Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-08-23
From the Nashville Unioi..)

will add TO its highly interesting character
I.ryprxw.,D Jrly 20, 1911.
Genilemen--l have to thank You Tor v"iir KIND
invitation 10 aitcrda Mas Meeting u ihe Demo
cracv OF Tennessee. 10 h. held al Nashville. ol!
the 18th of August
II will not, ! regret to inform You, be in my
power to he with you personally, hiit you may
resi- assured that my best wishes VIII attend your
noble efforts To re-csahl>h the ascendancy OF De
mocratic principles in the councils OF the nation.
This Is not said from spirit OF courtesy only.
but CONVEYS the earnest and undiS@,iiSed sentiment
of nv heart which has lis foundation in con-
viction, that the success Of The men and the prin-
cipieS You support is necessary 10 the welfare OF
The country My opinion of the character Of our
candidates, including Ieniiessees uiassumlh@
and highly merito!iou> son, has already been
given 20 the public, and need not be repeated
1t is equally UNNECESSARY 10 say. that there is not
among the numerous friends of those gentle
iSmcn. one who clcrshes 4 more disintcrcsicd de-
sire for their individual welfare than | DO
! There are besides public interests involved i'll
The coming contest which have claims upon our
I consideration far beyond such Is are OF person.
| al character
Ii is scarcely TOO much to say, That The perma-
nent success or final overthrow ot those distinc-
tive principles iorile administration of the Fede
| raj Government which constitute The Democratic
creed, are suspended upon the result Of the APP
preaching election. Although justly regarded as
! the promised fruits OF our struggle for national
| INDEPENDENCE il IS nevertheless true. that those
principles did not acquire that influence IN all lhe
/ departments of the Government 10 which they
were 81 well entitled, until after what was apIro-
prialclv called The civil revolution Of 1900; aud
from that day To the present there has been an ul-
Interrupted struggle iOr their expulsion from the
| ioothold They had thus acquired. In this struggle
50 long continued and with such varied success.
thew have alrayed against them tina, active and
undvin. spirit. by which the conduct OF a por
ton of mankind has al all times and every where
been guided and which REGARDS The powers OF
Government as miSapplied, when its business as
well as its bulihcns are dtfj,Sed among the peo-
pie in equal proportions, and hy an impartial hand
Although the luminous and earnestly patriotic
mind Of Mr. Jefferson cXeried 4 principal agcn-
cv in their conception and successful diffusion,
and although the public mind WIS strongly 2"iia-
ted BY the establishment OF the first Bank OF the
u. States, and The principles then avoWed ny lis
leading advocate, as also By some OF the leading
measures o! the administration of the elder Ad
ans yet the real character and practical tendency
Of The conflicting principles which have from the
hoginnin. been entertained hv the two great par
ties which have divided The country since the c>ta-
bliShmcnt oi the Federal Constitution, were never
50 thoroughly appreciated by the great body OF the
people as during the administration OF General
Jackson and that which Immediately followed
Indifferent ahou, forms, but ever anxious, lmight
even say impatient, for results and bringing 10
the consideration of every public question clear
head, an honest heart. ard a truly indonndhc
spirit, tina; extraordinary man carried out The
principles OF his party with so vi@orousa hand,
anu dealt his blows upon opposing hcicsies with
.uch rapidly ana force, as net 0ily 20 6rln" The
al,
la lead all classes and conditions o. men 10
iaorc earnest consideration al nc principles ana
designs ol The opposing parties. than had been
before bestowed upon them. The struggle, thus
produced. reached lis crisis in the conise oil the
four preceding years. Never had The masses Of
the Democratic portion Of the people been made
SO deeply sensible Of the Objectionable character
OF the doctrines which they had hitherto opposed;
and never before were those who have atall times
preferred a Government Of associated wealth 10
one founded on popular sovereignty, and practj-
callv controlled by the will Of the masses SO tho
roughly convinced of the necessity OF immediate
and efficient cyer;ionso save their cherished prn
ciples from Total overthrow nc conflict 81 >nCd
Interests and the collision oi such sentiments in
4 wilderness al free minds, gave character 10
The contest which, though "rhaps 10 5c expected,
will, il is hoped never he repealed. Means which
will without ,Uih. i'll the course OF time. Ice
Z
broush, 10 bear upon public opinion. alreadr
10 some extent unsettled !,y many years OF severe
political agitation. These were, in the sequel,
powerfully aided by arrangements in the business
relations Of the country. occasioned hy mex
ampled abuses of The credit system which though
thew pcrvadcd all commercial nations, and are
nov universally known 10 harc been occasioned
BY individual improviGencc and msmanaoemen;,
were al tie time with too mulch success aurilsu-
led 10 an alleged naadniAi,traiion Of public az
fairs. The Democracy OF the nation though
thoroughly united, were si@nally ovcrhrown, and
MANY an honest mini, contrasting The means en-
pl0yed with the result produced, was. for the mo
mcnr, led 10 doubt the capacity o our rcople for
Sclf.govcrnmeni. On my own mind no such i'm
preston obtained even temporary ioo;hold-
was, on the contrary, well satisfied that as soon
aS the GiscOntenis which had been cGgendercd bv
long continued aud artuily conirived agitation
had been allowed time 10 SuhsiGe; aud when our
adversarics should be compelled to advance from
words to actions, the public mind would forthwith
and 10y its own honest impulses right ITSELF
This Sanguinc expectation has been fully real
lied. The results of the elections which have Ia
ken place since The extra session of lS4l, viewed
as whole, have clearly shown that this opinion
did no more than justice 10 the Democratic party;
and sure am that the work which they have so
well begun will not he cil unfinished Exlraor-
binary efforts have since, il i, true, secured partial
successes 10 our advcI>aries in limited, and, To
some extent, doubtful quarters; hui nothing has
occurred that should shake our confidence in the
speedy and complete rc-csabishmcnt OF Demo
cratic principles in every department of the F'c-
dcral Government, provided, onlv, that the will
oil The people can he honestly conveyed through
the hallot-boXes. The election of Polk and Dali
las and of a ma ority OF incorruptble and firm De
~. he al 7 ,,.i.pa
TO the world the triumph OF those principles; and
10 the people, themselves he sure guarantee
for their faithful observance in the administration
OF the Government.
Ii might seem suPert'aous for one whose whole
life from infancy IT. old age, has, without Ike in
PERMISSION of a day, or the neglect of an occa-
sion, been devoted 10 the support of Democratic
prnciples-who embraced them with The ardor oil
youth. and cung 10 them even more closely when
they were struck 10 the ground by adverse power
to say these are results, the consurnmation 81
which he earnestly desires to witness. Other i'm
portanl advantages may be also anticipated from
The accomplishment of such victory. Ii might.
if properly improved, he made to produce that de-
gree OF unanimity and quiet among The people,
as well as in our public councils. of which the
country has 50 long been deprived There is
every reason 10 believe, that very large proper
| ton of our adversarics have, by the course Of
eVeVsS anu Inc GeVeiopEclS ol TIC dSl lew years,
become satisfied that the principles and policy oithe
Democratic Party, if not hes, adapted TO wise and
successful administration OF the Federal Govern
mcn are, at all events 50 far in harmony with
the natural and spontaneous sentiments OF MT
orily OF The people that they canno; be kept down
without an unusual resort 10 means which cXpc-
riencc has shown are greatly injurious 10 society,
and bring discrcdit upon Republican institutions,
| Tor which even the full success oi their favorite
theory could not adequately atone Reflections
oil this nature are, | doubt not, at this moment,
gradually maturing an opinion in the ranks OF
our opponents This feeling may not be avowed,
or even acted upon TO any very great extent in the
approaching election; bntiti is, to my mind, quite
certain that it may he brought into full and over
whelmng effect by the success of the Democratic
nominees 10. the various posts Of honor and pow
er, ii followed up BY an honest administration Of
its powers upon the principles which will have
4 carried them into Office and are preferred br Il