The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-02
PASSAGE OF THE LOAN BILL.

PASSAGE OF THE LOAN BILL.
The struggle is past and patriotism has at
last obtained the mastery over partisan selfish
ness and management. In the result of the
vote upon the Loan bill we think we behold the
dawning Of better day. and gather from it the
promise of brighter times for the Republic
Severed by untoward circumstances from the
political party through the instrumentality of
which he had been brought into power, the
President found himself at the very onset of
his career stripped of the aids that usually sus-
tain the occupants Of his high station, and
forced to depend for support solely upon the
correctness of his intentions and the excellence
of his measures. TWAS his misfortune to differ
from those who had been his friends on single
point, we will not say Of policy, but of conscen-
1ious conviction, and in doing so, he became the
elevated mark at which disappointed ambition
and malevolent ignorance should discharge their
arrows. Foolish and unsparing as these attacks
have been they have never driven him, for an
instant, from his high purpose Opposed with
the utmost virulence on account of alleged mo-
lives which he never acknowledged, and mea-
sures which had not even the benefit of trial,
he has, with firmness that does him infinite
honor, pursued the even tenor of his way, with
out turning to the right or to the left in the full
confidence that the time was near at hand when
he would receive the reward Of his honest exer
tons at the hands of grateful country. In or
der to surround himself with the best lights Of
intelligence, he called around him men whose
talents and virtues would do honor to any coun-
try and any age, and, assisted by their councils
he has manfully steered the ship Of State
through innumerable perils and difficulties
Tainted and rdculed by men who, forgetting
their own self-respect and the dignity of their
high stations, descended to the use of personal
invective and electioneering slang, he has met
their assaults with the serenity and composure
that belong to rectiude of purpose, whilst the
shafts projected by unbridled passion, have
fallen blunted and harmless at his feet Such
has been his course during the war of words
that has been for months waged between the
discordant elements of opposing parties, whilst
the country was bleeding at every pore and
calling in vain for help from the only source to
which it could with propriety look for succor.
Passion has had its fullest sweep, and seemed
to delight with maniacal ferocty in the pro5tra-
ton and ruin of generous and continuing Peo-
pie. What was it to the representatives of the
nation, if it were left with empty Treasury
and debased credit, a rotten currency and an en-
tire stagnation of business, provided the devo-
tees of partisan vindictiveness were enabled to
give utterance to the suggestions of feelings as
discreditabe as they were unpatriotic. Reason
has at length resumed the sway and proud
majority of the popular branch Of the Legisla-
ture has wisely although late, declared in ia
vor of sustaining the government of the coun-
try without reference to men. This is all that
has been asked for, and it is right, essential
ly right. Let the National Legislature do it's
duty to the country in furnishing the means of
maintaining the national dignity and honor, and
then let those who administer the Executive
Departments of the Government be held to the
strictesl and most unsparing accountability for
the manner in which they shall discharge the du-
ties assigned them. 1t lis vain to hope that the
responsibility attached to past occurrences will
be charged to the Administration, and that the
People are so besotted by pa sion, or so ignorant
as not to know to whom these things are charge
means Of conducting the public service, the
ever gifted and patriotic, can do nothi ng-
men entrusted with Executive duties, how
Trammelled and bound down by the want of
Legislative action, the ministers of the Govern
lnent are utterly powerless, and however humi-
latng their condition may be, they are obliged to
submit. Ofthis the People ofthe United States
are aware, and their Representatives will DISCO
yer, to their cost, that hey and they only, will
be held answerable.
We may, and probably will, be told that here
toore the great measures connected vitality with
the welfare OF the country have been in course
of preparation, and that much has been done
which does not meet the public eye Of this
we are perfectly aware, and we are happy to
have it in our power re to state that, so far as
some members are concerned, vast deal has
been effected at the expense of immense labor
Thus much may, and ought to be said, with re-
ference to some of the measures before Con.
gress, but we cannot excuse the supineness and
apathy which could have suffered the dishonor-
ed credit of the country to become by word
and a reproach, when the preventive was with
in the reach Of that body Was il not enough
that our State securities had fallen into tota