The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-07
AN APPEAL TO CONGRESS-.

mas Uecu poured our upon tue Hedu VI tuc ~
sident, because of his recent exercise Of high
conservative power vested in him by the Con-
sttulion-when the last yengeful denuncaton,
designed for expectation hence to the four quar-
tiers of the Union, shall have been uttered by
the elite of the President-makers of the Capt.
tol-it is most sincerely TO be hoped, that even
at the eleventh hour, the Representatives SO
called, of the People, will come to the honest
determination of legislating a little for the
country BY this time, even the most ultra
of the partisan corps who for so long time
have been wheeling and countermarching in
the Halls of Congress, must be convinced that
their grand man9uvre, the "heading" principle,
has been pushed to the extreme verge OF
public endurance. Honesty, patriotism, conf
mon decency-eyery consideration, indeed, that
should have weight with an upright and con-
scientous man and vrtuous statesman-impe-
rously demand, that an end should at once be put
to the scandalous scenes of party management
that have long been witnessed in the Capitol.
Enough has been done touching the settlement
of the succession" For sufficiently long
period has the car Of politics been rudely driven
ahead at the expense of the public veal The
country needs repose for season. Every lnte-
rest of the People is in state of collapse. In
every quarter embarrassment and distress meet
the ere. Over the entire and broad expanse of
the Union industry is robbed of its just reward.
Commerce, trade agriculture and manufactures
are languishing and expiring. The spirit OF
enterprise is chained down. The country, in
short, is suffering in every faculty that is cha
racteristic of prosperity. A deadly paralysis
has seized upon all things. And yet, while
such is the condition of the whole country
while the legitimate and energetic exercise OF
each and every function and power of the Gov
eminent is not more than sufficient to revivify the
dropping interests of the nation-FAcrIoN HOLDS
DOMINION IN THE LEGISLATIVE HALLS!
In treating Of the doings Of the Legislative
branch of the Government, it has never been
our wish to set down ought in malice. On the
contrary, there is no one who feels more hear
tily inclined to hold in high respect the majesty
of the People, as ref ,cted by their Representa-
tives here But it has been impossible for US TO
shut our eyes to the fact, that the mlldeW OF
party spirit has blighted almost every thing that
was beautiful in that section of or government
tai structure-that the cause Of partisan selfish
ness and trickery has been suffered to step in
and pervert almost every end an object for which
Congress was constituted. We dare not then,
if we would, keep silence, when the best int
rests of The country are thus tramped on. We
cannot cry 'peace! peace !" when "war to the
knife" is carried on against the dearest rights
and prosperity of the whole People If any
apology for our structures were needed, have we
it not even in the course pursued in the Repre-
sentatives' Hall within the last few days? If
the whole People could but for one day witness
the factous doings which are there enacted, 10
the delay of every measure, resting upon the
action Of Congress, that is essential to right
and wholesome administration Of the Govern
ment, they would not for moment longer
endure the slight of injury which is visited up
on them by large number of those whom they
have selected as their Representatives. But
these men are, to a certain extent, safe from the
censure Of the People, by their comparative ex-
emption from the close surveillance OF that Peo-
pie A partisan press stands as shield be-
tween hem and the just condemnation of their
insuted constituents. But the People will not
always remain thus passive. They will soon
cast the hoodwnk from their eyes. The men
who are now, and have been for days and weeks,
devising ways and means to embarrass the Tx
ecutive, instead of working relief to the coun-
try, will be called upon to give an account of
their stewardship They will be required TO ex-
plain why and wherefore, having the power,
they wrought nothing for the lasting be-
neft of the nation. 1t will not do for
them to point to the acts of the President,
as a cause of the delay and the unfrutfulness of
their abors. With but one exception thus far,
the Executive has confirmed all that they have
done, and unless they madly bent upon
keeping up the present unhealthy and deranged
stale of the public affairs, by egislating rather
for partisan than general purposes, there is no
reason to apprehend any inconvenience on his
part touching anything which they may here
after do Here is fact that speaks trumpet
tongued to the world; and it is not the Presi-
dent who is to fear its PRONUNCIATION among the
People
But how long yet shall the spirit of faction
continue to control the action of Congress p
Will not the Representatives of the People even
now pay some attention to the strong appeals
which are hourly made to their patriotism by
the hapless condition of the country and the
disabilities of the suffering People2 We fear
not-though hoping everything. We are appre-
hensive that the power which controls their mo-
ton is too strong to be overruled by the voice Of
reason and justice. From the very hour, al
most, in which the present Chief Magistrate,
by an interposition Of the divine will, was call