The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-04-23
NUMBER 30.
From tie Boston Courier.
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CoCN-
TRY.

IL must be subject OF copgratuiallon -
all wel.wisbers of the prosperity OF out
country, that at last fair issue is milking
up for the decision Of the people at the
next August elections. The government; of
Mr.. Van Buren, has lasted long enough TO
afford evcry citizen an Opportunity OF ludg-
ing Of its character and of the results il may
yet lead to, if extended for still longer
term hereafter. No trihng indication of
IFS true nature may be found in the three
years Gifts career, none Gifts opponents have
been concliated, excepting those whose
opposition once constituted its greatest re.
commentator. The accession Of South
Caroliuian Modification to the ranks OF the
Administration, constitutes strong argu.
ment, among moderate men in other States,
for its condemnation. Anather fact is equal
y strong against it ; and this is, that the di.
visions, which heretofore existed in the op.
/ position, have been all made up. The rea.
son for which can only be found in their in.
creasing dislike Of the common opponent.
TIE misconduct of the ruling powers is SO
/ palpable as 10 demand Of their patriotism q
sacrifice of their mutual aninosities, in
tones which cannot be resisted. Little at
iachmeu,s to men have given way TO com.
mon attachment to the country. And dis
pues, which were of no service but TO en-.
courage evil doors, have been hushed, in the
desire to frame single energetic combna-
( lion. The question now before the nation
is not one about men. 1t has little refer
ence to any admiration Of this or that party
idol. Ii is a higher, and yet quite as SIM
pIs one, agitated between the government
90 one side, and the country on the other.
An army of Office holders and Office. expec-
ianis are contendng with the active and IN.
dustFous Of private life, upon the point,
whether the nation is hereafter to 60 for
ward as i, has done since 1859, or whether
il is TO 60 backward to where it was ia
1855, and the other years of the Confeder-
alton. A period Of poverty and wretched-
ness, when no industry fourished but tho
industry of the lawyer, and no wealth was
created excepting that made by usury feed.
ing upon the yitals of labor.
Things being thus, it must strike every
one that neutrality can no longer be cousi2.
cred virtue. Whatever individuals may
think Of the man who has been named as
the candidate of the opposition for the Pres.
idency, they must remember that preju-
dice against him, which shall be SO far in.
duIged as to prevent their voting, will work
not SO much injury to the candidate himself,
as to the cause which they have most at
heart. And, furthermore, that if it is an
object to bring round change Of public
measures, which shall again assure to Ia
Dor the bread it fairly earns, it is not right
10 quarrel with the only present method by
which tha; change can be brought about,
merely because it does not exactly square
with the notions of the political justice they
may consider to DO the best. We are
among those who have as many personal
feelings to sacrifice, as probably any of the
community. The confession of this, how.
ever, so far from derogating, in any degree,
from the force of the argument in support
Of the nomination, appears to us to bear di.
recily the other way. If the end in view
was only the elevation Of the man, w. III.
Harrison, the work might be left TO those
partisans of his who would expect to gain
Office BY his success. But il is wholly diff.
iereut from this--and one which makes in-
dvduals sink into insigniticance in the COM
parison. That end is to renew the energetic
action of the United Safes to make our
citizens what they have been, industrious
and useful, without converting them into
gambling spectators, ravesous place.hun-
tiers, or despairing idlers. The present
Administration is dead freight upon the
country-and if human energy can succeed
in throwing il of, no matter by what means
or instruments, provided only they be fair
and honest, every inhabitant will have an
opportunity to feel compensated in his busi-
ness for his eyertion, even if he should new
er be led to think again Of the individual
for whom he may have voted in the pro-
cess.
The country is suffering from one end TO
the other, by cause which is not the less
active, because majority of the voters
have not vel been able fully to understand
il. That the persons whom they have low.
ed to honor, and upon whom they have
all the blessings in their power, POI
li,ically, to confer, should turn out to have
been incompetent TO the management of the
trust committed TO their care, is toe morti-
flying an idea to their pride to allow Of any
but very reluctant confession Of its truth.
Yet this is the truth, and the only point of
view, if we would seize complete concep.
ton of our present difficulties. The Ad.
ministra,on may have been corrupt, but it
might be difficult satisfactorily to establish
the truth of the allegation if we advanced
it; and we have no desire to assume the
ground of merely general invective. 1t has
tnanifestly conducted the affairs of the gov.
upon the parrowest partisan basis,
but even this might be pardcned, if able and
energetic agents had been employed, upon
a strongly conceived aud wisely matured
system. Unfortunately, there has not been
a sign of such thing. What system has
been adopted is only system Of casual ex.