Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-12-26
GENERAL C.ASS.

''h' iio Isblbaeltl tVrrlpu p.
dehce has Withdrawal him to a grea, extent inn.
active parilci patton in the conflicts which have leS
agitaie'l The couniry--and therefore, perhars. he i
al HE very lew individuals holding high stations. vh,
nave not Teen compelled, by the great political reyolo
lion oil lslo, to resign the office he had l,ng held. in or-
der 10 avert The dissgreeable alternative Of a removal
Ills conduct abroad. al sle same time. MS a vip1au, nil.
aud efficient Minister, has been universally approved.
wherever he has gore, since his return to the lrni,o,
Sales, the public voice has proclaimed an ann,r,n,l,
cordial welcome. and has tendcsed to lin the bi,bos,
popular hoip'rs. Yet there is a deceptive under -cprra,,
under all this seeming cordk.Hty: and General C,ss
too wise /" Dc deceived by, and too prudent 10 build IN.
hopes upon ii, lie must be aware thai. to a ore,
extent, they are nhre demonstration -lesigned frs, T.,
touch ms pulse; and secondly to sound public opinion.
on his return home he found bott, of he two great mar
ties III a state OF comparative confusion-tle erea, body If
tho victorious w l1g party oflSl0 most bitterly opntsad
by asnall and sell dissevred fragment of their own body
wno' alter contributing to the tr'Hnph. by whicl, they
We're themselves elevated 10 high office. have turued
''ei' arms against their ancient comrades, without all
s'lnieIy Identifying themselves with those wlom, ,hsv
assisted To van4rish-w,iIe the party which, was de.
leaicd IN that conflict, and with which Gen. Cass WAS
formerly ass ciaied, is ~itsrltsplt up into several factions
divided NJ less by their personal preferences than nv
marked differences IN their views Of the policy which it
beh1oves the government to pursue. That he is aw,r,
OF these intestine discords. and ofhis own peculiar pnsi-
ton IN relation TO Them, Is not less manifest. by his de
clinin5 to accept Of the pnbao dinners, whia!, have been
tendered to him, and which he could MT have accepted
wit!lou, unmasking perhaps more fully than sound ,oi.
cy would dictate, than by the judicious character of his
rosn,nspS Ia the spveraI lniinrc ,f;,yi,,,;,, ,,Li.I H.
been sent to him, and in which he conleuts himself by
the avowal Of til ,se general principles wl,icl, are of.
iefsivc To neither party, AMI which, in their applicatio,
10 the details Of governmental p)licy, are susceptible If
the most widely different constructions,
We will not accuse Gen. Cass of PLAYING either an in.
sincere or a c~owarlIy game; for certainly we have no
reason, apart from recent exhibitions, To doub, eiilef his
candor or his oouago. But the longer the mask is worn.
the more general and the stronger will be the saspicion
which already attaches to both. An aspiran, for the
highest OIL 'e in this government cannot with IMMUNITY
conceal or mystity his opinions, on grave questions otns-
tional policy, in reference To which the public mind has
cen long agitntcd. Ifhe would be successful. he mus,
boldly throw ilmselt,-of at least 'eem 10 do so,-inl
to one OF The great currents, which, flowi ing in opposite
directions, nevertheless tend 10 The same point. Gen.
Cas-, for example, in all his letters. speaks Of his al.
taclment t, JcHtysoniaa priu9iples, "A term which coye1s
every man's creed, whether he be Nullifer OF Prpclama.
lionisl; Proleelionist or Anti Proicctionist the advocate
oi an exclusive Specie Currency, or of the ,coyst form Of
Paper Noncy-Wp mean Government notes. Mr.. JET
iprson's writings can be successfully cited in favor Of
each of these contradictory positions. Many of his au-
ihentieated opinions are in direct conflict with the creed
of those who now assume to ho his peculiar and cxca-
sive disciples. When a politician. therefore, tells us
that he is a L.Dt,soniaa Republican, we know Just aaout
as much ofhis opinions as if he Were to speak in an m
known tongue. Why does not Gen. Cass tell us some
tl,ing about the practical questions OF the day ? What
financial scheme is he in favor off, What disposition
would he make Of the public la,ds9 In the imposition
Of rev, nue. duties. would he. or would he not. discyimi.
mute in favor of American industry Does he, or does
he not. view with alarm the rapid strides of the Execu-
tive department of our government t, o%mnipotont powcf,
hy the u%slrpltlon of the initiative, and the abuse oil the
absolute etc and by the corrupt use of its patronage
Is he IN favor Of the Cae Term P,iaciple-one of'he
mos, Important 10 the purity of The administrative de-
pariment 1T the government ever suggested. and v Oh
cannot he loo earnestly pressed upon public attenti- \ =
Is %hcopposed 10 Prescription. for opinion sake. WHEREBY
the public officers are converted into slaves. and the Of
fees Of the country are put up, as it were, at auction,
the mist ycnal and lase Of the hireling crew being S-
rest to obtain the rewards they seek, and to aver the
punishment they fear2 Is he in favor of dirorcing The
t'ore'nmcnt md he Press. by depriying the former d
the paironiz.ng power by which it has 81 long corrupted
the latter Let General Cass answer these and such
like qnesiions-and Tie people will then know up"
what platform he ands.-Occnrying his present equiv
ocal position, he may escape the fierce and bitter vltuP'
ration which is sure TO be visited upon him who iakesde
clded ground IN opPositlon to the tavoriio measures ,""
p%rlncIplrs) ofc,her party; but, a, the same time, be
cannot secure the confidence or the support OF ethel
lobe sure, the press has no right to call upon Gen, Cas-
to assume any position which may no, be in entire az
cordance with his own ttelinos-nor do we presume
do 50. All we mean to say is, that If he BE-, as is cow
IDENTITY and not without apparent cause. alleged, an AZ
pirant for the Presidency he must enter the. arena, noI"'
cognito, and with his vizur closed, but like a brave Aq
fearless knight, who is not ashamed Of bis name Of "s
colours. II, on the other hand, he is not a %candldae"'
high public station. and he expects not to be, itlsaP"~
ct lmpeftiEonce in those who have assumed the pTf's4
tive of catecllizing him as to his creed, as lit is CERTAIN!
very unnecessary in him to respond, even in geO''
terms, to their Undergraduates.
i he truth is, we imagine, the General is sme"""
lie has but just landed on his nav"
shore, aiIera long absence from the country, and mas "
had time to look around hin, anI survey tho w'"
ground. Seized upon by his friends. who, IN Sue" '%
are always either themselves deceived, or inter's""I
deceivlng the object of their ntttery, he must be eN''