Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-03-01

from one extremity Of the Union to the
other. The people, who had been
made the helpless victims of an extra
ordinary distress brought upon them by
the reckless and selfish policy pursu-
ed by their agents, TO whom they had
con6ded the administration of their
public affairs, looked with confidence
to the assembled wisdom ofthe nation
Tor a redress OF those evils, by which
they were borne down and oppressed.
Measures were devised, dictated bv the
most profound sagacity and recon-
mended by the experience Of years of
unparalleled prosperity and the un-
doubted wishes of the nation. Whilst
millions offreemen we're INDUCING the
most sanSulne and rational hopes oran
alienation Ofthe misery and distress,
to which they had been subjected, the
accidental incumbent ofthe Presi0en-
tlal Chair, the mere creature of chance
and circumstances whose influence
had no! attracted a solitary vote TO the
grand cause upon which he was elect
ed, and who was too insignificant to
have presumed to aspire 10 the station,
to which a national calamity had ele-
waited him, basely determined to be-
tray the interest of the party, by whose
means he had been placed in its pres
emf position, and barter the principles,
he had prolessed, and defeat the pur-
poses, for which he was elected, to
secure a renewal of the power, which
ne had so treacherously perverted. In
the midst Of the most glowing prospect
oil reform, which was opening upon
the nations view, this deluded and I'M
princlpled offspring of fortuitous cir
cumstances, dazzled with the grandeur
Of the elevation, to which Fortune had
blindIy raised him, for his own selfish
objects and personal aggrandizement
has annihilated in breath the plans
which the united wisdom Of the Rep
resentatives Of the people had devised
for the restoration Of the prosperity
and happiness of the country. A sol
itary individual, weak and inconsidera-
bic, with the obvious purpose Of pro
prlatlting an opposing party for his tu
ture support, has by the exercise ofth'
reto power defeated the object, 70
which millions struggled and anxious
ly hoped. To see the course Of poll
cy, which was dictated by the peopl
and planed by their representatives, 70
the reformation of the abuses of NAL
administration and the restoration c
the Happiness n~A rroera";"s' ~r'ho 80
ton, thus abruptly arrestd in It's brilliar
progress by the Gictatorial fiat of a
individual for his own mean and selds
purposes, man, who has never fe
j the generous glow of patriotism, an
: the narrow and contracted sphere {
; whose visions has never embraced a
J expanded view Of his country's goo(
1t is a striking Illustration Of the impolic
: Of this monarchicaI prerogariye in OF
IS constitution.
Y If human institutions could con
n forth as matured and perfect, as Mine
: va from the brain Of Jove, it wonl
d furnish an unanswerable argumel
If against making any innovation upo
Is our Observation-Disclosures there SUI
s. ly never was an assembly of wiser, pr
W rer, and more devoted patriots than Il
l. Convention, which framed that sacrt
IS instrument. Whilst we admit that Il
n character Of that venerable body is
lie exalted, that we should not, but wi
II the highest difference and respect, di
er card any thing, which men SO remar
ly able for their wisdom and purity deer
TO ed essential; we deny that it is the p;
he Of either duty or reason to retain wi
n experience has taught us is incomp
IS ible with the nature Of the free Instit
n ton, which it was their design
wi frame. The operations Of the hum
p mind are directed by experience a
Induction; what was theory with
OF trainers of our government has beco
he experiment with us. We can fir
is observation form our opinion of
ity machine, which their wisdom devils
ro- and can discover defects, which hun
les foresight could scarcely anticip;
OF Government, like most other hun
nd inventions is the subject of progress
the Improvement; and from the past hi:
nfI oAfv lIr