Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-08-15
TO THE EDITORS or THE r,.o,

you shall think It worthy of them. :"
In one Of the numbers OF "The Federalst." NJ, A..
olson calls the election of Chef Magistrate the 80
test of popular Government. 1t is-and l. 70, a.
think that trials, in this respect, only bepnn
The election of Is40, marks era in our CONN.,
in this, among other things-that the Presidential can
didaes then began, for the first time 10 elecI,onsa
openly for themselves. General Harrison h,e,.lI.
stumped it TO get Inland, if candid, we must admi b;
Mr.. Van Buren, did the same hing, effect, by An.
swering almost any body letters who chose 10 mn,
questions TO hun.
Since that time, candidates of both parties seen,
one form or other, TO have entered the field mueb
the same sprit-and have probably seen as "a,
only the commencement of what the future IS to M
fold. One candidate, gallant son Of Virginia ,rst
the experiment of a Circular TO the Nation.
Now, Messrs Editors, what would have been ,housb,
OF General WashIngtons haranguing the people from
the balcony Of tavern, from cross road vh,Is,
candidate for The Presidency or writing Circular
The very aupposItion sounds like profanity But a. b
lowered above all competitors, and had none. lei me-
ask, what the public would have thought If the Edo,
Adams had acted in this way, or Mr.. Jefferson Q,
Mr.. Madison
Indulge me in another remark
II, alter each of these four Presidents had gone
through his first term, and was before the country f.,
second election, he had been publicly called upon
during the canvass TO answer as To hs po
teal creed what would have been thought of liIa,
Does enter your imagination, that, if any individual
been bold enough to catechise either OF them IN ,h,,
manner, ne would ever have got an answer: ncer
tainly does not mine
am not blaming Mr. Van Buren,, because he wen,
into the newspapers with answers 10 such question.
and into augmentation under them desire at pre
sent 10 do no more than aude 10 the fact as showtns
change in the times. He could scarcely, perhaps
have refused when he saw that General Harrison was
mounting the Presidential hustngs and making Ella
Oofa'e speeches 10 the Wings If he had, it nigh,
have been said that he cold, reserved, lule of
the fox; non commttalism would have been CHARGED
upon him, and he might have lost ground in GONNA
rIson with what would then have been called the
frank, openheared course Of his patriotic and sodlerh
competitor.
! once heard Mr.. Gallatin say, that although init
mate with Mr.. Madison, pending his first election
(both being of Mr.. Jefersons cabinetD and conyers
ing freely with him almost every day, upon all sub.
jects, he never once heard hun speak upon thsl Of
his own election If any body broached il 10 him, ne
would put 1t aside, saying was in the peoples hands
that he had nothing TO do with it and must be JUDGED
by his past life.
Yet, | am not Of the old mems code, MIR Editor
| do not set down all evil TO the account of modern
times, and all good 10 that of time past Ru, society
is in state OF constant transition, political society
most especially Think of the changes that about
in any one century-the one ending with last year for
instance Volumes would not recount the half Of
them. OF these changes the most important have
been within forty yeers, since MIR. Jefferson first
election; and the last ten, the most prolific portion OF
the forty in producing them
in the long run, mankind have gained immensely
by the changes.
But in the item OF President making, ,cc have no,
gained We have lost. We'have lost in the standard
Of for Presidents, in the dignity OF then
conduct while candidates. aud in The means resorted
10 for placing them in that exalted station. Has IT,
or has already 10 be canvassed for almost
like seat in the Legislature, or the post OF
stable And, for a certainty, has not the original
maxim of the pure and lofty minded Lowndes got SO
out Of date as hardly to be mentioned but with
sense of the ludicrous:
lmmeasurabiy, too have we, of this age in the L
s., lost in the general standard of public and SOCIAL
recItude. We have, for the first time, become The
just opprobrum Of Europe. Heretofore, de.
famed but over that, We easily triumph. Now, the
trnth told of US, makes US blush for even, II We
have not openly repudated we have, in the m,ds,
of peace and plenty, and boosted prosperity under
our institutions, so broken all our bonds ana promises,
as to shock honorable minds every where. Worse
than this! To escape from the Stigma, ransack,
as Sydney Smith has remarked, q think II he
the past history Of Europe, in some of the worst
times of their old moparchies, for every act Of ques
tionable or dishonest legislation conduct, To give
countenance TO admitted and shameful mmoraltles
IN tEis young Republic!
The Wings saw this condition Of things, and made
il the basis of their conduct the last Presidential
election. II started hopes suggested plans, conjored
OF cupiduy and ambition ln free States, says Dali
rymple, men cannot have too many hung out 10
control them because, in such States, the virtues
OF men are greater, so Likewise their vices" The
Wings saw that new field was opened To them in
the United States, requiring only TO be entered upon
boldly, and worked with the proper implements TO
produce lis harvest. They saw that the country
vas demoralized that aggravated breaches of faith,
corporate and individual, were not confined 10 single
spots or cities, as Philadelphia, VIcksourg Bnf.
fpI "a had hat
cult 10 find place in the whole Union that had not
witnessed them. They saw something which marked
still more decslvely the general debssement. They
saw that delinquency, not only escaped punishment,
but all effective odIum in society | but briefly
recording the truth, Messrs Editors painful ss It u.
The future historian of these times will have to
firm it, in his calmest moments
Nay, more. He will have 10 record, Also that the very
first perception of wrong seemed extingushed in
legislative halls What else could have led many Of
the State Legislatures, those Of proud old Virginia and
the once honest Pennsylvania among the rest 10 legal.
lze the suspension of specie payments? Conscience,
like high road, says Of the morelists, becomes
hard by beng frequently trodden upon. So, III the
gradual entertainments which banks had been making
upon the obligations Of law and all faith between nan
and man, IL at length 10 be forgotten that legs.
lave sanctions of suspension, ega-ed breach of pro
mise iegati=cd wrong TO every holder of bank note
legai=ed fraud in the every day operations Of life ope
rations especially numerous among the aborng class
es, whose votes 30 swell the polis-gd-ed, complete
ly isgGl=ed in effect, breach of the supreme law Of
the land, the Constitution of The Union ITSELF which
declared that the States should make nothing but gold
and silver legal payments. What an opening Of the
lnodgates of vice there in all this, dfusIng I's
combinations throughout The entire community! 1t
requires effort Of thought TO carry back to irst
principles, and trace the wide space from them. TO
which our deplorable backslidngs bad carried Nor
are we yet redeemed. Far otherwise.
The Wings it all, and acted upon ii. They rad
the master agency in producing il ali. They knew
that the people who had participated in II, and
were hardened 10 ii, could be operated upon 10 any
needfu extent, by money and bribes sufficiently 'p-
piled, at great national election. They hold, gene
rally the doctrine adverse TO popular intelligence or
virtue either; and the memorable result provcs
that they did apply both money and brides IN l-'o
upon scale fully adequate TO the end proposed. And
will they not ogan' In my opinion they will. They
have the and want the disposition. The
banking and other active capital Of the country, IS
still essentially in their hands, still predomnates win
them every where and they Will be stimulated TO ''s
ample second tune b. the strongest passions oi
human nature-ther hopes and resenimenls; The for
mer disappointed by Harrsons death, the latter ~
famed by what they denominate Tylers treason. Tic
foreign creditors, with two hundred millions OF dollars