The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-08-28
THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN TICKET.
ANOTHER INDICATION Of ALARM

- - put q Few uhys since the puDnc were SUI
prlsed at the disreputable attempt of the Presi
dent of the United States 10 escape from the re-
sponslbllity Of having recommended one of the
most abominable measures ever proposed TO a
free people, and TO throw the whole odium Of il
upon the head Of the Secretary Of War; but be-
fore their astonishment-at seeing the first Off
Ger IN the nation attempting to evade response
bllity by uttering most glarng and papable
untruth-had time to subside, he again pre-
senls himself to them in the position of one
charged with misdemeanor, endeavoring to do,
what convince his accusers that he did not do
the act2 No: but to persuade them that, ad-
hitting the act to be wrong, yet as the law did
not expressly prohibit it, the fault lay at the
door Of the iaao, and not at his Such is the
attitude in which the Chief Magistrate has
| thought proper to place himself before the ma
ton, in his letter to Mr.. Eugene Burras, of
Jamestown, Martin county, North Carolina,
published in the Globe of Friday last, and there
by intended to be addressed to every voter in
the United States
Much as we desire to see the present incum-
bent of the Presidential chair removed to make
room for a better and ADLER man, and much as
rests and welfare of the country should be made
to feel the Indignation of an abused people, we
confess the humiliating posture assumed by Mr..
Van Buren, in. this letter, the alarm and appre-
hension he manifests, the deprecating tone in
which he speaks, and the lachrymose face he ex-
bits, have disarmed our anger and excited our
commiseration. We cannot for our life help
pitying the man, and, low as he has lei himself
down, cannot find it in our heart to exult over
him.
In the letter alluded to, which is but mere
electioneering document, discredtable To The
high Office he fills Mr.. Van Buren, attempts to
escape from the responsibility of having approved
of the admission of negro testimony against
Lieut. Hooe by throwing it upon the law, upon
the court martial, which he says twas composed
Of majority of Southern o6fcers," and upon
the Attorney Of this District who, he also says,
is I" native of slave State" This attempt is
unworthy the Chief Magistrate of the nation,
who should be willing to be judged by the pro-
priety or improperly, the correctness or incor-
rectness of his act and not seek to paliate it, if
wrong by pleading in excuse the acts of others
because they are natires Of Stare States. The.
dignity of his station required him to say, if he
said any thing, that in approving of the admis-
sion Of negro testimony against Lieut.. Hooe, he
had acted upon the best lights he could procure,
and upon the honest convictions of his judy
ment; and however much his felow-ciizens
might differ with him upon the propriety of
what he had done, a circumstance he must
deeply regret, he should not shun the response
bilty which rested on him. But, instead of this,
his letter amounts to this, and no more: " Sir,
am "a northern man, and desire to have south
ern feelings and not knowing exactly what they
are, took it for granted that if followed in the
footsteps of the court martial, composed as il
was of majority of Southern oHcers,' and
also of the Attorney of this District, who is "a
native of slave State could not offend the
South, and therefore I approved of what they
did. If have done wrong you will blame
majority of the officers of the court martial, and
the Attorney Of this District who must certainly
be southern men with northern feelings,-a
circumstance never once dreamed of
Mr.. Van Buren, is the first President of the
United States who, forgetting the dignity of his
station, has descended into the political arena,
and undertaken to be the champion of his own
cause From the part he is acting, he is evil
IDENTITY alarmed; but he entirely mistakes the
causes which have given rise to the mighty tide
of popular Indignation that is setting against
him. He appears to suppose that these are con-
fined to the standing army project, and his deci-
sion in the case of Lieut.. Hooe; when, in fact,
they are mere drops the objections are to al
most erery act Of his administration to the
inability and unftness of the man; to the cha
racters of some of those who surround him and
enjoy his confidence; to the rapid strides which
the Government is making towards consoda-
ton of all power in the hands of the Executive,
and to the admitted rottenness which pervades
every department of the Government.
AS well might Mr.. Van Buren, expect to ar
rest the tide of the Atlantic by throwing pebble
stones into it, as to hope to alay the excitement
of the PEOPLE against him by such puny let
tiers as he has lately sent forth, We must con-
fess our surprise at witnessing these puerile at
tempts of the President to turn the current OF
popular sentiment; we were sure he must per-
ceive his fate was sealed, and believed he had
sufficient self-respect and respect for the office
he fills, to wrap his cloak around him and sub
nit to the judgment of THE NATION with
dignity, and without murmur. But we are
disappointed quite the reverse OF this Is his
course, which but furnishes another proof, If
another were wanting, Of his unftness for the