The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-05

with exemplary firm oess and which might have been
more correctly accom- plished had there been less of
angry opposition. am free to own that do not my
self approve of every thing that has been done IN this
respect but where every thing else far, has been
exactly right, it to that patriotism should
have forbidden a'labid fault-fnding and should have
dictated generous support of his Administration and
that too even by the OUTS and much more SO by the
INNS if not by open approval yet certainly by less
angry opposition.
No Administration can labor efficiently for the
general good, if the Opposition feels itself entitled to
be forever on the alert raise difficulties and to swell
the tide of opposition The wheels of Government
must then sop-the public veal must then succomb
to the comparatively private wishes and advantage of
few political leaders In each State of the Union,
and the people must continue 10 suffer until time and
opportunity (through the medium OF an enlightened
press) shall gradually teach them the wholesome
truth that there can be no heathful Administration
of the Constitution sound legislation and no wise
execution of existing laws and powers IN the midst
of partisan turmoil, and of gra.uitous opposition
1t is therefore most salutary doctrine that shuts out
all party distinctions that of the ADMINISTRATIVE
and of the OPPOSITION; that the generally re-
ceived and pracsed doctrine during every PresIden-
tial term each Administration would have fair trial.
and would then be eventually judged by its measures;
and when the day of reckoning came The whole mass
of administrative (afer trial. would be fairly
before the people, who are the constituted Judges and
who then would have the means of soundly Judging
That much evil results from perpetual opposition,
whilst measures are forming, and gradually ma
turing, none can question. often contem-
plate with surprise, the ong-cherished oppo-
sition of a considerable party in France, to
the reign of Louis Philippe, believing as do that,
since the days of Henry ", she has never had SO
wise SO honest, and so practical monarch and yet
there are thousands who would hurl him from his
throne-whose prejudces SO nveterate that the
cannot see the merits of his peaceful and eminenty
wise administration, and who would both bless and
curse the day that should consgn him to tomb
in st. Denis But mankind in all ages and coun-
tries has been much the present and idle dis
content is lost in the yet idle hopes of the flu
ture selshness shuts out reason and Fictitious evils
made the stalking-horse that shuts from view
| the existing goods And this is owing in no small
degree, to the exctable nature of the great mass
and to the vast power which an intellectual few may
exercise for veal or for wo But, let me again ask
is it not the province Of sober judgment, of honest
patriotism, and of practical wisdom, to check that
| tumultuous ardor of the multitude, and should not
the gifted few exert their high powers to sober the
| public mind-to calm the too angry excitement-to
correct all erroneous opinions and to annhilate pre-
JUDGES Were these things done, no people upon
earth soundly thinking than the American
public-none more generous-none more disposed
for the tranquil and industrious pursuits of life The
watchword then, should be MODERATION AND VI
GLANCE; J" for, whilst calm discussion and judcious
inquiry should be cherished as the surest preserva
tves of liberty, all ultra opposition should be regard
ed the most infallibe and mortal foe to the per-
manency Of Republican institutions. Italy, with
her twelve millions, has never, since the fall of the
empire, taken that stand among the nations of the
earth which her high intellectual attanments, her
genius, and her physical advantages, would have
ferred upon her. and the is mostly to be found
in that rancorous spirit with which she has always
pursued every matter Of politics, of religion, itera-
| ture, and of general opinion. And with us. In
mixed population, there must necessarily be much
of miscellaneous thought upon nearly all subjects and
hence arises the strong moral, and physical ne
cessity for the cultivation all times of that recp
rocal giving and receiving which is called moderation
and which never fails to bless equally the gver and
the receiver. The apices juris-the unalloyed good
the perfect ustice--the beau ideal of Government
seldom if ever attainable and he who seeks for
such pursues phantom. The closest approxma-
ton them to all these is to be fondly cherished, and
the people not fairly dealt WITH when the wheels
of Government stopped shackled under the plea
that ideal and impracticable perfection is to be
pursued. How important, then, repeat again, is the
doctrine that whenever choice is made of a
new Administration, it should be literally sus-
tained-graciousy dealt wlth-freely tried and
never coarsely abused. Nor do ! pretend to asser
that there has been no abuse the administrative
side but do say that has been mostly if not
treIy, defensive. | lament that there has been any,
any where Facts are always stubborn things-and
facts the Administration party has had in profu
sion and therefore had occasion to follow bad
example. But STILL the severity of remark, or the
nveteracy of attack has been on the other side. The
vituperative resoIutions-tbe burning in effgy-the
worLy abuse, &c. of President Tyler-those upon
Mr.. Secretary Webster, that upon Mr.. Secretary Up
shur, and others, have been such as no condition
party excitement and even imminent peril Of the
Republic, would justify. They, indeed, have been
most triumphantly refued; but that only makes then
the odious, and strips them, the more, of all
show of justification | myself no partisan,
though truea Wing can be found; but have ever
aimed at much higher ground viz at the preservation
ofthe Union, for the universal Improvement
of the public morals-he enactment Of salutary laws
the permanency of orthodox politics-.hc extinction
of man. worship--the bold annunciaton oftruth-,he
honor and welfare of my whole countryside separa-
ton Of all utraism from Democracy and from Fede-
ralism and from Whigism; and finally, the reduction
of all politics AMERlcANisM
Corn PLANTER
JAMES PHALEN d Co. Managers