The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-07-22

IL 'iAbI9oNlaN 'uto I"CS'ipl- w liiNii
is intended TO go to the root of political
matters. 1t asks .Uhat is Dymocrat?"
I he official Journal is no doubt anxious
to know-Gut WHO is to answer the ques
t;oa2
Democracy hath various tests, divers
badges and marks, whereof some may he
orthodox tokens at one time and some at
another time. The great thing is to have
the right mark at the right time. II any
one should claim to be democrat now
because he was democrat in former
times, he might find himself rejected like
one who should seek to enter IA camp
with yesterdays countcrsign.
1t is an unspeakablG comfort to the Demo
cracy to have some one who knows better
than others what democracy is and what
it wants--wio can direct its changes and
give proper sanction to its movements.
Thus when Gen. JACKSON was in power
no one need be in doubt concerning the
true faith and practice. 1t would have
beea a superLlaous question to ask nm,
w hat is a dcnocralp Every bulletin
from head quarters, the announcements
oT1he official organ, the acts Of the EXecu-
tive, were all SO many successive expo
s!!lo S of democracy which The plainest
understanding could comprehend
But IN thesa days much confusion pre-
walls. Rival exp u7dcrs Eayr a:j-cn, and
one knows not which to credit .Whar
is Dem"caR" Does any one know
The Madlsonlan labours painfully to dis
cover some clue to the momentous inquiry.
1t proceeds in the Sociatlc manner thus.
Is Mr.. Van Buren a Democrat i
those who voted for Mr. Madison are DEM
ocrals, and those against him FedelaIists.
then Mr.. Van Bnrcn, having voted agains
Mr.. Madison, is no Democrat.
Is MIR. Calhoun a Dcmecrat2 lie OPP
posed Genera! Jackson's administrations
and voted against Mr. Van Buen as Min.
stcr TO England. According to this test.
he is no Democrat.
Aud SO on through the whole category:
aud, at this rate, we have scarcely Dem
ocrat in the land.
The hject ri es in solemnity. This
IS really becoming an important matte.
What is a Democrat2-Can 10 one tell?
II the Madlsonian's conclusion be right
and il is the official organ, we knoW-il
'we have scarcely Democrat its high
time the thing were konwn. If there be
any test lei it be brought toward. Let all
pre,cnders be tried;let ,her clans be in
vesiiga,ed. But who shall Judge oc the
test? The subject is full OF difficulties
Perhaps it may befound that Democra.
cy, like other productions, varies accor-
ding to latitude and situation; and as cir
cumslances alter cases they may have
power to some extent over Democracy
also. For instance, the New Hampshire
Convention recently gave It's understand
ing Of Democracy, which would hardly
do for South Carolina. Even in New
Hampshire itself Isaac Hill has one sort OF
Democracy and Gov Hubbard another.
The Democracy of the Albany Argus,
which lavours incidental protection to
American. manulaclures, is utterly abhor-
rent to that OF the Charleston Mercury,
which lavours protection to nothing but
cotlon-and, in secondary degree,
interest" Pennsylvania Democracy re-
cognizcs protection to the iron and coal
interest as IA true democratic principle,
while democracy in Virginia holds to the
resolutions of '9S, and thinks, as gene
raj thing, that the National Government
should be allowed to do as little as pos
slbe in making a Tariff or any thing
else
The question, when, ,chat is a Demo-
crat9 is TOO general and vague. There
are many kinds Of democrats-or al least
many varieties which pass under the
genuinf-aamc. The Cllhoun dem ocrat,
is a very different parsonage from the
Van Buren, democrat; and the Tyler de-
mocrat is different from both. The Mad
sonlan, il it pulsues its Investigations IN
to this abSlruse subject, will find too many
divisions and sub. divisions TO be included
in one chapter,-Bah. 4mcricon