The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1840-06-20

led by thetwe great@ontendin parties, and see
how each is striving, the one to'gain, and the
other to retain, power, our fears for the fate OF
|our institutions are awakened, and the most
dreadful forebodings of the future, present
themselves cour sight. Bh, W. wovld not,
for momentum this article; be understood as
blaming the individual members of either par
ty more thapfhe other, for'the, means used
to carry theirnnds, as both are equally cen
surable. We have no doubt they mean
well, and believe they are subscribing the
ends of their coantrys good;b thus'using the
means placed atstheir disposal. Nor do we
intend censuringeither oftte parties. They
both think they aae'right-and we think that
both are wrong. "'Politics," in its trne mean
ing, is "the science Of government )" and we
all know shat the word "science," signifies
I" knowledge )" therefore the knowledge Of
governing the people, sllould'be the sole aim
and work of politicians. But instead of this
we find that their principal object is to deceive
the mass. We will take for instance, the lead
ing political journals of our country, which
are, in fact, the tools of party; and we may
look INTO their columns, but look in vain, for
truth, more especially pending an election
for before the official returns of any election
arc received. we will have an hundred and
one different versions of its results, all more
or less varying, and none stating the case in
simplicity and truth. As an instance more
particularly connected with the Repeal cause,
we will mention the late Mayoralty election
of New Orleans There, both political parties
had their men, and intended voting for them,
and would thus have given a fair test of their
strength. In the interval, the Native Amer
lean party nominated their candidate for the
office. He happened to he Wing; and by
them he was attacked as traitor to their
cause, and by the Democrats as traitor to
his country first affirming that he wan
ted to create division in their ranks, and the
latter that he intended to Danish all the for
eigners from that city-thus endeavorng to
array every foreign vote against him. How
ever, the election is concluded, and the Native
American candidate is elected-not, however,
until the Native American party had ques-
toned him, and found him sound, in their
principles, to the core. And what is then
done? Why the Wings claimed it as deci-
ded Wing vi tory, and the Democrats said il
was IA federal Wing trick to elect their cand-
date, when in fact, he was voted for both by
Wings and Democrats This is but one in
stance OF the MANY, which is resorted to by
partizans to deceive the people. Is this poh-
tics, or is it il species of deception? But thu
evil might be borne, did not both parties re-
sort to the most base, most fearful means, to
gain their ends. The most prominent ofthese
is, the buying and counting the votes of for
eigners- Of whom are not eI;2:ible to
vote, and more Of whom do not know what
they vote for! This species of fraud is re-
sorted to by both parties, and practised to an
alarming extent. In some cities of our coun-
try, foreigners become so numerous at times,
that they can carry an election on either side
they vote. The most of them, no doubt, in
teilu ledVluS tHe pace So SoOIl Us tHey can
raise the means to carry them away. Thus
are the citizens of place made the tools of
tools, and their interests, perhaps, sacrificed to
perjury and corruption. But such are cob-
web triumphs, which will certainly give way
under their own weight.
We have said that both parties think that
they are doing their country justice, and
that the individuals composing these parties
conscientiously believe in theintegrity of their
purposes and we doubt not in the majority
of cases, this is true. But, how can Native
American partzans SO far forget their duty to
an Overriding Power, their natural allegiance
to their country, and the dictates of an APP
proving or condcmning conscience, as to use
arti6ce to gain corrupt votes the votes Of
foreigners, many Of whom are not entitled by
our laws, to the privilege of the elective fran
chise? This is what we condemn in parti-
zans This is what we have to fear from
party Besides, the many unlawful proceed