The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-12-14
THE MADISO MAN
From hs J.6rsonian Republican.
LETTER FROM THE HON. HENRY A.
WISE

The following letter from this distinguished
gentleman, will be read, we doubt not, WIN
deep interest From some unaccouniaole err
cumstance, probably the harrassing irregularity
Of the mails, il has but just come 10 hand, al
though dated, as will be seen, on the 9TH Nov,
having been very nearly month on the road
from Accomac to this place Still, Il will, we
repeat, be read with deep interest II Is one oil
the most graphic exposures OF the doings oil the
.sDictatorshipn al Washington, during the me-
morable hundred days" that we have yet seen
The character Of the war waged upon Capt
Tyler,n BY the Incorigibles,o as they are forci-
bly termed by Mr.. Wise, is drawn with mas
Ter hand and all will be stuck with the great
forced and energy with which he sums up and
characteristics the whole system OF Legislation,
attempted TO be fastened upon the country by the
Federalists, during the Extra Session lie
deals Mr. Clay, too, some hard blows, and the
contrast between that gentleman as he Is In
majority, and as he pds in minority, Is ex-
ceedinQly striking Ii is true, as he passes
along, he now and then lets fly an arrow at the
Democrats, or Loco-focos," as he terms them
but we are willing TO "pM up" with them, 10
consideration Of the harder blows which he
deals our adyersaries.
We would particularly commend this letter
10 the Wings, and most particularly TO the State
rights Wings Ii these latterdo not find enough
IN il TO make them abjure their unnatural con-
nection with the National Republican, or fede-
raj portion of the Wing party" we are greatly
mistaken. Mr. Wise shows so plainly the ul-
ira Federal tendency Of the measures OF the
Extra Session that we cannot conceive how any
Slate riehfs man. no matter what may have
been his mere party connections heretofore, can
hesitate for single instant, in determining what
position he ought TO occupy.
Again we beg all such TO give the letter care
full and attentive perusa:
AccoMAc c. H, Nov. 5th lS4l.
Gentlemen Yours OF the 2Sth ult., directed
TO me at Philadelphia, reached me here by the
last mail | had left that city on the Both, and
thus, il other circumstances permitted, time
would not allow me TO join the State Rights
Republicans Of Albemare and Nelson IN their
dinner, at Greenfield, on the 18th inst, to their
worthy and able representative the Hon. L. W
Gilmer. Nevertheless, gentlemen, cordially
unite in their testimonial Of high regard for
his chraacter and public services" My ac-
quaintance with him has been brief but graiify-
ing, and such as to ngraft him warmly in my
attachment esteem and respect He IS one OF
the few in Congress whose principles can tru-
" characterize as Constitutional Republican,"
aud whose course as Wing, in my estimation,
has been consistent since with his professions
before the late Presidential election. This mark
in the man was enough to attact me TO hrm
union of action with him and a few others IN
the public councils; and he and his associates
having become the objects Of a ruthless party
prescription, are drawn still closer together.
. Congressional Dictatorship, bold, selfish, arbI-
trary and itself truant arrogantly assuming to
preside over both the Wing party, and the Pre-
sident Of its choice, constituting not majority
of that party in the two Houses and represent
ing but lean minority OF the whole people OF
the nation, domineering 10 rule the present, and
overweenng in its ambition to promote par
ticular candidate for future power and place. has
undertaken 10 excommunicate your representa-
tive and his friends as heretics and traitors sim
ply because they would not acknowledge that f.
deity TO the Wing party was fealty 10 certain
President apparent and his federal principles,
and because they esteemed the Country, the
Consultation, and the rights Of Conscience far
more sacred than all political pretenders and all
the professions or passions Of their lblindly de-
voted partisan followers.
Providence placed in power Constitutional
Republican, and because he would not bow
down to this anne Dietatorship, and humoly
submit that another should be President in fact
and himself be President only in form because
he would not consent to be mere locum tenens,
and be morally guided by another mans con-
science, and politically governed by another
mans views Of the Constitution, and play pan
der for anohers lusls after the succession he
100 has been first doubted and then damned, and
the base attempt has been made 10 degrade
cy," 10 take away the mans good name by con
victing him Of the high crime of vainly trying
to agree with those who were predetermined 10
disagree with him, OF at least being consistent
in a public life of thirty years well known,
recorded and published before his election, and
of happily disappointing set OF consplrators,
who were all the time trying TO "hedd" him
and 10 trap both his conscience and his under
standing He is called His Accidency" by
those who could not make President by de-
sign and by this scoffing title the Dictatorship
seems 10 deny Great First Cause whose Pro-
violence overrules human events and the destl-
MES Of nations and to ascribe the death OF the
lamented Harrison and the succession OF the
second choice of the People TO blind chance,
according to the ln6de creed Of a disappointed
ambition which has been writing ever since the
election 1910 in modification and chagrln that
any one should have been second whilst they
could not be first. and that Providence or the
People, or chance or change, they cared not
what or which, did not not cast the descent OF
power upon them and throw its patronage IN ia
yor Of their man and his principles. The Die
tatorship was the only device of substitute for
legitimate election, and il has been resorted TO
with warlike violence and proscrptive ven
geance. But il has no terrors for honest and
consistent men, or for just and patriotic politi-
clans Gilmer and his friends have, not in de-
rision Of them, but Of Old Virginia's '9S Repub-
lican uoctrlnes' Deen nlcknaiUeu hosuacuon'sts
and laughed at as less in numbers than Cor
porals guard" Yes the first sautation which
met the Virginia Wings amidst the hearty greet
ings OF victorious party, at the meeting Of
Congress after election in November last, was
an zoe are strong enough ,cithom the
Wigs Of Virginia, and are rejoiced that che
has rofed ag ainsf us and that IRE are not TO b.
embarrassed by her peculiar opinions"t
quote the very words, and your representative
heard them al the same time ] did, and
from the same magnificent parsonage. II