The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-04-20
THE DEMOCRACY.

toned federalists who, for the sake of place, en-
listed themselves under the banner of General
Jackson, the rank and file of the party have for
many years past been made the willing nstru-
ments of carrying out measures the very reverse
of the doctrines which they affect to entertain.
We have often heard of the might, the magic
of name, but never did we see the force Of the
expression so thoroughly illustrated as in the
transforming power possessed by the term de-
mocracy No matter how ultra-federal mea-
sure may be, and subversive OF every thing like
democratic principles, il is only necessary for
these gentlemen to introduce it with good
hearty shout of democracy" TO render il all that
can be desired by their followers who never take
the pains to think for themselves. In times
gone by, the illustrious head of ''the party" per-
hitting himself to be surrounded by designing
men of the old federal, anti-J Jefferson stamp, who,
working upon his honest and unsuspectng ma
ture, made him believe that black was white, gave
himself up to their guidance, and without know
ing it, lent the sanction of his authority to opinions
that would make disciple of the school Of '9S
blush even to think of them. Did set OF en-
terprisng men, of moderate means, associate
themselves as bankers, under charter for con-
venience in transacting business; the associa-
ton so formed was called moneyed monopoly,
whilst, if a millionaire made use of his means to
the exclusion of all competition, he was the best
democrat in the world. If the honest Ameri
can manufacturer happened to ask for such pro-
lection as should place him on fair footing, as
to remuneration for his labor, with the foreign
tic, and the product of his labor was thrown
aside. that the wealthy capitalist might shine
out in the fabrics of British looms at a price a
shade cheaper than would have existed had a
duty been imposed on the imported article-yet
this was genuine American democracy. The
credit was to be exploded, and hard money
circulation was to be exclusively adopted, that
prices might be brought to specie standard,
whereby the wages ola day laborer were to be re-
duced from a dollar to twenty FIVE cents day.
while the office-holder and the wealthy man
rates in building palaces, and yet this was
called "democracy dyed IN the 1oool," and the
People were so weak as TO suffer themselves to
be gulled by the empty cry. When the appeals
Of distress were coming from every quarter Of
this wretched country, and when men approach
ed the Executive chair in the vain hope of re-
ceiving some succor from the General Govern
ment, begging that the national treasure might
be made useful to the business interests of the
People, MIR. Van Buren, in his sober second
thoughts told the supplicants at his footstool
that the Government, meaning of course the
horde Of greedy dependents on the public boun-
ty, must take care Of ITSELF and that the People
must do the same, and yet this was imPudently
called democracy, and foolishly believed to be
such by the dupes of name. Nor was this all
this outrageous etfrontery was bostered up by
adducing examples, from abroad, of kingdoms
and empires, where the Governments are suf
fered to squander the millions wrung from the
hand Of hardy toll in gratifying the most de-
grading lusts, to prove that such was the proper
system for republican America Shame on
such foul, barefaced imposition and yet this was
called pure democracy. The People, forsooth,
were 10 replenish the national Golfers, and if
they dared TO ask for the use Of rhdt ras their
oun, they were to be told that they must take
care of themselves-the Government had no
sympathy for the popular agonies, while the pro
ducing classes from which every dollar that
went to pay the salaries of ofhce-holders was
derived, must toll on and had no right to look to
the recipients of their boun,es for even the
Is oc III bod
bestowed. Yet this was democracy. If so, it
was 'sthe democracy of heartess, selfish men,
who cared as little for the sufferings of the ma
ton as they would for the agonies of the worm
which they crushed under their feet, provided
their own ravenous appettes for the spoils were
satisfied In order TO effect total and rrevoca-
BILE divorce between the great mass of Ameri-
can freemen and the parasites of power, the
ub-TreasuIv, the ''lndependent Treasury"
as it was vauntingly styled, was established, so
that the pap of the Treasury should be kept by
itself, and beyond the reach of the ignoble and
unhallowed hands of the profane vulgar, that
were made to be hewers Of wood and drawers
Of water. We should like to know what an
Independent Treasury means. Where or what
would the Treasury of this country be, that
would be independent Of the People, by the
sweat of whose brows the Government is sus-
tanned? Such impudent arrogance reminds us
of the "divne right of kings" so long and SO
Justly exploded in almost every monarchica
government Of Europe, more than any thing
else, and yet this too is called 'democracy.'
Such democracy was not however the democr a
cy of the genuine honest Democrats of this
Union, and in voice of thunder they spurned
of which became evident in spite OF the inso
lent assertions Of its advocates. In the cleo