The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-11-03

I test a measure so important as protective Ia
riff should be .'eft out Of the struggle by com
mon consent, lest its growing popularity should
enable its enemies to get into power by profess
| inc 10 be lis friendsn This was certainly q
oueer and very suspicious reason for wishing to
..blinkp so important question. Why should
its .'growing popularity" be more likely TO turn
to the advantage Of tardy and false friends than
Of those who had always been conspicuousiy
identified with il by their sincere and unceasing
exertions2 Is il Mr.. Clay's modesty which III
duces him to back out from the paternity OF
measure likely TO become so exIravasanuy pop
ular2
A New York paper secuted the idea oil The
growing popularity of protective tarlh ana
charged the Integencer with wishing TO keep
the measure out of sight for very different and
opposite reason The Intelligencer, in its re-
joinder declares that the New York paper sis
really unable TO conceive of a proposition so
simple, of a patriotism SO little exaggerated"
as they manifested in expressing wish that a
most important national interest should no
| longer be made "a matter of party contest"
The proposition was simple enough in all
conscience, and the patriotism which dictated
| il was no doubt much within reasonable
bounds: but the lnlelligencer, in order TO ac-
commodae itself TO the comprehension oil
| It's New York antagonist, exhibits still more
| simplicity and a still more extenuated
patriotism, by gcneralizipg It's proposition
and Offering 10 withdraw, not the Tariff alone,
| L.. ,lo ,L,l., Of 1.bn blp
| frorn the field Of party contest. "We our
selves" say they, do not sustain the Tarn, or
a National Bank, or Distribution, or any great
question on grounds of party merely, but each
as permanent good for the country, which we
are anxious to sec achieved, apart from all party"
No doubt the same reason exists for withdraw
! ing the whole, as for Withdrawing protective
tariff-their growing popularity. There would
/ be general scramble for the credit of the pa
ternity of each of these great measures, and
the respective paintings might fall to the wrong
| fathers.
| But the question naturally suggests itself, ii
all these or, at topics of national interest are
kent out of view, what will remain to dsln-
| guish and characterize parties, and TO animate
their exertiohs2 Surely the old maxim OF
| measure, not men," is not 10 be reversed, and
| the contest TO resolve itself INTO question as
! to the personal attributes and accomplishments
of The respective Presidential candidates-as to
which is the most learned or the wittlest-which
the best rider or dancer, or which has the long
est or blacklist whiskers. The choice, by any
such crt,r ion, might fall upon very unexcep-
lionabe man but he might belong 10 party
| whose tavorite measures were Of a very mis-
chevous or dangerous tendency, and as his
| party would come into power with him, the
country would find itself in an awkward predIca,
| ment.
1t is true that the lntelligencer has omitted
| from its proposed delenda one queston--very
| important in the eyes of some-whch would
serve TO give animation 10 The contest: Who
| shall have the distribution Of the Government
| patronage2 This omission was no doubt acct
dental, and owing to too subllmated patriotism
which overlooked a consideration paltry and
lrihlng. Or possibly, it thought that Mr. Ciay's
declarations on this point, at Lexington, were
sa ra-a.,r,a-y sud unvVu,Prumsins that ii
would be in vain to attempt TO include the fill
ing fapfiices among the public benefits which
| they "are anxious TO see achieved apart from
| all party"