Litchfield enquirer., 1840-10-08

O~~~J 4 that had the affair never been heard of, they would have been far better off in this county.
 PORTRAIT OF VAN BUREN.
 The attention of our readers is invited to the following extract from the speech dellv- cred at the great South Western Convention, recently held at Nashville, Tenn. by the Hon. Mir. Crittenden of Kentucky. IS Dortrait of Martin Van Buren, drawn by master-h hand, and no one need be tod that It is true to the life.
 Mr. Crittenden said he did not believe Mir. Van Buren possessed either the head or the heart to be the President of this proud and independent nation. He was nurtured in the Albany Regency school of politics, and had not the capacity or lhe warmth of heart to know, or feel like politician of the West. He was emphatically a free-trader in poIi- tics, buying where he could purchase cheap est, and selling where he could command the highest prices. He had been for the war and against the war. Should the Fed eralists say to him, Mir. Van Buren we can support no man who supported the last war, which ruined our commerce and brought the country so deeply into debt, how readily could he reply. gentlemen, who took more decided ground against the war than did Madison opposed, and gave my hearty SUD- pot and influence to Clinton, your own ta- vorite candidate! Should the Republicans, l on the other hand, approach him and say, we can support no man who did not support the last war, how readily he would assure them that he did support it, and point to his reports and speeches in its favor, made after Madison's reelection, and the war had be- come popular!
 Take the subject of Abolition too. Should leading abolitionists tell Mir. Van Buren they would like to vote and use their influence for him, if they could only have some evil dence that he would help to carry out their principles, why who could furnish them with more strong and enduring proofs than MT. Van Buren, of his firm attachment to their principles! How sincerely he would point to his vote instructing the N. York Senators upon the Missouri question-to his vote in Congress to restrict slavery in Florida-to his declaration, for the public eye, that Con- gross has the constitutional power to abolish slavery, any day, in the District of Colum- bia-and to his recent rescript, that he saw nothing in the admission of negro testimony into court against a gallant officer of the l navy that called for his interference! On the other hand should the anti-abolitionsts say to him, Mir. Van Buren what guarantee ] will you give US, that if we go for you, you will not favor the schemes of the infamous fanatics how gravely would he refer them to his repeated declaration, that he will ap- ply the veto to any bill having for it's object the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia!
 Upon the subject of Internal Improvement too, he is equally ready. To one party he points to his vote to establish toll-gates upon the great Cumberland road, such was his love and zeal for Internal Improvements file points also to his approval of numerous bills making great appropriations for works of nature. To the opposite party, he will say he is against Internal Improvements by the General Government, and point, with apparent exultation, to the complaints of the friends of the great National Road, that he asked for no appropriation whatever for it in his last table of estimates for expendi- lures!
 On the subject of Federalism he occupies the same ground also. To the Fcderalists, he can turn to his ardent support of Rufus King, their great champion, and exhibit the book he wrote in his favor. To the Repub- licans, he can point to his support of Daniel D. Tompkins.
 Mr. Critenden asked if he was not justified then in pronouncing Martin Van Buren Q free-trader in politics! He asked what he had ever done to advance the true interests of his country, or promote its prosperity ?- The answer, he said, would be no nothing. | Why. said he, if old Plutarch were to burst from his tomb and be called upon to write the life of Martin Van Buren, and record the services he has rendered his country, great God what a blank the old historian would present to the world!
 He asked what reason the people had for advancing such man to the highest office in their gift. Call over his name-does it fill the heart with grateful emotions! No. At the name of Washington-of even Jack. son-and of Harrison, the heart glows with emotion! But sound the name of Van Blu. ren-'tis as cold as Q tombstone-aye, as Van Buren is himself.
 O. K.-We frequently see, says the Wor- cester Spy, these cabalistic letters used, es- pecially in the administration papers and we believe the opposition party in one of the wards in New York have adopted it as the inscription on their banner. Its origin has often been a subject of inquiry, and, as we are informed, it was as follows. Soon after Gen. Jackson's inauguration as President, one ot the committees of Congress had a large number of private claims before them for services rendered, and for property lost during the Florida campaign when General Jackson was in command. The papers were, of course, handed over to the President for his examination, Sc. When they were returned, it was found that they had been varjously endorsed by hin-some that "the services were never rendered ;" some that 1 the claimant, owing to malconduct or mal- feasance, was "not entitled to any pay :" others were "referred to the Quarter Master, 1 for further inquiries ;" and still others were endorsed, in large capitals, o. K. This was a poser to the whole committee. What to 1 roaka of ;t shov cnuld nor toll It v0S thera