Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-29

the advocates of strong Federal Government and
atitudnous construction of the Constitution And
among their leading and avore measures is the REEFS
abshmcnt of the Bank of the u. S. with augment
ed CAPITAL and OF course increased capacity fer
chief They have struck out other measures, which
directly calculated TO place the States al the feet Of the
Federal Government. They pressing with i'm
porunty which dlsregards every obstacle the dsirib
ton OF the arising from the sales of the public
lands among the several States. They harangue upon
II in the Halls of Congress. They persuade every
Wing Governor and every Wing Legislature support
tie proposition. One of the great champions OF the
Wings, has sounded note at Washington in his ia
srous Land bill, which feverberates long and loud
throughout the Union. Twice has your Governor re-
commended the measure. Twice has your Wing House
Of Delegates elaborate and specious Reports
entrap the feelings of the People. The table of The
House of Delegates groans under Report, which
designed to produce political capital for the Wings IN
the approaching campaign. In fact, If were to be-
icvc the extraVagant statements Of their schcmng po
tcians the public domain Of the u. S. constitutes
inexhaustble fund for the relief of all pecunia-y
troubles, and for the satisfaction of all our wants They
tell US, that if we wrench from the hands of sord!d
and selfish Government the proceeds of the public lands
and transfer them to the States they establish all
the roads and canals which their People require they
restore the solvency of their banks they
bsh their credit abroad and discharge all their existing
debts home. They have already ught forward
solution into the Senate otthe IT, > for appropratng the
proceeds to the discharge of the State debts of certain
description. Where is this assumption of the State
debts to stop If one class of debts is to be discharged
why should not another: Already propositions have
been made in some of the Wing journals, for sweep
ing assumption of all the securities of debt which the
States have sent abroad sold home. There is
10 apprchend, that if the system be commenced
it will ultimately saddle the Federal Government with
another public debt which will call for greater
than the proceeds of the public domain. BIT if they
conhne themselves at present 10 this resource, do
you not perceive the consequences to which il will d..
recy conduct YOU They will not be- at the pains to
tell you, that the Federal Government las not at this
time sufficient revenues To meet It's current
ppnses. They will not tell you, that the annual sales
of the lands IN ordinary times will not pay % per cont
upon The existing debts of the States, without leaving
single cent for the establishment of new works.
They do not tell you that if they scze upon the avas
of the public lands, they strip the General Government
of fund which is indispensable TO IFS support and
they compel it to supply the deficiency by loans, by
direct tax or by odous and oppressive Tariff upon
the South This distribution of the sales Of the public
lands, in direct conflict with the acquisitions of
the Treasury, is with the principles o the Govern
mcnt-and the assumption of the State debts, into which
the scheme threatens TO degenerate among the
alarming heresies for which may be indebted to the
Federal school. :
To all these principles and measures, the Demo.
cratic party are known to be opposed Their principles
few and simple, and may be readily grouped togc-
ther, under the following heads
lst. strict construction of the powers of tie Fcdc
raj Constitution according to the principles laid down
in Madsons Report in 1899, to the Virginia Legisla-
ture.
End. An opposition TO a National Bank and all other
interpretations by the Federal Government.
Srd. An Independent Treasury with sound currcn-
cy, resting broad metallic basis.
9TH. Economy in the administration of both Federal
S 81 pS Sbf5s and the strict accountability
9Th. The supremacy of the popular will, ard the
obga alton of The Representative to obey the ins;ruc
tons of his constituents, to On his Office.
These great issues, with others which will be noticed
more in detail hereafter, the questions which you
are about TO be called to decide. IL is not the
question, whether Martin Van Buren, or William H.
Harrison is to enjoy the distinction of being the Chief
Magistrate of the Nation. 1t is question involving
all The great principles, which Democratic ancestors
struggled TO establish by the civil revolution of ls0l
But cternul vigilance is the price Of liberty, and the
battle is again to be fought, in which, if we only
true to ourselves, have nothing fear from the
suit.
In contemplating the approaching Presidential cleo
ton and the candidate selected by opponents for
that Office, every Democratic Republican must be for
chilly struck not only with the strong and decided OBJ
jectons which apply TO him as politician, but with
The inconsistency in which our opponents are involved
by selecting military chicftain their candidate. 1t
only few years since, when the Democratic party
Of the country selected Gen. Jackson their cand
date for the Prcsidency-that he denounced as
''mtary cheItan" BY their great Wing leader, Mr.
Clay, and the objection actively and pcrsevcr'ngy
urged BY every member Of their party from the highest
TO the humbles individual. We told that his cicc-
ton was ominous of the speedy downfall of our Inst
buttons, and the overthrow of our Liberties; that the
fate Of every Republic which had ever existed uncr-
rnr!y pointed to that Of our The successful
usurpaons Of Cesar, Of Cromwell and of Bonaparic
were depicted in their most glowing Colors. Yet op
ponents, directly in the face of all these proesta;ions
and professions at the close of Cen Jacksons admins
trat;on in the desperation OF their opposition, seized
on General HARRISON "a military chcitan, of info
ror merit, and pressed his election TO the Chief Ma
cistracy of the Nation. The good of the
try then decided against him, by an overwhelming
vote; and elevated to the office the distinguished
Statesman and Civilian, who at present administers
the Government. The period for reelection being
at hand we have recently seen all the
elements of opposition, mainly composed of FEEDER
asts, AbotonIsts and anti Masons assembled at Har
risburg under the comprehensive name OF "Whigs,
for the purpose of selecting a Presidential Candl-
date, and for that object before the Conven
ton, t,co "Aitary Chieltains, and the great Wing
leader, Mr.. Clay, candidates for the appoint
ment. The latter gentleman, it is deemed prudent
gently to put aside, because at present. he is cons
dcred as ssunavalabe;" and to unite upon General
Harrison as the instrument 10 overthrow the Demo
cratic Administration of Mr. Van Buren,, and as 4 fair
exponent of the principles of the modern wing party
In this last point Of view, it becomes matter of i'm
portance TO Tie rcemen of this country, and especially
of Virginia, examine into the principles and aifintes
of that gentleman, and 10 show how utterly nadmiss
bic IRE his claims to the support of the Democratic
party of the country, even to portion OF the Wings
of our Stale.
In the FIRST piace Il may be affirmed ,r;M satcty Gt
Gen Harrison is iandtnariaR IN his construction Of
the Fcdcrat Constitution; and The r;cnd and snip
por.cr Of he old Fedcrat administration Of The edcr
.4damS, (r perhaps, the single exception Of tie 9ca
ard Sedhon La~s,) as ccL as tie supporter Of the al
minis tration Of the younger .3daas
In support of this position, we beg leave TO present
now the evidence of witness who must command the
belief of all who knew him. but especially of every
Vrgnian We allude to the testimony Of The late
John Randolph Of Roanoke. In the debate winch &C.
Cured in the Senate of the U. S in 1896, upon The
Cumberland Road bill, when both Dir. Randolph and
Cen Harrison were members Of that body. and con-
ronted face to face Mr. Randolph made the following
charge upon Gen. Harrison snow, Sir, the only dit
ference between the gentleman from Ohio and myself
" is this-and it is vtal-That gentleman and myself
differ fundamc ntay and totally, and did differ when
we first took seats in Congress-he as delegate
from the Territory Northwest Of the river Oho-I,
g as a member of the other House from the State of