Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-23
RICHMOND, TUESDAY, JANUARY %.
MR.. RIVE.

Va
ID o,e.ent nos,tions of Mr.. Rives himself LIT us
no n,oceed 10 examine the grounds on which he al
Gects 10 prefer Mr.. Clay TO Mr.. Van buren,. VIVA
,ben are those weighty objections to Mr. Van buren
which have induced Mr. hVes TO throw h'us. Wv" ~
The arms of Mr. Clay, He abandons the attitude oil
,hs uArm,d Neutral" which he formerly assumed
He declares. that any neutrality in such contest
I'D he ..n,lorious." and he had almost said "irea
sonable.' NJ
Mr. Riyes sets forth some general objections, TO Mr
von Rurens re.election from which, OF COURSE MI
CLAW is excepted Let US probe these objections hfs'
before we proceed draw any parallel between the Two
candidates:
Mr. R;ves sets out with the pompous declaration,
lba, he election of Chief Magistrate of the nation is
of those vital processes PROVIDED oy tue "
ton Of the country for the periodical regeneration OF
onr svs,em by fresh infusion into il, OF the elements
of nonuur health and virtue, in which no good cit'zen'
uneas under circumstances Of very peculiar charac-
Ter can properly refuse TO take part and TO the er
tent of his influence and example, decided ana en-
Gent part. .,,.. Al,
We shall not present stop 10 enquire, Whe'her WI
Civ i. the man who contribute TO the "regencra-
t;ou of our sysem'" Whether the man TO whom W.
Rives declared himself only in October, 1872 10 DC 50
.ahementIv opposed on "the Federal creed OF Ma.
,;on.I Rank high Protective Tariff" &c, &c.-a man,
whom he then declared it impossible for HIM TO support,
w;,hou fofeitng all pretenslon 10 that consistency o.
nriueipie of which lie Nr Rlves) al~ays claimed Inc
merit was in any respect the candidate who was aoe
r. re@enernte our system ''by fresh Infusion into IT
NJ The elements of popular heaiM and virtue The
sunposi,ion is too ridiculous for serious comment Let
us pass il by and come to Mr. Rlvess first great OBJ
lection to Mr. Van Buren,
"For myself conceive of greater calamity TO tho ma
on deeper dcred the cause and very name Of popular
eminent than reelection of Mr. Van buren, would be,
after signal and overwhelming majority by which he was so
recently deposed from pwe upon me fullest canvass o nus
which restored Governm-nsthe crowds
hungry etansrs pleading The merit oil past services VINO
press claim the reward of their fidelity or indemnify
r sacrifices and losses incurred in the common Cause.-The W
auaed and prrtacios attachment ancient abeshc a
ary serd habits nurred in the former possession OF
power-he commitment avote but perncous schemes OF
policy have give povera currency 10
of celebrated English Statesman ana historian 'a
and dangerous Of all revolutions l. restoration
That evils would be realized to the widest extent and
in their unmitgaed vence, the restoration of Nh Van
Buren, doubt who have been attentive observers oil me
selfish system of policy cyenpsh IN The creed
of himself and his friends, or who have not forgot
on The shields o his followers which, procamins TO
the viclors belong The spells OF victory shan-s-y pointed L"
the Offices AMI public trusts oil me country! as 'hc fe pun
der of political warfare :"
OF all rerolutioms then, Mr. R. is most opposed 10
restoration And he is pleased to illustrate The prlnc
Pile by false analogy between hereditary. despotic
Monarch, and an elective President oil the u States
What analogy is there between the two cases Take
Charles the I'd. the example referred TO- from MIR
Fo1's history-what analogy is there between him
and Martin Van Buren, Mr.. Fox is pointing out the
difficulty OF oreteng, in certain stages of political
Aft
case of England, about the lime Of the execution Of
Charles Ist He first asks, who could predict the
course which the House OF Commons would adopt
He saws would the House not be Obliged to Support
its claims by military fore And how long will such
n force be under its control How long before it fol-
lows the usual course of all armies, and ranges itself
nnd.r n sinrle master? II such master should arise
will he establish hereditary, or an elective govern
mpnr II the first, what will be gained but change
of dynasty? If the second will not the military force
as il chose the frs, King protector 1.-THE name is OF
M ;mpor,ance) choose effect all his successors?-
or will he fail and shall have restoration, usnafiy
the most DANGEROUS and ,oorst IF all rcronhoms Mr.
Fox shows the condition, in which the King was
placed upon his restoration His father had been be
headed by the people and the House OF Commons lie
Ind been restored by the cold and calculating Monk at
the head of the army. The kingdom was disturbed by
relpious disputes and political contests IN all It's
forms and degrees from the honest exerlons OF party
and the corrupt nrigues OF faction, to violence and
civil war; despotism, first in the person oil an hSnrPr
and afterwards in that of herfditaryktag Charles
himself is painted by Mr. Fox, as "unprnciped, mean
reacherous, vndlctlve and remorseess, never "spar
ing the life OF any one, whose motives, either OF policy,
or of revenge, prompted him TO destroy lie was
bad man. and bad king" Is it wonderful under these
circumstances that the restoration ut such man was
the greatest curse the dangerous evolution, which
could be inflicted The English people? What KIND
of comparison does Mr. Van Buren, bear 10 such man!
Restored by arms, but by the ballot box strpt oil
the tremendous powers, which attached 10 the king;
checked in the of his power by the authority Of
Congress- the power of the press, the force of public
opinion and the vigilance OF strong though defeated
party is it not ridiculous TO apply the precedent OF an
English monarch 10 al American PresidenH Where
is the vndctive spirit which Mr. X. discovers in Mr..
Van Buren,? Where was it found in his last admins
tration: No man is distinguished by his equa-
nmty-,he moderation of his PASSIONS the orbearance
of his feelings as even Mr.. Rives himself ought 10 &C.
knowledge in his own case Why then talk OF the pro-
scription which he apprehends' What Justice is there
in holding him his chosen friends responsible for an
extravagant tictnm, uttered in an inconsderae mo-
ment Of excitement by one Of bis friends. He is
one of the last to indulge any "hungry realners,
they falsely called, with the plumber OF Office
one oil the lust 10 indulge any "vndictive passion
towards his opponents Mr. Van Buren, IS as free as
any from any "pertinacious attachment TO ancient
abuses" On the contrary, he has warred against a
National Bank and other encroachmens upon the Con-
sttu,on, with pertnacity which reflects upon him
the highest honor. lie is committed TO but "favor-
lie scheme Of policy, with which it is true Mr.. Rives
differs from him, and SO violently that he seems wiling
take refuge in dangerous, unconstitutional Bank
rather than yield 10 it, in obedience 10 the strong ma
jority OF the Republican party.-But II we nave 80
much 20 apprehend from the proscrlpve policy OF MI
Van Buren,, what are we not TO aPPrehend rom WI
Clay2 1t is not long time since he maoe q, L'A,ns
ton the authoritative declarat lion, that "if wing IRE
sident should he elected i, would be his Imperative du
~ TO do annie sltcc the administration OF the pub
lie patronage 10 the great Wing party This declara-
ton made by the Chefian is ust as bad as The maxim
attributed 10 one of Mr.. Van Buren's followers"
But how far does this argument against restoration
20. What an hereditary monarch is in his Kingdom.
great political PARTY is in Republic. The restored
king in England, like restored party in The United
States Charles L. s beheaded-and his son is restored.
Federal President removed, and Republican sue
cessor comes in Does Mr. Rves contend, that we
must not d,splace Federal President TO make room
for the choice Of the Republican party? Was he OPP
posed TO the election of Mr. Jefferson over Mr. Adams
of General Jackson over the younger Adams or
should he oppose like principle the reelection of
MIR. Van Buren,, over the party which depoted him in
1910 Mr.. Rives might equally have refused to CO.
operate in the revolulion which restored the Republ
party 10 power-les in these too there were
"vndicve passions 10 gratfy-"hungry retainers'
to ward-and "ancien abuses" 10 redress Nay, the
argument might 60 step further. Mr.. Clay him
self ought not to be supported because his election is
species Of Restoration MIR. Tyler-because he too
has 'vndictive passions to crafty, and retainers
to reward Indeed, have a sufficient illustration
of The cou's,, which he would pursue, in The early
part of the Administration of lS4l The Wings went
in with the promise Of "proscrbing prescription up
their ips-but how did they redeem their promise
In The Post Office Department alone, they had IN few
weeks turned out 1910 Postmasters, and Mr. Granger
declared on the floor Of Congress, that in short time