The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-02
AN APPEAL TO THE DEMOCRATS.

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AN APPEAL TO THE DEMOCRATS.
We are all AMERICANS and should minge
together like one great family Of freemen, our
God our king, our guide the precepts Of our pa
triotic fathers There is pusilanimity in suf-
fering ourselves to be cut up and partitioned for
the benefit of ambitious leaders, who direct and
control US as naughty chiefs do their AFFECT
clans.
The present is an suspicious time for every
species of reform. But any reform to be tho
rough and effectual must be in obedience to the
will Of the great mass of the People. The re-
forms promised by politicians should be carefully
examined; if seLfis in any manner involved in
their execution or effects, the People need not
expect to derive much benefit from their accom-
plishment.
Radical reform is the work of the millions !;
legislative reform is too frequently the mere
trickery of demagogues. Of the latter the fol-
lowing may be taken as an example The en-
emies of the President, forming majority in the
present Congress, adopted a peculiar system Of
reform in the Executive Departments, and
pursued it, with all the eagerness evinced by
hungry hounds in pursuit of fat buck. This
political pa * was led by Bolts, of heading noto
riety. and Davis, one Of Mr.. Clay's favorite
seeming breed Well, they succeeded in
snatching from the hands of the Executive the
direction of ten or twelve thousand dollars worth
of printing. By this act the Government will
save some ten or twelve hundred dollars in
present cash, and lose twice that amount in fu-
ture by the imperfect execution of the work
Yet this was heralded forth to the People as "a
very great reform" Congress did all this, it is
true. But it expended THIRrY-sEvEN THOUSAND
DOLLARS of the Peoples money while debating
on this subject Nor was this all while wasting
time and money to save few hundred dollars
for the Government and to strip the President of
the privilege granted even to the most AFFECT
criminal, that of being heard in his own defence,
by press laboring to vindicate and defend his
motives and aclions-these potent reformers be-
slowed the printing of Congress, amounting to
some TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOL
LARS, on their own iavorte printer!
But radical reform is needed and the time
is at hand for its accomplishment 1t must be-
gin with the People. Parties must be remodel
led. Party leaders must be admonshed, and
many of them repudiated. If the leaders Of
thousands and tens of thousands are permitted
to 60 on, increasing in arrogance and influence, as
they have been doing of late, their relation to the
People will ultimately be that Of lords to serfs.
The masters will be insulted and subdued by
the sci wants. The Government will be admin
istered for the benefit of the rulers, nsteal of the
masses. Legislation will enrich the few pow
fulegislators, and impoverish the many impo-
tent constituents. Party dictation by means of
caucuses, will govern and control every thing.
Elections will be mere forms-days set apart for
the ignobe commoners to pay fealty to self-con
stituted tyrants! Is this Democracy
But the true Democrats of America are made
of sterner material. To them we appeal. If
we are wrong in depicting the tendency of ul-
traism, let them rebuke us. Our intention is
good. Our monition is meant for their benefit.
If we are right, we know they will consider
well what we say. We offer them no mercena-
ny inducement to forsake their radical leaders
the party Destructives-and to abandon their
false tenets and dsorganizing doctrines We
plead in behalf of our common country Our
offering is laid upon the altar of LIBERTY. We
all profess to worship at its shrine. Let us do
so with honest hearts, If it is preserved unfair
nshed and uniniured, ourselves and our poste-
rity will reap its bounteous fruits. fit is sacr
feed for partisan emouments, the unholy re-
wards will perish with our bodies, our children
will be made slaves, and our glorious ancestors
dshonored.
The Democratic party is not now what it has
been. 1t has degenerated as much as the Wing
party. But the main body Of it is pure, and
cannot, we hope, be contaminated. The sur
face only is disfgured with blotches and impu-
rites, while the core is sound. 1t may be east
ly cleansed and purified, and the present is the
time TO do it.
Recent events have been so shaped by an all
wise Providence that the honest and moderate
men of both parties have been placed in a
strange and Unprecedented juxtapositon, while
the ultras have as significantly been in great
measure separated from the main bodies of the
respective parties. This state of things /, not
without its meaning. An opportunity thus af-
forded, to secure the general welfare, should not
be neglected. The Democrats very unexpect-
edy find in the present Administration securi-
ty against the re-establishment of the great mo-
ney monopoly. The war against such dan
gerous corporation was worthy of the pemocra-
cy They have been triumphant. They have
won the victory over the many headed monster.
They have not only buried the last remains of a
National Bank, but they have convinced its
friends and supporters that both the interest and
Al cc fhn connfru arc to he resua-