Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1842-10-01

were the terrors OF death bed, or the SOL |
emn conditions of an expiring man, suffi- |
cient to silence their clamors, or stay for
an instant, the removals his subordnates
were making in his name. For, upon the
of that name, though insensible
HIMSELF and sinking to the grave, the more
cruel of his counsellors contineud to swing
the axe of execution, as if determined that
the last mortal sound which broke upon the
ear of The dying President, should be, not
the sound Of prayer, or the filial sob, but the
scream of victim struck down
in his presence. And even after his death,
and the translation of his remains from the
Capitol to the west, democrats were spurn-
ed from office, upon the sole allegation,
that he, in his life, had intended their rcmo-
val.
Such was the first result; and what was
the next?
They had declared the country ruined
by democratic councils. They had declar.
ed the single object Of their own advent to
be its immediate redemption. Yet, not.
withstanding this, no sooner did they find
themselves all powerful, and the people all
powerless, than did they begin 10 disclose
other objects, far different from that-ob-
iects, in their tendency, ruinous to every
interest they had promised TO foster, save
the interest of the few, against the rights of
the many; and blasting to all the hopes they
had labored to excite, save the hopes of the
rapacious for the plumber of the Govern
ment. But to disclose such objects, was
dangerous, il their execution was delayed
1t was important, therefore, and well they
knew it, to forge and rivet their system of
measures uoon the country, whilst the pub
lie mind was yet ieverish and Eighty. from
the inflammation Of the recent struggle. -
Strike whilst the iron is hot! was the signal
passed to his followers, by him who spoke
for the whole, and by all was obeyed.-
Let not the people cool down, but now,
while the glow and giddiness of triumph is
upon them, let us rush TO the Capitol, and
taere, in the midst of the general glee, bind
and clinch our system on the nation.
This, it seems, was the policy which
prompted the convention of Congress, in
extraordinary session, on the 3lst of May,
1871.
On that day The extra scsslou commea'
ced, and then it was, thar those measures
were proposed, which express the real mo.
tives of the leaders, and which have
brought the Government and the country to
their presentcondition. They were then
victors over the whole field of power
With the Executive--with majority, over
whelming, in both branches OF Congress;
there was nothing to restrain the full sway
of their pleasure or their principles. This
they knew, and this they felt; and therefore
it was, that their chief in the Senate, with
all the staggering indelicacy of one unac-
customed to success, openly proclaimed to
the democracy Ct the body, that we had
been condemned by the judgment of the
people had been brought together only
Tor execution; and all that we uttered was
to be heard as nothing, but the complaints
of malefactors, on their way TO the scafold.
Such was the delirium of meritless triumph
and vulgar revenge, with which the federal
lists began their work; and without prepar'
ing any thing in its stead, laid hold upon the
Sub Treasury, and tore it to the ground.
Thus, did these infatuated men-they who
had most falsely charged the democratic
party with having committed the public
treasure TO the sole custody of the Execu'
tive-with having united, in his person
both the sword and the purse-thus did
they, among the very first acts of their
power, do, themselves, the very same thing
so unjusty ascribed TO others, by the re.
peal of the only law which placed the mon.
ey of the nation out of the reach Of the
President. No bank, no law, no resolu-
ton, had they passed to take the place Of
the act they repealed. Nor is there, to this
day, any such provision. or any such likely
to be, while the present Congress remains
And why is thisi If the majority can.
not get the fiscality they desire, can they
not pass an act to secure the revenue? OF
do they intend to have it as it is, exposed
to the hazard Of official pillage, in order tc
try, once more, the coercion OF the people
into national bankl
These men came into power, as we are
told, upon the holy mission of guarding the
sanctity of the constitution, the law, and all
human obligations. So pious was their
reverence for the observance Of contracts
that some Of their number were willing that
this government, though pennyless ITSELF
and plunging in debt, should assume the
debts OF the states, rather than witness their
reputation. Nevertheless. these very same
men, the chosen and the Amounted guard.
and Of ell things sacred, by one general
ACT, with the name Of bankruptcy for its
caption. repudIated the debts Of the larger
debtors Throughout the entire nation. By