The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-07-27

party, TO the love Of office-a tame and ignomi-
NOUS surrender u their principles to the preju-
dices or the scruples of the President, and that
Tor the mere sake of continuing in power.
shall not stop TO inquire whether these grave
and weighty accusations have their origin in g
norance OF Observation-Disclosures they are made
by right meaning but i-judging persons, whose
only faults that Of drawing false conclusions
from premises of which they know nothing, or
by disappointed asprants TO favors which they
had no right TO ask, who imagine, with a not
uncommon egousm, that because the Admins
Tation has mol done any thing 10 crafty them,
neither VIII II do any thing TO serve or to benefit
the country IL is enough for me TO show that,
whencesover emanatng or in whatsoever orgl-
nating, The charge is utterly without iounda-
tiun.
II IS possible do not think il necessary TO
deny--that on some questions the Cabinet have
found different opinions entertained by Presl-
dent Tyler from those which General Harrison
had entirely concurred with them in entertain
ing. Some lew of these were questions OF
principle, others merely questions OF practice;
sucn forexample as the expedlency orthe proprie-
~ OF doing certain things alta certain time, instead
81 sooner or later. But none of them were Vi
tai questions-none of nature TO compromise
the party by which both President Tyler and
President Harrison were called to the service of
call for a rupture of those official relations
which President Harrison had created and which
President Tyler deemed il advisable TO continue.
All OF them were subordinate-infinitely suhor-
dinate--io the great interests which President
Tyler and his Cabinet have alike in view.
What was TO be gained then by rupture p
What possible good, or what but incalculabe
mischief, could result from a rupture between
the head Of the great Wing party and his imme-
date adyisers2 maintain that nothing short
of irTeconciieable difference on ritdl cues
tions could justify such rupture that all ditfe
rences on mere points Of expediency were as
dust in the balance compared with the duty and
the necessity of UNION. The removal Of
twenty, or hundred, or a thousand men from
office was thing of little moment-the malnte-
nance OF an unbroken, undivided front before
the people was all in ALL The concession of a
single point in the bank bill-a concession which,
If found unfortunate by experience, could easily
be remedled hereafter-was of triiiing conse-
qumce-a public acknowledgement OF discord
was pregnant with ruin.
powerful, vigilant, INSCRIPTIONS and exas-
perated enemy was ready TO take advantage of
any and every weak point in the array of the
Wings a breaking up of the Cabinet would
have given all the opportunity they wished 1t
was Union that defeated them-by UNION on
ly could they be kept in check | say, then that
il would have been folly, madness, a political
crime Of the first magnitude, in the members OF
the Cabinet, TO throw up their portfolios IN hot
haste al the first occurrence oa disagreement be-
tween themselves and the President, when such
disagreement was only on a minor point, which
either might yield without violation of princl-
pie, and which either ought to yield rather than
sacrifice he great interests which the people had
struggled so long, so nobly and at last so sue
cess tuIlv IN establish and secure
am almost ashamed TO touch upon the charge
ofvenality 1t comes from sources so unworthy
| II originates in motives so impure and II is sc
utterly destitute of plausibity, that il seems al
most an injustice to the men against whom it is
brought, TO bestow upon il moments considera
| ton. What was there in the mere emoluments
OF office TO weigh with such men as Thomas
Ewing, Francis Granger and Daniel Webster
In private and professional life they could better
advance their pecuniary interests than in the
public stations to which they had been called
and with much less of labor and anxiety Office
TO them could have no attractions, savein the op.
portunty il afforded to benefit their country and
to distinguish themselves. But they could dc
neither of these without the confidence Of the
people and are we to suppose these men so Gull
of intellect as to imagine that they could violate
their own conscences and yet retain the conf
dence of the people2 Or so reckless of theiI
own fame as to be willing even to benefit the
country at the sacrifice of their honor ?
No Sir. Be assured that higher considerations
and wiser judgment have swayed these men
Principle they would not abandon-duty they
would not violate-but mere opinion they were
just enough and patriotic enough to yield for the
welfare of their country and they knew that &c
ensure that welfare first of all there must be
UNION.
Yours very truly.