The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-04-03
PRINCIPLES; AND THEIR ORGANIC
FORMS.

distribution question, the abolition question, the tariff
question: in short all great practical questions the
President stands absolutely uncommtted BY his Inau-
guIai." He rs silent as the tomb" address Of The
Democratic Loco Focol members Of he General As
sembiyto The people Of Virginia"
Thegreat fault Of the Loco-focos, and of their
presses, is, that they have told alsehoods so long,
that their own friends won't believe them This
simple and naked fact has been the ruin of the
party. The honest and conscientious among
them have no faith in their statements. ave
were deceived, our papers deceived u.s." said a
Loco oco to US, after the Presidential election.
1--WE were deceived by our letters, and where
they promised us thousand majority, as ge-
neral rule, we turned out a thousand minus"
said one in intimate connection with the Federal
Government, when the decisive, and to them ia
tai intelligence finally arrived. They have been
false TO themselves for want OF honesty, and
have at last fallen by their own tricks.
| We have been particularly struck with this
fact by the Address from which we have taken
the text of this article 1t is for the most part
false, and SO manifesty so, that it will defeat its
own aims. We are happy, however, to observe
in one place so slight censure, and from this
/
whole tone and tenor of The Inaugural are not
calculated TO restore entirely our anxiety about
the course Of events" Not TO notice the gram
NAUTICAL obscurity here of "restoring anxiety"
meaning dou Hess Relieving il, we are glad that
it is partly though not entirely relieved
| The sentence we have quoted under our head
ing is almost entirely false in every particular,
Il H.. e IL: \
derstood the difference between principles and
their organic forms, the latter being composed
Of acts of legislation. Either ignorance or de-
ception is chargeable on this statement. What
had General Harrison TO do with National
Bank Gf that is what is meant by the bank
queston") in his Inaugural Itwould be proper
for him to recommend itin his opening message,
if he thinks it is wanted, and perhaps he will !;
but nothing could have been more improper than
to talk about a National Bank in an inaugural
A bank is the organic development, by an act of
legislation, of the principle of mixed currency
Could any thing be more distinct than General
| HaIrisons announcement of this principle in
his Inaugural? He has, therefore, not only
touched, but decided the shank question:" so
false, therefore, to mpute to him silence on this
question, when he has actually settled it, by an
avowa Of the principle, the only mode proper TO
the occasion.
The same may be said Of "the mode of keep
ing and dsbursing the revenue, the currency
question: and The abolition question:" each of
which is decided as fully and as clearly, as an
avowal of principles could possibly decide it
And yet we are told in this Address, that ''the
President stands absolutely uncomm ted" on
these points-that he sis silent as the tomb"
They wanted to hear him talk about the orgd-
mic forms Of these principles, out of time and
out of place, that they might hold debate with
him. The President had too much sense to
be guilty of such an improperly, and knew well
that all those matters belongedto line Department
of legislation. As to the distribution and tariff
questios, they cannot be ranked among the first
and fundamental principles of Government, but
grow out of the accidents Of history, TO be de-
lermined by acts oflegisaton, as circumstances
may require, in the use Of the general powers OF
the Constitution. Nothing could have been
more l-,med than for General Harrison to
have obtruded his opinion on these points in the
Inaugural, except so far as general view of the
Constitution might embrace them.
The great trouble and vexation Of these and
other opponents of the Administration, is, that
they cannot find any hook TO hang fault-6nding
upon. They want General Harrison and his
Government to commit sins prodigiously, and
for want Of such game, they charge sins with
/ r L. H. al
however distinctly, they deny that he has done
So because he has not thought fiji to mention
the specific forms he would have them assume,
which is purely business of legislation, the
preroga,ives OF which, as is well known, he Ut
terly disclaims as Chief Magistrate Of the ma
tion and, as we think, with the greatest pro-
priety. If they do not know the difference be-
tween principles and their organic forms, they
might be better employed; if they do know the
difference, they are great rogue' and unworthy
of credit. Unfortunately for themselves, they
are so strongly suspected Of the latter, as TO have
lost much influence in their own ranks. They
have vet TO learn, that honesty is the best poll
CIV. When the Democratic Wings get to Dc
roques, as the Loco Focos are now, and The
Locos turn honest men, they may hope TO pros
per. But Just at present the Democratic Wings
} have by far the best reputation IN the commune
I ~. We would just say, By way oil advice, ina
il is very cay to be honest, when one rs IN
clined that way. IL the Loco Focos, wheI
: fairly btaten, had waited till faults had beer
, committed by their opponents, they would hav
been much wiser.