Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-09-16

time has not yet arrived, l think, When
ought to decide whether ! shall give my col
sent or not TO the Use of my name az g cal
didate for the office Of President Of the Uiiiie
Suites, When IL does, | shall give TO all I'll
considerations. which should influence m
judgement, full weight, and, among then
the friendly wishes of the Clay Club
Chafnbeisburgh.
/ concur with you, gentlemen, general!
in the resirospect which You have presents
of the administration Of public affairs. durin
late years. and in 1.-The measures of polio
which ought 10 guide it, If we are not utter
" deceived in The theory of free government
the people OF the United States ought 81
along TO have been and should now be, IN
happiest and most prosperous people upol
earth but our condition has been, and con
tinues to be, far otherwise. II is Impossible
to contemplate the administration OF the Gov
eminent during nearly the last fifteen year
without the last feelings of the deepest regre
and bittefest modification. That long periot
has been marked by relentless prescription,
| similar in spirit, If not attended with the saint
~effusion of biood, as that which is recorded in Ro
mar history, to have been pefpetrated by Ma
rius and Sylia by reckless experiments ant
the overthrow of valuable institutions by the
destruction of the best currency in the world
and consequent arrangement in all the bust.
ness OF society j; by extensive and scandalons
population on the part of public functionaries.
by estrayagant and prefligate expenditure o.
the public money by the attempts to Sub.
vert the long-cherished policy OF the country,
under which II had eminently fourisiaed and
prpsperad by relaxation in the respect Of the
-4t 4a.x ~. Il lA 1.k.. n-t n,no8tfttEtn inn a
by wide. spread and alarming decentralization
by a fearful growth and corrupt use OF the
power Of the Executive branch of the Governa
ment /; and, finally, by a degree of pbrfidy
In the head of that branch, OF which no equal
example can be found in this or any other
age. Al the commencement OF the adtnlnls-
tration Of the present acting Chief Magis-
trate, the leaders of our political opponents,
with A few honorable exceptions, assiduoasiy
courted and eafessed him tiattering and
praising him for his violation Of the just eS-
pectationE Of a contiding people. They
marched UP, in solumn column. arm in. artn;
along Pennsylvania Avenue to the Presidsna
tial Mansion, to thank aad congratulate him.
for exercising a Royal %prerogative to defeat
the wishes and hopes Of the people. Men
under the abused name Of Democrats, loudly
eSultnd in the failure of a measure demanded
by the urgent wants and voice, and essential
10 the promotion Of the interests. of the people.
esnlted in the perverse and corrupt will OF
one man. overruling the will of a large ma
inrity of the nation In the dispensations
of an all-wise Providence, fetribltive justice
Ia sure to come sooner or later. The acting
President, 80 much wootd by political lead
ere, in the beginning OF liis administration,
now, as its end approaches. in his turn, and
very much to their annoyance, exercises all
his Establishments upon their PIT y. Nor is
their danger or regrets diminished, by the
fact that, whilst their instruments of seduc-
ton were honeyed words, bis are the laera-
tive Offices Of Government.
The great political event Of 1910, had all
object far more elevated and important, than
that Of a mere change in the high funetiona.
ries of the nation. II was TO bring about a
radical improvement in public policy. And
what, after that event, was the manly, liberal
and patriotic course which the defeated party
should have pursued ! It was 10 have cheer
fully acquiesced in the will of the people, pro-
claimed by an uneSanplnd and overwhelming
majority. They should have eaid-"The
people disapprove of our system. They re-
quire a sound currency of uniform value
They are opposed To- the sub.treaaufy. They
demand a distribution of The proceeds Of the
sales Of the public lands among al the stated.
They insist upon an honest and economical
administration of their public affairs. They
are opposed to the encroaehments of the exc
cutive department., and require Balutary fes-
traints upon its power. We shall continue,
by free discussion and fair arguments. to re-
commend OUT measures, and 10 expose those
of our political opponents /. but they are en-
titled 10 a fair trial Of their system Of policy,
and we will make no factions opposition, nor
throw any unreasonable obstacles in their
way. Above all, we scorn to eiffpioy any
arts to seduce. from the path of his duty, the
man who has reached his elevated station,
in spite of our strenuous exertions
against him, by the confidence which they
generously rerosed in his honor aud fidelity"
How far the leaders Of the other party have
emformed to this upright and straightforward
CO urse, passed and daily passing event suffi-
GENTLY testify. They prove that the acting
president, and the party, which has assumed
che name democratic, without the least color
OF title to II, are now completely identified,
closely tinted. one and rndivisiblo. II, in
UuGa seluBif tHSf fltiufh iiiii liiil ui iitJblNG-
nient associate, they have nobody but them.
selves TO reproath.
The last war with Great Britain taught the
patriotic lessen that, during a contest with a
foreign power, it is the duty Of all parties cor
dfally to unite and to give our arms the great
est possible effect and vigor and that any
party which violates that principle is s,ire to
loose the public confidence. Our experience,
in Al season Of peace, will, 7 trust, incuicate
another important lesson that treachery and
eersdy are alike detestable at all times, and
will demonstrate, still more clearly, that in
valuable but too often neglected truth, in
public affairs, that honesty is the best policy.
It is painful even to gaze on the picture OF
the administration Of the General Govern
ment which | have faithfully sketched. It
would have been happy for the people of the
United States, If il were a mere fancy piece
10 survey. But their long, general and in
tense embarrassments have unfortunately too
severely assured them of its actual reality.
1t would have been a much more agreeable
task to ne to portray the purity, dlsinterest-
edness, honor, prohlbity and fidelity Of all in
the charge of oul public concerns !; the wis.,
dom of their measures, and the consequent
general prosperity of the country. But we
now know the nature, extent and causes OF
the public disorders, and, what is no less, i'm
portant, their remedy. That remedy is in
the hands Of the people. Under other forms
Of Government, where public spirit is not en-
tirely crushed by arbitrary power, the People
would long since have sought redress by VIC
lent and %convulsive means. 1t is our pecu-
liar good fortune to have in the ballot box a
remedy, which supercedes a necessity of re-
sorting to them, and which is quite as effica-
cions.s and more CERTAIN. az well as more