Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-11-25
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
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OUR DUTY-oCR CArSE.
II has become the fashion OF late, among unrehecting
people to begin to discuss, rashiy and Pre"a,nrely'
the merits and rretensions OF Presidential candidates
for the great contest which is to take place in 1s44.-
Now, ! hold this practice Of alternately abusing and
panegyr:sing candidates in advance, TO be, not only po'
li,icaiiy inexpedient, but also morally wrong, and fla.
| GRAVITY base and unjust. For iE must be botn base
and unjust who can, without the least provocation, al
tempt to pull down and 5.ast The reputation oil any
eminent statesman of his own party, because, and only
because, he may believe or imagine that statesman =
claims and merits to be an obstacle TO the promotion oil
las o,cn favorite candidate. Away with all such petty
ealousies-away with all such hum.lia.Ing exhibitions.
Unoues,;onably, we all have our partialties, sympathies
and antipa,hies on this subject of Presidential asp'ra-
tons, rivalry and success; bu: what are personal pre-
ferences, lkings or d~lslikings, compared 10 Inc safely
and crowning triumph of the principles OF tie great
cause Of Democracy? Let us have u National Mont
mating Convention, and let that Convention give US a
firm, able and honest candidaie-no matter from what
point Of the compass he halis, whether from The East
or the West, the North or the South for the heart OF
Democracy, like the light of Heaven, is benevolent and
all.peryading, and unlike the narrow. minded, STU pid
selGshness oil Federalism, knoweth not how TO measure
mems merits or defects by sectional considerations; mel.
Their will it confne or bound its affections TO this or that
accidental and contemplate strip of earth which hap.
pened TO give them birth. Give US such q candidate, !
repcat-one whose whole life has been devoted TO the ad-
vocacy and advancement of salutary Republican princi.
Piles and with such a man for our champion, We need
no, entertain any fears for the result.
| have already alluded 10 the moral impropriety, and
now come 10 speak of the political 'affpfd'rn'y and
evil consequences which must inevitably result from tins
unnatural and partizan assassination OF character, and
from such 4 premature, perverse and i'll .natured dis
cussion with regard 10 The claims Of Presidential aspl-
rants. Certain it is, that We have nothing TO gain, and
everything to lose, by pursuing such a course, and en-
cou.aging this unworthy spirit of selfshness and in
trisue. II is true, tina, Federal WA;ggeTy appears 10 be
dead just nov; an indignant and injured people have
come 10 their senses at last and have smit,en and telled
i to the earth. But let US remember, that Federal
Whiggery hath as many lives as the feline race, and
notwithstanding lis present PROSTATE condition, nothing
is more certain, than that it will yet make many an
effort to rise from the tomb, and endeavor to deceive
and %humbug the American people once more. The
cunning leaders Of Federalism arc well aware, that un
der existing circumstances, and in the present state Of
parties, with all the just odlum which the people now
universally attach to every measure, every man, every
thing under The cognomen of "Whig,' their best, if not
their only prop of reliance is TO be found in secretly,
bu, sedulously sowing divisions and heart burnings in
the bosom of the Democratic party. They knoso, thn'
in order to conquer, they must first di7ide as. Let
every Democrat, then, be he leader or be he FOL
lower, be made TO FEEL, that DIVISION is the
gres, source Of all THEIR hopes, and Of OR most IN