Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-05-11
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committed errors but we have never permitted
ourselves to be actuated by improper motives, or
selfish considerations, or swaycd by the fear of
the displcasure Of the brawlng demagogue
| Schooled in the Principles of Democracy from
our youth, we have uniformly advocated those
principles with frmness We have contributed
our humble efforts to the ascendency of the De.
mocratic party, because we honestly believe that
it is intimately connected with the best interests
and prosperity of the country. When we have
differed from political friends, in matters of cx.
pedicncy and the choice of candidates, we have
done with Difference, and with that ndepc-
| pendent canhor which has met the appreciation
even Of those who differed from us in opinion
! We thank Heaven that we have never permitted
the course of this paper TO bc controlled by the
dctaton of selfish partzans, when we believed
the business and welfare ofthe people required
contrary policy. Aciuated with these views,
we earnestly advocated the policy Of protective
tariff, when every other democratic press in the
interior of the State either favored the doctrines
of free trade, remained silent upon the subject
! The people have sustained our course. and spoken
! in a voice that has commanded and enforced obe-
dience to their will by the political press and
! the selfish rartizan. We have perfect right.
and we have exercised the right of freely express
ing our choice relative to the person to be no.
| minated as the Democratic candidate for the
Presidency. We have deprecated the nomina-
tion OF Martin Van Rurcn.-frmly believing that
he is not the choice of the people We have
/ spoken plainly. because we never disguise our o.
pinions. We might refer 10 the course Of many
other Democratic presses on this subject in JUS
! tifcation of our own, if it were necessary, but
| it is not. We have exercised the common right
of the conductor Of free press, and deny the
I authority Of any one TO call in question this un-
doubted privilege. When the baltimore Con.
vention shall have nominated Democratic can
didate for the Presidency, we shall. in obedience
TO the motto of our paper yield 'ahsolute acqui.
escence TO the decision Of the majority Put.
Democracy ofthe country. We will warn and
advise, and if onr advice and warning uuhecd-
ed will not b. answerabe for the Consc-
qucnccs We will not be ciargablc with the
guilt of silence, when we deem il our duty TO
speak ont
We have been led to the above remarks by
queruious and dictatoral article in the last Ga
zette, containing insinuations totally unfounded
and statements stamped with the coinage OF the
editors brain. The editor of that paper seems
TO think that he and ourselves occupy, towards
each other, the relative position of the ends of a
scale beam, and that one of us rise only by
the others depression. We desire TO occupy no
position towards that gentleman. We never
have acted as if we did, and we have charitably
come TO the conclusion that he is little hvpo-
condriac upon this subject We arc quite certain
that let him rise as high as he may i'll the scale
OF Democracy, or obtain as high a character as he
may for obedience TO the high bchest Of party
leaders, we shall not feel the least depression or
envy. And if should aspire to similar honors,
and be fortunate enough to obtain them, we trust
he would not thereby come To any illluck. Ii he
did, he certainly should have our hearty sympa-
thy and commisscrstion. The Editor complains
that we do not call Henry Clay duelist, sab
bath breaker and the advocate of free trade prin-
cipes, We regard personal abuse the very
lowest weapon Of party warfare, and We have al
ways LETT it TO be handled by those whose tastes
sympathi2c with the means, Ii is only resorted
10 when the cause is desperate. While we edit
public journal we hope we shall not forget that
we pretend 10 the character OF gentleman Be.
sides, we oppose Henry Clay on higher grounds,
irrespective of the man. If we have not attempt.
ed 10 prove that he is the advocate of free trade
it is because We have some respect for OWL
character, and the intelligence ofthe people
When we established the american" the C
ditor of the Gazette" although very young
. man, straightway turned prophet. Ills first
prediction, uttered with the confidence Of preco
cious youth, was, that paper would die IN les,
than three months 1t was quite as nearly u
| filled as Father Miller's prediction, on more
E important subject His next was, that we woulc
; advocate the election of Gen Harrison. His pro
phctc vision very much obscured or twiste,
by selfish impulses, when he hazarded this pre-
, dcton. We warmly and earnestly advocated
n the election Of Martin Van Buren--in vain 10 b.
Is sure bat still we proved the editor false pro
Il phet lie has constantly, since we have conduct
:. ed this press, been prophccyng about US and ou
If affairs, and all his predictions have been latl
7, contradictcd by facts Now, never hav
g hazardcd but prediction concerning tina
IL gentleman OF his course; for it is subject tina
IS has occupied but very little of attention
But we did predict, about two years since, whe