The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-01-12
Hosn tie Washington Correspondence ef tia Nsw York
Commercial .adperfisef
WAsHisGroS, Jan. 4, l642

Commercial advertiser.
WAsHisGrox, Jan. 4, 1912
There Is great deal Of truth in remark maue
yesterday by Mr.. johnson, of Maryland in the course
Of his speech upon the reference OF the arn
He said that whatever some men IN TINS NATION 90
think. there was no ndiv idual who has any right 70
assume that he is popular, and act aceordingyLase
mo IN fact "a II he believed that he Is absolutely In
dspensable TO the country, 80 lar from .ha'' ~ ~
one man can be considered as necessary even " "
communitv The covert rebuke conveyed in tins al
msion every reader every listener, every observer OF
the course Of things in the political world, as now de
yeloping, will be at no loss to apply appropriately
is no less vexatious than true and u Is equaiiy op
yous that such an assumption as that aliuueu ~ y
MIR Johnson on the part of the friends, the deVoees
of one person. if not the part OF thai person NM
SELF lies at the foundation Of all present dcu'es ~
the Wing ranks 49,
No one can estimate more highly than your cor
respondent does the shining, brilliant enecu'o n'
&c character which have rendered the great states
man alluded TO- the pride of his country the la'ori'e
of his friends who have adhered 10 nun through soou
and evil report showing ever and anon w'''' 49,
nav an ardent desire, to elevate nm 70 'ne n'snoo,
nIace in the nation No one has been oitener ana
more forcibly moved by the eloquence win which,
during the last twelve years. he has stricken az WICK
edness and corruption in the hgh places " .e ''u
denounced despotic power, and the amoi'ious a" ue
signing men who have welded soush. ~ 80 tha
succeeded in healing, breaches in the ranks OF the
party that boosted of his comPanionship-and, oy
skilful use Of pacfcating and conclliatory comPro
misses as occasions presented 'ie
interests of the nation and enhanced Its deep sense OF
obligation and Indebtedness to himself WINE
make This ayowaI circumstances compel me, after
careful investigation Of the causes that have
the unhappy divisions in sentiment, upon some ilpor
tant points, at present prevailing IN tne gea' Pa "a
which am an humble member to add that now ,"heh
there is more pressing occasion than ever peloie' m
the history of the age we live in for the exercise oil
those peculiar talents which have been so aoiy exert
ed before in the way Of Cancellation ana coniProse
the magic wand Of the enchanter seems 70 DC proken
and the book of Prospero out OF whlcn ~ IN, .ha
could once read spells of power to charm to rest the
most turbulent storm-spirts, seems " buried deeper
than ever pummet sounded" And this when worn
from his lips would restore union good ieelng, ala
efficiency to great and triumphant part i is
with whom he has acted faithfully so long, ana so ei
fectiyelv and to whose devotion to him. personally,
ana n whose wishes for his elevation to place, IL Is,
alas too true, that no little o. the present unhappy
divisions is mainly owing
An honorable ambition, to attain 'he eoai VI al
that can be held out for individual to aspire 70,
certainly jaudable: and the efforts OF one moving
among us TO reach that proud eminence, demahu our
co,lntenance and aid as well as our auhir ao, Pr
yded he takes the fair and honorable pain tal ieaas
TO it, But there is point beyond which an'oi.lo u,
ceases 10 be virtue and takes shade IN the aspect
with which IL is viewed where before II dlspiayeo
light and that point is precisely that which IS ATTAIN
S NV the aspirant when is clear that by continuing
10 aspire he not only incapactates himself ior sue
cess, but risks, if he do not make assueu, I IT, ha
throw of the party to which he belongs; when ne
nushes his claims to advancement even at the peru Oh
The total wreck of those hopes desires ana htehon'
with which his party are animated III con'chons "''
their opponents at all At such period, how much
more worthy OF worlds admrauoh anu ne am
would appear the statesman already iuli OF wen,
earned honors already crowned win many iaurei
nv The hands OF his grateful countrymen already nav
ing garnered up rich harvest OF golden opinions
from all sorts of men, the abundant store OF long
DAVIS labor in the wide field of his countrys service
were ha to retire gracefully from struggle in which
the chances of success precarlous ana the vcto
nv attained in which is, after ALL, SO htue worm,
compared with the innumerable disadvantages tha'
must accrue to the cuuntry, If that struggle termi-
mates adversely to him Ia,
what Is one man. and what one mans ambition, great
though he may be, and laudabe as may DC ms aspi-
rations when put in the opposite scale 10 'hat wicn
holds the general veal the interests OF the Whoie tne
.sgreatest good of the greatest numberH we should
he more careful we republicans, OF this overgrowing
popularity of an individual, than OF the grown OF
any other latent evil that is incident TO our almost
faultless system. , ~.
highest seat of mower in Rome till he had secured the
voice Of the Senate in his favor-and then, what was
the result y, Such were the emphatic words OF MI
Cost Johnson in concluding his able effort OF yester
day. Far be the day removed, when the voice Oh
one shall be so pOtcntial III oui osa'
srct the freedom of opinion to fetter freedom OF ac
ton, to PROSTATE. the freedom Of speech
But enough for the present. These thoughts are
incident to the state Of things present existing IN
Washington, and felt it impossible to check an ex-
preston of them. For well assured am j. (and there
are many Others more matured by years ana expert
ence and Judgment than myself, who have the same
convictions that until the ''UNIoN OF THE Wnies
ron THE SAKE OF THE UNIoN, which was the guiding
principle that led that party the achievement OF the
plorops triumph of ls4O be restored by the adoption
Of some salutary measure of finances the availability
of that party for good to the country will be growing
weaker and weaker with every days lapse until IS
entirely lost We must go for measures" and leave
men out of the question; and # we cannot o carry
the measures we severally prefer, we must s.lNe
to reconcile such preferences as exist IN spirit
Of compromise carried out in good faith and, fail
ing at one point forthwith attempting IN another,
70 accomplish that desirable UNION, without which
al, our efforts are worse than nothing worth The
only path to success lies that way and they who sho
walk in another predestined to stumble ana iall
as they go.