The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-11-13
THE RICHMOND WING.

the last dying echo Of disappointed man, in
long and frantic address to its patrons over
the signature OF JoHN H. PLEAsANTs. Notwiih-
standing we have ever regarded this retiring
editor as desperate political gamester, who like
the men of broken fortunes with whom he has
indissoluby identified himself, labored under an
unfortunate nlon0manid that constantly pro-
duced him tallacious visions Of fame and fortune
growing out Of few exploded and condemned
"iayorite measures"-measures that have been
repeatedly denounced, and must always be reject
ed by an overwhelming majority of the people,
Notwithstanding we have viewed him as one
striving to grasp substances in mere chimeras,
and always petulant, abusive and morose, when
opposed or defeated-and could never consci-
entiously" sympa.hise with him in his repeated
aud inevitable misiortunes, nor patiently endure
his continued vituperations-yel we are now
frank to confess that this address in the I" Rich
mond Wing" has filled US with emotions Of
pity. We pity the man Of misery, even when
his mseries are the result of his own mpru-
dence and vices.
Mr.. Peasants W rites like ruined man, and
his daring and incoherent attempt to slgmatize
the President in his "last words" would con-
vince any rejecting person that Mr.. Peasants
himself considered "hs case" hopeless one
What good did Mr.. Peasants expect to accom-
plsh for himself, or for the one on whose eleva-
ton to the Presidency he foolishly 'stood the
hazard Of the die" by such futile and abortve
ribaldry as the following:
81 knew Mr.. Tyler well, personally, and had known
him long, and could no, believe that man so com
mon place, absolutely inferior many fifteen shil-
ling lawyers, with whom you may meet at every
County Court in Virginia. would seriously aspire to
he first station among, mankind for such the Presi-
dency Of the United States certainly is"
In another paragraph he reasons conclusvely,
though perhaps he did not design it, that Mr..
Tyler was not only Unexpectedly, but innocentiy
and irresisiibiy elevated to his exalted station.
Then why all this abuse of him? Why not
peaceably submit to fate? But the man is mad.
Yet when he strove to secure Mr.. Tyler's cleo
ton as Vice President, and fondIy imagined that
in the success Of General Harrison his own idol
would be in the ascendant-and although the
prescription Of his own State was meditated
he did not venture to brand Mr.. Tyler as being
"inferior to many fifteen shilling lawyers" before
the election. Though palpably and hopelessly
bereft of his wits now there was method in his
madness" then. He praised Mr.. Tyler at that
time-he abuses him now. Mr.. Tyler was I'M
pledged, and has acted consistently with his de-
clared opinions of former years. Now we sub
NIT il to the reader whether the President is an
'apostate" or Mr.. Peasants mailman.
But this disease with which Mr. Peasants is
so sorely afflicted, has recently ragged to some
extent in various sections. Among certain ed
itors who had been in the habit Of dealing to
some purpose in bank loans, il has amounted
almost to an epidemic. But we trust they will
grow better. All can never be restored to rea-
son, perhaps, but we sill have hopes that some,
aided by unbroken constitutions, will ultimately
recover. Indeed we find an occasional para
graph in this famous address indicating here and
there a brief lucid interval. The following re-,
Elections are quite natural to one in Mr. Peasants
condition:
"The country for years was agitated to its centre,
and the attention of civilized mankind arrested by the
arduous struggle of our political arties-and the
suit has been the elevation of John yler to the Pre-
sidency Never did fate severely expose the van
ity of human wishes, demonstrate the falIacy of
human expectations"
The 0vanity of human wishes" being so eff
fectually exposed and rebuked, would il not be
the most prudent course for Mr. Peasants and
the like "broken down politicians" 10 pursue, to
cease to indulge vain wishes, and seek to find
the path Of preferment by means of common
sense and common honesty? Truly did state
expose the vanity of human wishes"-the wish
es Of those human beings who vainy hoped to
see President of the United States submit to
partisan dictation May s'fate"--or Providence
-or Cop, ever so shape the deslinies of our
country that il may be as eifectualy rescued
from the polluted hands of unprincipled aspirants,
as il was in the instance referred to above! An
Overriding Providence has hitherto averted ev.
cry threatened fatal calamity impending over
our beloved country since the birth of Wash
ington, and we have every reason to believe
that the same Power above will continue to
watch over us and guard US.
And truly "the fallacy of human expecta-
IONS UdS 'uemOnStrateu.' ne : RICHMOND
Wing" and "Courier and Enquirer" and other
kindred prints, expected to obtain uncounted
thousands from another "Monster"-a "Mon-
ster" that would feed them by devouring the
poor. Think of the thousands consumed by
partisan presses, obtained from the last Uni
ted States Bank and never returned-and
then of the wailing widows and orphans whose
fortunes were squandered! Subsidized editors,
cormorant stock jobbers, swindling directors,