The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-04-15
THE OPPOSITION TO THE ADMINS
TRATION.

THE OPPOSITION TO THE ADMINS
TRATION.
1t has been said by high authority that "we
have President without party and parties
without President" a condition Of things much
10 be deplored, in the estimation OF the author
Of the assertion Unfortunately for our com
try, it has been, for many years past, the ia
shion to have party Presidents, and such would
doubtless have been the case still, to greater
or less degree had it pleased Providence TO spare
the life of the great and good man whom the
opponents Of the late Administration had ele-
waited to the Presidential chair. 1t has, how
ever, been otherwise ordered, and thanks to the
course pursued by portion OF the Wing party
in Congress, the present Chief Magistrate finds
himself free from the trammels that usually
connect themselves with political obligations, so
far at least Dis the dispensation Of Government
patronage is concerned. Nor has this unusual
state of things been the result of any act on the
part of the President Brought into power
through the agency, in part, OF the Wing party
he commenced his official career by showing
his readiness to sanction, without reference TO
his own individual opinions, many measures
which had appeared to be consonant with the
wishes of large majority OF the People OF the
country. 1t, however, unuckily happened that
in attempting to regulate the currency of the
land, the mode selected for efecting that object
by Mr. Clay and his adherents, involved a con-
struction of the Constitution totally at variance
with the conscientious convictions OF the Presl-
dent, and, consequently did not receive his sane
ton. In the exercise of his high prerogative, and
in obedience to the solemn appeals of conscience,
the President dared TO avail himself of the peto
power in preventing what he believed to be an
infraction of the Constitution of the United
States, which he had sworn to support. For
this reason, and this reason alone, has portion
of Congress, claiming to be composed OF what
are, in the language of the day. termed Wigs
proper, thought proper to unfurl the standard Of
opposition to the Administration, and formally
to declare uncompromisng hostility to its mea-
sures, without any reference whatever to their
merits or dement's. No matter how enllghten-
ed or patriotic may be the policy recommended
by the Executive, il is to be baffled and render
ed Intellectual by the erclusire advocates Of a.
National Bank as the ONLY medium through
arhich the fiscal concerns OF the Government
are to be conducted, and we are to be told by
the head and front of this band OF politicians,
that we have president without party."-
If, indeed, it be true, as Mr. Clay has declared
that we have "Chef Magistrate who is with
out party" without at this moment going into
q d;sousson IF tha n 10 a1es nd die al vantapes
of such state ofthings, we would ask him and
his friends why it is that such Is the case! Is
it not because gentlemen who were sent here to
represent the wishes of their constituents, and
to adopt such measures as might be best calcu-
lated TO promote the National interests, have
usurped an authority to which they have not
the most remote claim, by holding up TO public
scorn the Chief Magistrate of this country as
''weak, vacillating, and fathless," and proclaim
ing to the nation their eternal enmty to him
and his measures, be they uchat they may
We would ask these gentlemen protestdnts,
where they find the power conferred upon them,
to brand with contumelious epthets the indivi-
dual whom the nation has thought proper to in
vest with the second dignity in the Republic,
simply because he had the moral courage to re-
sist the establishment of an institution which
he deemed inconsistent with the Consttu-
ton of the land, and which THEY KNOW had
not the confidence of a majority of the
constituency of the nation? 1t is in vain
for these gentlemen to say that the establish
ment of National Bank was one Of the PRIN-
cIpLEs for which the Wing party, meaning
thereby the friends of our much lamented late
President contended in the late election. II
was NO SUCH THING, and they are PER
FECTLY AWARE that the assertion is not
borne out by the facts Of the case The RES
ToRATIoN OF SOUND CURRENCY THROUGH THE in
PREVENTION OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT, was
principle for which the Wing party contend
ed, but as to Bank, can old-ashioned Bank,
as Mr.. Clay calls it, so far from its being one o.
the principles for which the Wings commended
it is a notorious fact that in many parts of tn,
country any reference TO the establishment o
such an institution, was most studiously avoided
or if mention Of Bank was made, 1T was fol