Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-09-23


Chiefly upon the Tact ihatuo formal NANTES
I to was pct forth to declare tie terms ufoi
which we insisted We chess rather Il
appeal 10 the wild IN difTusej hnosleagt
OF our principles which had been impress.
ed upon every mans mint ID that long
+ struggle Of years gone by; with which
one party bod been Identified, end Of which
its very meme was an exponent.
II need not be said that, 10 a rcpresen.
taton sprea4 over territory Of such ex.
tent RS that conprehenJed BY oar Union,
and exhibiting interests so diversified,
what might be called the characteristic
principles Of the Wing party, throughout
this wide sphere, should be subject 10 oc-
casional notifications, dependent upon To-
cal influences; and that il was incumbent,
therefore, upon the party 10 move together
in spirit Of mutual concession AMI &C.
commodation Of sectional differences of
: opinion. l. need not be told that, in the
system Of measures which we have emu
merated, conflicting views might naturally
exist between the Representatives of dis
tant portions Of our Republic, and that
only by the yielding Of minor interests to
the establishment Of the general good, en-
tire harmony was to be obtained in the ac-
ton Of Congress. This was natural, and
TO be expected. But we felt proud con-
sciousness that in the patriotism Of the
party all such difficulties would vanish,
and that the demands of an enlarged well
fare would be met and fulfilled, through
the virtue of that spirit of compromise and
forbearance, that liberal aud comprehen-
sive sentiment of self-denial and conces-
sion, which rests at the heart OF our con.
fcderacy, and which constitutes the living
principle of our union. Before the ap-
pointed day arrived for the meeting Of
Congress, and that at the expiration OF
; but one short month from the date of his
inauguration, our beloved President was
snaiched from us by the grasp of death /:
too soon for the happiness of his country,
but not too soon TO awaken in our bosoms
deep and awful sense Of the irreparable
loss which we have sustained in the de-
pryation Of great and good man--no,
too soon to convince us how long and how
bitterly our country is doomed to deplore
this heavy misfortune. 10 this our calanl-
ity, we hoped to find consolation in the
character and principles of him whom the
Constitution had designated to fill the of.
flee Of the departed chief. II is true, that
towards that individual, even at the mo.
ment Of the selection for the Vice Presi-
duncy, no very earnest public attention
had been directed; and it is equally true
that but passing regard was bestowed
upon his previous lf. and opinions. We
only knew him al one processing to be u
member Of the Wing party, and as seek
ing to identity himself with those great
leaders Of that party whose opinions and
principles were deeply engraved in the
most conspicuous acts Of our political hiss
tory, and were read and understood by
every citizen in the laul. In this connec-
ton, where he had sought to be promi
nent, we d'scerned what we conceived,
and whnt doubtless he meant, to be u
pledge Of faithful adherence to the carGi.
nal doc,rin s for which we struggled, and
with Which the hopes Of the country were
ndissolubly bound up. We hoped to find
consolation also in the fact that his acces.
sion TO the Presidency brought him into
communion and intimate political fellow.
ship with the chosen vanguard of the
Wiig partv--thc first selection made by
General lIARRrsoN of Cabinet, distin.
guishr d for its paramount ability, integri.
~, and fidelity to the glorious cause in
which we had conquer ia Cabinet emf
nentIy crowned with the public confidence,
in whom all men trusted as in the very
embodiment of the principles oi-the party
TO which they belonged: who We insep.
arably associated with its glory, and in
! whose generous and honorable relation TO
the President we had the security of wise
aud prosperous councils, and he the pledge
of a cooperation which should enable
him to accomplish all that the nation &c,
sired. These hopes were still further en-
livened bye the encouraging tone in which
the President referred, in bis first address
to the nation, to the sever glorious ex-
ample" afforded him by the Fathers of
The great Republican school, and the de-
claration Of his determination TO wax in
the path which they pointed out.
In the indulgence oil these hopes, Con-
gross entered upon its lubors. BY adopt
ing rules for the despatch of business con-
tormable to the emergency of an extra
session, and in view Of the great amount
Of legislation which the times required,
we have been enabled TO achieve all, and
even more than all, that our constituents
could have demand at our hands. The
leading and great measures of this session
have been under discussion, in Congress
and out Of it, for many years past, and lit.
tic remained to be said beyond repeti-
ton Of former debates. There was no.
thing in the circumstances or position of
either party in Congress to require, or
even to justify, protracted discussions
and the majority, therefore, felt themselves
entitled to give TO the extra session the
character of Congress of action and de-
cision, rather than one OF debate; and we
| feel assured that in this effort we have
done no more than respond to the just ex-
pectations ofthe People.
First in urgency amongst the bills pass
ed during the session, and that TO which
the public command most imperatvely
drew the notice of Congress, was the re.
peal Of the SUBJ Treasury Law. Our next
care was the enactment OF the Land Bill.