Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-07-20

I
wears possession of power by set of men, IN pc
Rod ofhgh excitement and strong political action con
trbuted their share % swell the motley Every
thing that iiconginous every thing that was c"n
ss,cnt were there most a5surdly mingled togeth'r-
like thu material of The columns you Will any hne
morning that you may walk into the Representative
Hall III the Capitol, we'll described by the expressive
name by which il is known 10 the vulgar 'Pnddiny-
soae Here you will find pebble OF free trade snug
ly fitting in brwren larger pieces OF gh tarisn
here fragment of blood red aboltionisn, agreeaby
contrasting with black mass Of savery-here VEIN
OF notification and The strctest constitutional conslruc-
| ten, Intervening with broad line, encrcng the
whole, of the widest Fedora! lattudlnaranism-here
huge piece Of National Bank in most amicabe luSta
position with all that antagonist in principle to such
an institution-whiic YOU will find crumbed irag-
mens of rotten bankruptcy scattered in abundance over
its entire surface, and cemented into perfect chaos
of dIscord with all the rest Of lis mingled ingredients
Sir this is no exaggerated picture OF your party lou
cannot yourself refuse to recognise that II is but 100
faithful 10 the truth. Hence, arose the necessity,
SO clearly apparent 10 the nominating conyentIoh OF
which you al member, and It's choice Tor Tue
Office you fill, of emitting the usual declaration OF
principles and intended measures, by which such no.
limitations have heretofore been accompanied Hdu
such declaration been made, you we'll know now,
as they well knew them that you could never have sue
ceeded in the election. This vast chaotic mass oy
whose votes the change Of administration was effected
Thorough as was their organization, cannot can
4
cpe than the single ofopposition TO the actual n
| cumbens of tie seats of government The motives
TO that opposition were various the diversified
agme nts Of which that huge but shapeless mass was
composed. With some 1t proceeded from ore cause,
with others from dozen different ones. One portion
of the Wings hoped TO supersedc the general policy
of In. administration by contemplated set OF Inea
sures-,han which nothing could be farther from the
wishes of another portion while, on the other hand,
the thoughts Of 10 uncomfortable number extended
very little farther than change Of men, with
view to the reformation of the thousand abuses and
corruptions of mere administration, which thousand
thousand reiterated charges made them believe TO
exist on the part of the set Of individuals long I'M
disturbed in the monopoly OF public office How large,
too was the number of those who were actuated by
no distinct political IDEAS at ALL TO swell this confused
clan.or for mere "chsnge, do not 10 consider,
earring little for set OF measures for another,
for one set of principles for their opposite and only
anxious TO take advantage of the rieraly of the crc
dit SYSTEM, which they hope as the consequence Of
political revolution FOR their relief from their i'm
mediate embarrassments.
Now, Sir what conceivable Administration could be
sustained in any practical line Of policy, By such Il
party, II Gen Harrison had lived, he might possibly
have held them together, through the existing ma.
chnery of their recent organization, from the personal
attachment which seemed TO have centred about him
perhaps for the frs; year Of his term Certainly even
lie could not have maintained their cohesion for i
longer period. What then have you 10 expect; In
suSta med by any enthusiasm oil personal popularity
selected with actual reference 10 the contingency
which an unforeseen dspensatlon Of Providence has
called into exis;ence-an old member OF the political
school rrcconclIably opposed 10 that OF very large
proportion 81 those whose votes have placed you al the
head oC affairs, and identified with principles emphai
cay declared and repeated, and never re,racted the
most directly hostile 10 the views of the majorys it
possible that the idea can for moment possess your
mind Of finding in that party the support necessary 10
4 successful, even to any practicable administration
Of he Government
4 If YOU attempt it BY your measures,-and it
only be BY the abandonment Of all the principles Of your
school, you that you will fail, mseraby, dis
gracefully. You have none of that kind of political
strength incident to the representative character Of a
President. fresh from popular election conducted on
the basis o! any weundersood great issues al stake
The only basis Of moral force you have 10 upon is
that Of consistency with your old princplesyour hos
tlity National Bank; your dlsrust and dislike OF
the entire system OF paper money banking as i casts
among us; your opposition TO the whole theory Of The
"Americun System, III its double aspect of lntcrna
improvements and Of productive Tariff, opposition
which you carried almost if not quite 10 the iaTthcst
verge OF publication. II you abandon that ground you
sink nothing. If you stand firmly and faithfully by
II, It WILL prove rock to your feet which the gates OF
he'll shall prevail against In the case you drag
your OF accidental Office, object Of contempt
To all parties; and, after feeble and mbece admit
nlstailon, perpetuay pressed rs unahswcrabc attack
from without, and distracted by harassng dissension
\
Of one whom chance had elevated 10 position IN which
lie might have been great man. 10 other elect than
10 enable him prove the more conspcuonsly his Own
/ miserable liilleacss
I On the other hand, Sir, prove now, when the high
cs; responsibilities Of action imposed upon you,
but in practice to your old principles, and Tor all
the abuse with which you may be assailed by those
whom you have given any right 10 expect
from you any different line Of action, you will lind
an abundant compensation in the general support
which YOU will receive from that great patty to whom
those principles are all that they hold most dear
v'e want nothing better than President who will
form his actions TO your professions Of former days;
and in sustaining your Administration II you Will but
allow TO do by deserving il, and IN clccting ynn
BY large and enthusiastic majority 10 the iu pos
session Of the Office which is but impertectly your
own we should rather rejoice in the opportunity thus
afforded US of proving the sincerity Of our devotion TO
our principles, and our comparative indifference 10 any
inferior objects Of common partisan interest
We are Tar indeed from indifference to not lew OF
our own distinguished chiefs and champions, who have
wor,hily sustained the Of those principles, nj the
head q; our party array in many haTi-ou9ht Held OF
political contest-those to whom our attachment our
gratitude and confidence, would most naturally d.
rect our frs: thoughts IN The CHOICE OF candidate nf me
Presidency But patriotism and our political phiio-
sohy rise to far CHER elevation than any consldeta-
ola thus purely personal "fmenS Ptdto
S06faeS, sal ma1is aRtca Ierifds We KNOW no
such thing right the part oany INDIVIDUAL on ms
country or on his party however eminent the services
he NAV have rendered To either Such services II III
truth performed such spirit as to merit any re-
ward, carry their own irl! reward in their own simple
performance ii more claimed, the very clam Is the
proof that nothing is deserved No man can render
more than his Guty 10 his country and TO the
cause Of his principles have always been oil the OPT
that any application for party reward, on the ground
Of party servces,be the prize sought high or los IN
the scale Of the political lotiery,-ought 10 constitute
alone sufficient reason for rs rejection In us sesc
ton offs candidates .or public office, whether Tor the
Presidency for any inferior post of public trust and
honor, the Democracy have no other consideration 10
look 10 than the promotion oftle great ofthcir high
and holy principles No past services Of no
personal feeling with which they may be regarded,
can have the weight Of the dust III the balance IN com
parison with tins paramount motive OF our action
The man whom circumstances may chance 10 nave
placed III the position in which he becomes The most
prominent representative Of principles and the most
pecly identified with the maintenance ot te!r as
ccndancv, he is the whom, like our barbarian ioc-
fathers at old RAISE alo shields. 10 he our
chic and our leader in the struggle through which tha'
ascendancy TO be maintained. When our Standard
-l1f p,Ny