Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1844-10-11

THE HARD CELEBRITIES OF '4o--THE
COONS OF ,4A-.Thetr SiEnilitude and
verisimilitudc.
It is sometimes very amusing as well as instruc-
tive, to look back on the events and the scenes Of
the past. We have been engaged for the last few
minutes IN an exercise Of this kind, and our mind
happened to light, accidentally, on period in cnr
political history, which, herhaps, is fraught with
incidents and events from which tue patriot can
gather more lessons Of experience than from any
from the contemplation OF which, he cannot rise
without his heart being filled with shame and dis
gust, as well as with melancholy iorebodings, for
our future destiny as a free people, should ever
the loathsome form of political demagogueism and
political Profigacy be again permitted to rear it.
self amongst US as it did at that era-the campaign
of '40-a period which the finger of the future his
torian will not fail to point to the darkest that
has yet blurred the fair page of our annals. But
pardon us, gentle reader, we did not sit down to
read you a moral lecture. We intended to enquire.
Do the CELEBRITIES of 40 and the COONS Of
"A belong to the same political species! At the
first blush, we were inclined to answer No; but
on reflection we will say, they do and they do not.
If we regard the objects they have in view-if we
under various cognomens they have been pursu-
ing with steadiness of purpose unparalleled in
the history of political parties, from the days of
99 down TO the present moment, we must, in
justice to them answer, that they are one and the
same But, then, on the other hand, if we look
at the rungs of the political ladder by which they
assay to scale the heights of popular favor-if we
look at the color of the political garments they
wear in a word, if we look at the measures they
advocate, we feel somewhat inclined to answer
that the Coons of IA belong to different tribe
from the Log-cabin CELEBRITIES of 40. The only
way we can come to proper solution of this ap-
parent discrepancy between them is by saying, and
we can prove it, that their leaders, in the memo
rabe campaign of 40, set out with, and carried in-
to practice too, system of gross and barefaced de-
ception hitherto unparalleled in this country
They then concealed the eleven foot of Federalism
beneath the flowing mantle offar promises promises
which they flung to the winds the momentthe reinso
power were firmly grasped in their hands. Thei
course in the Extra Session soon disabused the
mind of too credulous and confding people
Since then, inclination and necessity alike, have
dictated to them to fling aside all disguise-tt
come out boldly as they did in '9s and '99. In
clination-for they were fool hardy enough to think
that their mongrel fraudulent, triumph in AZ
rendered concealment no longer necessary me
cessity-for they knew that an outraged and insul
ted people would no longer trust them, without
! full exposition of their principles.
That these views are just and correct, we submit
the course pursued by the Ciderites of 40, befor
and after the election of Gen. Harrison, one o
the greatest--perhaps the most vital-question
which now divide the two parties, to wit: tn
Bank question.
In the first instance they selected John Tyler
States Right Republicans man who had beel
for twenty-five years, in Congress and out of Con
gress, the open and avowed enemy of Nation
al Bank; and that too, on constitutional grounds
for Vice President. Of course their object in thi
move was to catch the States Right vote of Vii
glnia The land of Madison was too wide awake
however. But we are afraid we are extendin
this article too far. We will be as brief as we cal
Thos. Ewing, afterwards a member of Gen. Hal
rison's Cabinet, during the contest of'4O, made
Wing speech, in the City of Philadelphia, in whic
he said that "a Bank of the United States was NJ
an issue between the parties then contending fl
= power the attempts of the Democrats to max
: such an issue was impudent and absurd" Reade
can you believe that this very man resigned b
IS seat in the Cabinet, because John Tyler would n
sign Bank bill, in less than six months after
t But we come to our own State. Some time d
- ring that memorable summer, George E. Badg
made a famous speech in Granville county,
y, which these words occur, at is said Gen. Hs
y" rison favors Bank of the United States. TT
charge is false. His opinions on the contrary, a
~ against abank.' Thousands on thousands of copi
ofths speech were circulated over this State & eve
~ opinion, and every sentiment expressed in it,
y endorsed by every Hard Cider orator in the Sta
y Reader, again we ask you, would you believe tt
'' this same said George E. Badger branded 10
10 Tyler as traitor to The Wing cause. because
" would not obey the dictatorial mandate of Her
~ Clay by signing a Bank bill, six months after
~ George E. Badger made the above speech.
ne gain: In speech which their candidate, Gene
ng Harrison, made at Dayton, in 1910, he used
n following words 81 believe that the charter gi,
~ to the Bank of the United States was unconsti
=" tional: it not being measure necessary to ca
% any of the expressly granted powers into eftec