The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-03

view Of the same object, they have In many
minds the most violent effects, Place before
the eyes of such men post OF honor, mat
shall be at the same time place ofProft, ana
they will move heaven and earth to obtain IT,
The vast number of such places it is, that rem
ders the British Government so tempestuous.
The struggles for them are the true sources OF
all those factions which are perpetually divld- |
ing the nation, dstracting its councils, hurTylng
sometimes into fruitless and mischievous wars,
and often compelling submission to dlshon-
orable peace"
Does not this sound like thorough know
ledge of human nature3D Oes it no. almost seem
as the wise old Doctor, had somehow real
lied his own queer wish of being bottled up IN
good madeira, aad, after the lapse othfty years,
resuscitated TO see what the country had come
to, and give this graphic sketch, of the work
ing of our system of Presidential elections? l
cannot refrain fem giving another extract from
the same speech.
at will be said we doHt-propose to establish
kings. / know IT; but there is natural lncll-
nation in mankind to kingy government. II
sometimes relieves them from aristocratIc do
mination. They had rather have one tyran-
than five hundred 1t gives more the appeart
ance OF equality among citizens, and that they
like | am apprehensive, therefore, perhaps
| too apprehensive, that the Government of these
But the catastrophe think may be long delay
ed, if in our proposed system we do not SOW
the seeds of contention, faction, and tumult.
If we do, fear that, though at first we do EN-
ploy a number and not single person, the
number will in time be set aside, 1t will only
nourish the fetus of king, and king will ult-
mately be set over US"
How is the fact-what says experience af-
ter fifty years test of the system: Did they not
sow the seeds of contention, faction, and tu-
multi? If. instead Of intending 10 avoid those
evils, as they no doubt honestly did, they had
intended to cast among us the very apple OF
perpetual discord, they could not have better
succeeded by any other device than in that they
unremittingly adopted, in the system of cleo
ing our Presidents. Let us look little into
what the system has already produced in that
way, and it will enable Us the better TO antici-
pate what will ensue from the same cause in
future.
The first serious contest for the Presidency
generated party fued that lasted fifteen or
twenty years, and had well nigh severed the
Union. The second created another that has
lasted twelve years, and promises to last at
least four more. They both were and are felt
in their effects throughout all the ramifcations
OF society They poisoned and thoroughly
corrupted the course of legislation in both the
Federal and State Governments. The intlu-
ence OF each was and is felt down to the cleo
ton of constable. The first severed the ma
ton, both, in and out of Congress, into two
| great parties; the one universally censuTing,
| whilst the other, with zeal equally blind, ap
proved everything the administration did. The
! results of the second have been about the same.
| What has been done in Congress for the last
fifteen years, but with an exclusive eye TO the
| ensuing Presidential elections? During both
those contests, every member of Congress- and
| the State Legislatures was and is elected with
a view to that subject alone, without thought
on his qualifications as a legislator. The ques-
ton has mingled ITSELF as il did during the DAYS
OF Jefferson and Madison, when even the social
relations of life, making private Individual
friendships and enmiies, and extending to the
operations ofprivate business; it even gives to
or takes from mechanic his employment. The
parties are no longer severed, as in the days of
Jefferson and the elder Adams, by even the
appearance of great leading principles, which
gave that contest the outward aspect at least Of
| something noble and worthy TO stir fTeemen
and republicans. Whatever may be said ofthe
! subsequent issues that have been formed since
| the present contest began, it had the rise from
the uerest, the most unworthy, the most de-
| grading scramble for office and power. Ii we
are not now, in the language of Mr.. Jefferson,
all republicans, all federalists, we have become
| so mixed that the only true distinction is be-
tween those who are successful and those who
are unsuccessful in the scramble. Democra-
| cy still retains as word, great potency among
! us: it is still talisman TO evoke great spell
| upon the people. But so little do its princi-
| pies concern those who so long successfully
| evoked and used it, that the chief officers OF
| the Government passed through the hands of
DISTINGUISHED unreclaimed, unconverted, ad-
! herring federalists who, whilst ruling the ma
ton in the name and by the authority of the
great democratic party, engraited on the Gov
| eminent some OF the strongest oftheir own fed
sral principles.
We all recollect, aud for the sake of posterity
it should never be forgotten the excess to which
parties were carried in old democratic and fede-
raj times. Some of the brightest and modest
men of the republic suffered party exacerbations
to carry them far, as to give cause for suspi-
eion that they wanted common regard and alfec |
ton for their country. Whist their native land |
was in death struggle with an all powerful
foreign nation, in righteous war as ever
was waged, they gave 1t no succoring aid, lent
it no helping hand, nor yielded it even 'sthe
cheering of friendly voice;n but, as far as in
them lay, by more than apathetic indiaaxence,
unnerved and paraiyzed the country in its gal |
liant efforts to free itself from the peril IN winch
it was placed. Is it now credible that Just when |
the country had successfully passed the crisis,
when peace was restored, and when all true
hearts were swelling with exultation for their
recent and even brilliant victory of New Or
leans, that distinguished member of that party,
standing among the first for talent, and whose
memory is henored, whilst unbosoming himself
in a private confidential letter, expressed a
strong regret at the achievement of that victory
because it would render Mr.. Madison's admins
tration popular? Is it credible that the Vandal-
like sacking of Washington City was hailed
with cheers and applauding shouts by native
born citizens 81 this country? To such an ex-
tent were the minds of the people OF New Eng
land iniamed by party strife, during the war, that
it remains questio n between them and their
leaders to which the credit is due, that some
distinct overt act was not perpetrated towards a
severance of the Union Do more than justice
to the present state of feeling among that people
in believing that there needs no foreign eensure