Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-05-17
From the Petersburg nisliiyeneer Of Saturday
THE REIGN OF IMMORTALITY.

That the morals Of the day are sadly out Of Joint,
no one familiar with the history Of the times will
presume TO deny. Every newspaper which you
take up tells You, in almost every column of defa-
cations, soHdtings reberies, and all kinds OF william
Ives And these acts of inquiry are not confined rs
| they were once, to what may be termed the diegs
| OF society-to men who, fiom want of educa, ION,
moral culture, and good example, were naturally
| exposed To the temptations of vice-but thew nrc
| committed by men IN the highest ranks OF socie-
| ~; by men, from whose education and whose pre-
Vlous mode OF life, better things might be expected
10 what Is this appalling increase Of crime 10 be
attributed! How are we to account for the fact
that from being moral, law-loving people, we are
last becoming reckless, corrupt and depravedl
Inc reply which We shall give TO our own aues-
Ton may surprise some and offend others, but as
VIC believe II To contain the true reason for this
cnanse IN The morals Of our people, we shall not he
| state to giveu
We believe that with the reign Of Jacksonism in
he United States, the reign OF immortality commenc-
ed. The election OF General Jackson to the Presi.
dency, was the commencement of a moral as WI n
as of political revolution; and proved as was pre-
cicted, "A curse to the country" in more respects
man one. From that moment TO the present time
vice m the United States has been rapidly on the
increase. Nor Is surprising that such should have
oeen the case; for during the Administrations of
jackson and his successor, If virtue and morality
were rot drawbacks 10 those who looked for Exc
culve favor, they certainly were passports 10 it.
The attempt made by General jackson, to force
WI uau character Units. E.ltOn) into
~ IN Washington, was but the Swallowing forth of
events that TO follow and all the dealc,tions
and robberies which ensued during his Admini,,rn
ton and that of his successor were but the n,t,r,l
consequences of the opinion which soon b,c,m.
prevalent, that such conduct was not A bar TO the
| good will of the President.
Surrounded by such men rs Benton Kendall
Blair, and others of the same kidney General Jack
son and Mr.. Van Buren,, rs far as their ex,mpls
could go, gave n tone to morals in the limited stare,
which was any thing but healthy.
The official acts OF General j. were in accordance
with his private example. His seizure of the pub
nc Deposes was bat an act OF political robbery.
ut We may such an expression committsI hes ;
cause he had the brute power 10 commit il Tn.
submission by the people, or rather the ENCOURAGE
ment given by them to this lawless act-an ect
which, IN any other country would have Lrouebi
the head of the perpetrator TO the bock--was in
effect, giving him unlimited power and autboriz,n.
him TO go on in his career, unchecked by the Con-
sutution oil the Union, the Laws Of the land the
Rights of the citizens or tie rules Of morally. The
public treasure was subject to his control and was
distributed by him throughout the Stales-corrunt
| ing the morals Of the people-dscouragins that re-
gular and sober industry which alone every conn
Try must look for its prosperity-simulalng specu
lation INTO sambllng-begettng habits of ex,raya-
gance and prodigality, which terminated in National
Bankruptcy, with It's inevitable concomitants Craud
and iheit.
The public officers who were his officers and mr.
countabe alone to him for their conduct were moi
appointed because OF their qualifications for the Of
fee they Fl led but because of their sJ.I;, 80 IT,