess, and themselves so eniangled in examples of
cypress authority on the part OF their rulers and of
tacit recognition on their ovn part, that they are
quite commanded; for millions entertain no other
idea OF the legality of power than that it is founded
on the exercise OF power. They voluntarily fasen
their chains, by adopting pusillanimous opinion,
mat there VIII be loo much danger In attempting
aremedy," or another opinion no less fatal, that
the Government has tight treat them as il does"
They then seek awrelched relief Tor their minds,
by persaading themselves that To yield obedicnce is
TO discharge their duty. The ceplorable poptry Of
sptr that prostraes all the dignity bestowed by Di-
vine Providence on our nature, Of course succeeds"
These reflections apply with peculiar force TO the
present state OF things. We are yielding first TO
one usurpaion and encroachment, and then 10 an.
oher until finally there will be left neither poper
nor right TO the Srates, nor liberty to the People
and, sir, II this ruin should overlake our happy in.
stitutions, none will have to reproach themselves
more keenly Tor It's contamination than yourself,
for
You knew the right, and approve it too
You see the wrong, and yet the wrong pursue"
am not without hope, that this attempt of the
President iu harraSs the people into acquescence
of his schemes, SO dangerous in its moral effects
will be signay rebukcd II these attempted usur-
pations and entertainments are acquesced in they,
TO use your own language, or that which you bor-
rowed from others,
"Wl DO recorded for precedent
And many error by the same example
May rash into the State--lt cannot boz
Against such passive obedience, III becomes erery
cho raiucs the Constitution 10 raise his Uoiee"
and sir, in by gone days. none would more prompt
LIZ hn.. inn,