The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-23
ANALYSIS OF THE INAUGURAL.
CONTINUATION.
The /" under current"

"There is still an under current at work."
says the President, switch, il not seasonably
checked, the worst apprehensions Of our anti
federal patriots" those who objected 10 the Con-
stitution] "will be realized; and not only will
the State authorities be overshadowed by the
great increase Of power in the Executive De-
partment of the General Government, but the
character of the Government, II NOT its desig-
nation, be essentially and radically changed."-
We might well be alarmed at this notice of a
change Of designation. What is it2 From
republicanism 10 monarchy, the way OF which
had been prepared in the establishment of the
Independent Treasury or in the union Of purse
and sword. This is the change OF designation
suggested by General Harrison, if we under
stand him. A single step more would have
reached the goal. If the people had not taken
the alarm, and if the Jackson-Van Buren, dynas-
ty could have been sustained with equal popu-
larity another twelve or even four years, Mr.
Poinsett's standing army Of 100000, or some
system equivalent to il, would as certainly have
been forced upon the nation as the Sub-treasury
has been. Let any man review the character Of
that measure, 'the plan" Of which Mr.. Van
Buren,, in his annual message, said, he " could
not too earnestly recommend" and say, whe-
Their, with such a force, thus disciplined, and
thus subject to the orders of the Chief Magis-
trate, and with the purse of the nation in his
hands, under the Sub-treasury system, the liber-
ty of the country would have been safe2 Let
him say whether the road to absolute monarchy
would not have been as straight and as open as
ply steal force could make it One step only
would have been necessary to change the desig-
nation as well as the character of our Govern
ment.
All these facts may seem like dream, now
they are past; but still they are facts, the ten
dency and aspects of which are as visible as the
likely that such things could be. But was it
ever known, that men of no more than common
virtue refused power within their reach, or de-
vised such means for attaining it, disregardfu OF
the aim to which those means look We say,
without hesitation, that the Sub-treasury and
the standing army scheme cannot be made too
memorable or too odious in the eyes of this ma
ton We have escaped from the verge of ruin
Of the ruin of all that has been cherished as dear
by the long line and great army of American
patriots.
"There is still an under current at work. .
said our distinguished and patriotic Chief Ma
gistrate, as he stood on the platform in front OF
the Capitol, in presence of the assembled ma
ton, when he was about to assume his high func-
tions-a current, which has put in peril, not only
the edifce Of our institutions, but the .desig-
nation" Of our Government. We know, that
while that man stands at the head Of our affairs,
all will be done which he can do to arrest and
allay this movement. He has nobly declined
the power which his predecessors had prepared
for themselves, and left in his hands, because
he knows it is unlawful. We know, that the
people have put their hand upon this current,
and commanded it to stand still. But it is an
"under current" The vessel Of State may ride
majestically on the bosom Of the sea, and seem
TO be waited on her course by prosperous breezes,
with such pilot at the helm, but there is an
under current" They who have been dsap-
pointed, will not be satisfied Exposed in their
plot, they will resort to counter-plots. Having
struck too soon and too openly for absolute sway,
they will be advised by their late defeat to take
the ''under current" If the people of this
country forget the Vaccinations of the past, we
say not they will deserve, but that they will as
suredly have to encounter the Vaccinations of
the future.
Abuse Of official stations.
Constantly has this been the theme of Inau-
gurals and annual messages, from the time OF
Jefferson down to this present, and as constantly
the theme and one great burden of the press !;
and never was there louder call for reform in
this particular than at this period Of our history
1t cannot be forgotten by those now placed at
the head Of our Government, what apprehen-
sions they themselves gave uterance 10, in pr-
vate and public, during the late Presidential cam
pagn, of the formidable conspiracy against the
liberties of this nation embodied in the President
and his official corps. 1t was proclaimed on eve
ry public platform, and in the press, that this
was the power to be overcome, to save the re-
public. No honest man doubted. Patriots
throughout the land, gray with wisdom, trem-
bled at the aspect Of this compact and disciple
ned array against the onset made for freedom
They know, that nine-tenths, or nineteen TWEEN
tieths of all the office-holders were involved in
the responsibilities of this conspiracy. Never in
our history has there been such zeal such disci-
pline, such activity, such desperate efforts in
these ranks, to embarrass and prevent the free
and fair results of the elective franchise. In no
thing have the liberties of this country been so
much endangered as by the office-holders of the
late dynasty During the whole struggle of the
campaign, it was the grave opinion of our most