The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-09-09
THE AsHBURTON DINNER.

greatest city of the United States, al dinner
gotten up by American citizens, toast to The
Queen of Great Britain is drunk amid enthu-
siastic and dealening cheers, and toast TO The
President of the United States, Is drank in ST.
lence, aud disrespectful sile ice y! The welkin
was made 10 ring with loud huzzas TO the Brit
ish Queen; and not one syllable is lisped, not
one word spoken, not hand raised in re-
spect TO the American Nation Great Britain,
with all her faults, all her sins, depressing aud
grinding down her own poor, spreading her do
mnions by force and wrong and bloodshed when
ever her caprice and interest dictate, is cheeredin
earthquake shouts and America, our own Ame-
rica our own dear dear land just in all her poll
cy, liberal in all her measures respected for her
virtues and her true greatness by the whole world,
receives not one breath of applause, not one smile
of regard not one, even the slightest indication
of respect The honor and the pride of Anne
RIGA are Frustrated at the feet of British lords
and noblemen; and there she lies, "none so
poor as TO do her reverence" But we are
wrong; there uds some indication Of respect,
but not from American citizens! Some OF the
English guests arose to show respect to our ma
ton, but they were thrust down in surprise and
bewildermenr, by the angry and discouraging
frowns of the Tory Americans, who conceiv-
ed and directed the outrage! Even TO-
reigners were civil enough TO show
spect to the American Government and People I;
but American Tories prevented it Was
ever outrage so base, so revolving, so infamous
III, II: IL, al
fancies of some horrible dream, from which we
turn away with adherence and disgust.
We have witnessed with pain the undue in
fuence Of British precedent and example, and
of British customs. We have been panied,
when the conviction has been forced upon US,
that IN this country few hireling and pen
stoned presses have ever uttered the language
Of low and craven servility TO British Power;
and that British gold was not wanting to be
poured out to corrupt and degrade the high and
sacred functions of the ballot box. We have
witnessed with pain, the sychophanlic adulalion
offered up to British authors, who visited our
shores, and the glorifcation of any thing TO-
reign, that honored US with with visit, if she
were even painted courlezan bat lar, very
far distant, seemed the day when American ci-
tizens, OF "wealth and respectabiliy," would
proclaim, in the largest city of the Union, to
the whole world, their disrespect Of their own
land
This indignity is offered not to an obscure and
petty State or to an unjust and oRRreasasyosn Gallons On
the face of the earth-great in her origin, for
shs uac horn If thosa ,yho 10 rod ~ connuar Tho
deep and savage wilderness, and to struggle
with the rude barbarian, and to follow to "the
rock-bound coast" truth and liberty, and there
erect and dedicate temples TO their worship
great in the mighty deeds and the illustrious
names Of the Revouion-great in after
times in her victories by land and at
sea, her stars and her stripes, the proud
and respected emblems of her power float
ing on every sea-great in her magnificent hills,
her mighty rivers, her inexhaustible productions
great In her Government, and great in her
People, In their virtue and intelligence and pa
trloism, and great too as the living, and sue
cessful experiment Of sefgovernment, holding
out to the world the strong practical argument
in favor of universal human freedom, and great
too as the only hope of the oppressed and crush
ed people of all the nations of the earth. Such
government is insulted and scorned, and the
bright crown Of her glory is sought TO be cast
at the feet of British noblemen, ty some OF her
own traitor sons; men, who enjoy the equal
and benignant privileges secured to them in
common with all her citizens whose lives and
liberty, and property, and reputation, and perso-
nal security, are preserved to them by her laws
and Institutions, whose homes are made their
temples, whose fre-sdes are made sacred from
ruthless invasion, on whom the cheering light
OF peace and security is made to shine without
interruption! The citizens of other nations in
their own land may be oppressed and wronged,
their property wrested from them, their reputa-
lion blasted, their family altar polluted, their
persons arrested and imprisoned under the fitful
impulses of interest, or passion, or policy; but
in our own dear land, every man sits in perfect
peace under his own vine and his own fig tree.
Such Government has been nsulted and
sought to be disbonored by such men
The insult was offered to the nation through
her Chief Magistrate and who is he2 Is he
not one OF her most distinguished and patriotic
sons, elevated to the second office in the nation,
and one OF the most honored stations in the
world, by the voice of his countrymen and
now by the voice of the same nation, uttered
through her Constitution, occupying the most
hon0red elevation under heaven. Has he not
descended from Patriot sire, whose name is
written upon the broad and enduring parchment
OF his country's greatness Has he not in pri-
va,e life been revered and loved for his purity
and his unsurpassed virtues, and la public life es-