The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-29
outc hoiusis ~. yyhue will forbid

Office holders IN the electons. in -, ~,
plause) ] will do more. While WIN io'p,u
bar Interference in elections, ! will never do
snght 10 prevent their going quietly TO the polls
and voting even against me or my measures.
No American citizen should be deprived OF ms
power of voting as he pleases.
7 have detained YOU fellow citizens, longer
than intended, bur you now see that am not
the old man on cutches, nor the imbecile' ihey
saw | m,-(cheering) mot the prey TO disease,
Ia voice cried here-nor the bear IN cage)
nor the Gagged animal they wittily describe me 10
be. (Great laughter and cheerlng)
But before | conclude, there are two or three
other topics | must touch upon.
The violence Of party spirit, as OF late ex-
hibited. is serious mischief to the political wei
fare of the country. Party feeling IS necessary
in n certain degree 10 the health and stability OF
a republic, but when pushed TO too great an ex-
tent il is detrimental 10 the body polite, II Is
the rock upon which many republic has been
dashed 10 pieces An old farmer told me the
other day' that he did not believe one of the
stories circulated against me. and he would sup
port me, If were only Democrat. (Laughter.)
But if support and sustain democratic prlnci-
ples, what matters il, how am called tit mat
iers good deal, said he,-you don't belong to
the democratic party! (Laughter) Can any
thing be more ruinous in its tendency TO our IN
stitutions, than this high party spirit, which
looks TO the shadow and not TO the substance OF
things? Nothing, nothing. This running after
names, after lmaglnngs, Is omlnous OIL danger
Gus results. In Tie blessed book, we are told
that the pretension Of false Christs shall be in
future times specious, that even the elect will
be deceived. And is il not so with democracy
The name does not constitute the Democrat. II
is the vilest lmposture ever attempted upon the
creduhty of the public mind to array the poor OF
the country under the name OF democrats,
against the rich, and style them arlstocrats.-
This is dealing in fables. The natural antago-
mist of democracy is not aristocracy. II is mo-
narchy. There is no instance on record of
republic like ours running into an aristocracy Ii
can hurry into pure democracy, and the conf
dence of that democracy being once obtained by
Marus or Cesar, by Bolivar or Bona
parte, he strides rapidly from professions OF love
for the people TO usurpation Of their rights, and
steps from that high eminence to throne !
(Cheering) And thus in the name of democ-
racy the bodest crimes are committed. Who
forgets the Square in Paris, where ran rivers OF
the peoples blood, shed in the name Of demo
crazy at the foot Of the statue of liberty2 Che
rish not the man, then, who, under the guise
and name of democracy, tries TO overthrow the
principles Of Republicanism as professed and
acted upon by Jefferson and Madison. I'm
mense cheering)
General Harrison here adverted to the calum-
MES put forth against his military fame by that
noble pair of brothers, Allen and Duncan, and
in severe but just terms exposed the falsehoods
of these vilIiiers He proved they were guilty
of classifying the records of the country, and in
brief and lucid manner indicated himself and
the honor of the nation from the aspersions of
these and other reckless politicians. He show
ed that the received history of his brilliant ca
reer in the Northwest had been stamped by the
impress of truth, and he will soon find that
generous and grateful people will testify their
admiration Of his glorious services in their cause
by raising the brave old soldier to the highest
Office in their gift.
A precious inheritance, continued the Gene
raj, has been handed down TO you by your fore
fathers. In Rome, the sacred fire Of tabled gods,
was kept alive by vesta virgins, and they
watched over the gift with eager eyes In
America, glorious fire has been lighted upon
the altar Of liberty, and to you, my fellow cit-
zens, has it been entrusted in safe keeping to be
nourished with care and tostered forever Keep
it burning and let the sparks that continually go
up from it fall on other affairs and light up IN dis
tant lands the fire of freedom. The Turk busies
himself no longer with his harem or his bow
string. To RIGHTEOUSNESS have succeeded the
rights Of man, and constitutions are given to the
people by once despouc rulers. Whence came
the light that now shines in that land of dark
ness2 II was a branch snatched from your own
proud altar, and thrust into the pyre of Turkish
oppression. Shall then the far-seen light upon
the shrine Of American liberty ever be extin
guished? (No, no, no.) 1t would not be your
loss only-it would be the loss of the whole
world. The enemies Of freedom in Europe are
watching you with intense anxiety, and your
friends, like few planets of heaven, are pray
ing for your success. Deceive them not, but
keep the sacred fire burning steadily upon your
affairs, and the Ohio farmer whom you design to
make your Chief Magistrate, will, at the end Of
four years, cheerfully lay down the authority
which you may entrust him with, free from all
ambition. 1t will have been glorious enough for
me to be honored as those pure and honest
publicans, Washington, Jefferson, and Madison
were honored-wth the high confidence of
great, noble, just and generous people. (The
excitement and cheering continued for several
minutes, and the multitude were swayed to and
fro, as the leaves of the forest in a storm wind)