The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-04

Frsm Ne Bsso~ Deily I'"ses
CONGRESS AND THE COuNIh'
ARMY AND THE NAVY.

From time to time il has been our painful duty do
conductors of an independent press TO express ou,
mortifc alton and indignation al the course
by Congress in reference to the great questions VI
national policy which have come before H. we nav
witnessed with establishment and shame the TOTAL
abandonment of principle by the uIasts to the calls
and apparent interest Of party In their rJecon OF
men Of unduubted ability and probity, when nonlnat-
ed to offices of trust and profit, merely because .hese
men were Nominated and counteRanced by the fresi-
dent We have had ample proof OF the subservlency
of our electioneering Representatives to party bul
we confess that, we had INDUCED hope tina. .he
open and expressed Indignation, and the hones' 'e-
monstrances of the great mass OF the hmehca" P'o
pie would not be utterly iruilless-that inc soi0e "
rebuke would penetrate the Halls OF Leg's'a.o"
that CORONATION and intrigue had reached their acme,
But we have been wofully disappointed II ~ouI'
seem a. if these recreants-these lscat'esS VI 80
gress in their base determination 10 c'iPPe AZ
der aboitive all the iudiciOus efforts OF the
traton, determined TO prove 70 VIVA nshsd II
paracida and suicidal policy might be Posneu. ~
the friend. of the Administration, were innoeneeu
bv other motives than th,se of honest PATRIOTISM t"ey
would take selfish pleasure IN the course "
The ultra opposition men IN Congress- ior lucy mus
be well aware that they are destroying tneir iame
and influence, and conuring up tempest which VIII
free the nation Of their degrading and dishones.
ciples But the patriot feels no pleasure IN Tue
contemplation of men who Sit not " dehoerat'ng III
calm debate" but wasting the night In words, IN
iudicious policy, in personal disputes OF rous'ne
from their apathy propose and advocate measures
the effect of which is to degrade and cripple Tue ma
ton, and lay i, open the terison and assaults o.
foreign powers to whom the existence OF n'u'isH-
ing Democracy, is gall and wormwoed.
a. Iong as thew confne their hostile demonstrations
10 the rejection of men nominated to certain omceS
the injury they nict upon the public, though deePy
to be deplored is neither rreparabe nor ruinou pu'
a blow is stricken at military and navai power
IL no oil
deenceless or crippled to invite aggression ano
insult from abroad it is time for the feopienos .e
miserable slaves of party-not those VINO ooey .he
guidance Of the leading-slaves OF demagogues.ou
the WHOLE PEopLE-al who have their country ii'e
rests in view to rise one man and illuminate 'he,
hns, 40 inst tn ose who would betray and
destroy them.
The Army and the Navy What true American
heart that does beat higher at the very mention Of
those names2 What true American Is there VINO
does not feel the flush Of shame and indignation when
he reads that his Representatives-hs paid servants
are connivng to reduce to yet smaller scale, the gar
liant little navy of our repubc-to thin the ranks
our handful Of troops till the very name OF army De-
comes mockery? Are we indeed retrogradlng IN
enterprise and prosperlty-have we nothing worth de-
tending and preserving on the ocean and the land
Look abroad, beyond the confines Of our republic ::
In the north and the SOUTH In the east and the west
our sails are whitening every ocean. Shall we de
prve of its dignity and terror that tarspangled ban
ner which has always claimed respect from
Each flag that floats over the main,
Shall we court aggression and then plead aoeakness a
an apology for non-resstance? In whatever aspec
we view the condition of our country we shall have
cause to denounce the traitorous of reduc
ton of the army and the navy. Our relations will
Great Britain, the greatest maritime power on tn
globe, are yet unsettled those with Mexico are ia
from satisfactory local revolution has but lately
threatened to become the nucleus of civil war, In
volving many interests within its vortex, we have
tribes of hostile neghbors lowering about our frontier
and yet we are insulted by schemes for reducing
our too meagre force. Wo to those who seek to be
tray interests when they are called upon 10 rem
der an account for their stewardship They will find
but find too late for themselves, that
Gwen handed justice
Returns the ingredients of the poisoned chalice
To their own lips"