Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-09-26
MODERN DEMOCRACY.

we TO Judge from their conduct, no two thine.
can be more diverse than their PRINCIPLES froS,,
those Of that great man. No man ever lived who
was more jealous Of the extension Of executive
power, than was Mr.. Jefferson. Genl. Jackson.
while President, had well nigh engrossed the an.
tire powers of the government, and yet in evorv
instance of his entertainments upon the other de-
partments, he was encouraged and sustained bv
this modern democracy. Did they not applaud
his illegal and unconstitutional putting down aS
the United States Bank. Did they not approve
the monstrous pretensons to executive powers
set forth in his famous protest! When he as
sumed the right to execute the laws as he UNDER
stood them, or not to execute them at ALL in oppo.
sition to the decisions Of the Supreme Court, was
he not sustained by this party! Mr.. jefferson,
in retaining in or appointing to Office, was go
verned, not by the politics, but by The honesty
and capabiliiy of the incumbent or applicant
Genl. jackson turned out by scores, officers, many
OF whom had grown gray in the honorable and
eihclent service OF the country, when they wero
no longer able to obtain, by any other occupation,
decent support, for no other cause than his de-
sire to fill their places with his own partizans.
and was sustained by his party. Mr.. jefferson
was the advocate and adviser of protection to
American industry, by laying duties upon the
rival productions Of foreign labor. And the mo-
dern democratic party-what are their doctrines
on this subject! Why to the South they are for
what never has existed and probably never will
SN'S'-''No h"uO III lRlnld, some are LOT Tree
trade and SOME Tor such tariff as the compro-
mise act provides, provision that in the years
lo1l and AZ proved inadequate by from 8 to 10
millions In each year, to the wants of the go-
vernment, (this deficiency actually constitutes
part oil the existing national debit which act ex->
pred by It's own express terms in the year 1912,
IN consequence OF this very inadequacy. To tho
N orth they are for protection, aye, for the Wing
laiiii oil ie42-that abominabe black tariff upon
wh'ch loco foco Congress heaped unreasonable
aouse' but dared not repeal, although they had an
overwhelming majority. There they are in vio-
iaiioh oil all truth and honesty and with the most
Indecent contempt for the information and under.
standing Of the people, advocating the claims Of
James n. FOLK to the presidency, on the ground
that he is more thorough advocate of protection
Than Henry Clay, the great father of the system.
But It Were vain attempt to find out any thing
In which loco foco principles resemble those OF
hr. Jefferson. Upon what then may it be again
demanded do they found their claims TO conf
uehce! Are they not the same party that with
hornoie camor cried down the administration OF
Mr.. Adams, one of the purest and most economi-
cal this country has ever had-charging it with
causing the patronage of the
government to interfere with the freedom of cleo
tons and corruptng members of Congress- by
appointments TO lucrative Offices, and coming into
power with promises Of reform in these respects.
raised the expenses of the government from an
annual average Of $40, 6S5,4S in MIR. Adams
) e"'', W ohe VI Slo,SSf,030 In Genl JackSon'S
D years, and to one of $35, GiO,4S6 in Mr. Van
Buren's years-nearly treble the average of Mr..
Adams teTm-made it the duty of office holders
10 the party to use every eXertion to carry cleo
lions In favor of the administration, and even
caused an annual rateabIe contribution to be ex-
acted from each OF them for the same object-in-
creased the number Of appointments of members
OF Congress to Office far beyond any former ex-
ample. Are they not the same party which by
experimenting on institutions with which the
country had prospered, and was prosperous and
happy beyond any example furnished by the his
tory OF nations, reduced it in the short space of
eight years to most calamilous state of depres-
the government, and reduced
OF thousands Of our citizens from afflu-
ence 10 beggary, and worse than ALL by their cor
ruPVng Influences, oveIspread the country with
moral pestence such as had never been caused
In so snort time in any country before2 Are
they not The same party during whose admins
ratIon 1t has been ascerained that there were 100
deianiters, pocketing on an average each 1888
OF the public treasure? Aye, and this includes
none OF the hundreds Of thousands that were
doubtless corruptly wasted upon worthless dema-
g"gue contractors forPublic works. But il would
De wearisome 10 recount all The enormities of this
Party; II would require volumes to set them forth
i ne good they have done may be, as well as
briefly, expressed by the figure 0. What evil
dence have we that this party has improved in
Surely it cannot be found in their
.o'''S' III VIC PRESENT canvass, In which Ito
'he strongest terms that occur) they have even
exceeded themselves in foulness and unfarness
Ana mis- is The party that refuses to receive the
proceeds OF the public lands, justly the property
OF the States and so necessary to aid in relieving
theip from their heavy debts and the people from
gfieVouS taxation In times when least able to bear
IL; and why this refusal! Why, because thew
are afraid their own money will corrupt them -
"A more unfounded apprehension can scarcely be
imagined Tor doubtless if any change should
take place In the moral character of modern de-
mocracy, 1t must of necessity be for the better
but no-thls is not their real objection to the dis
lrIbuiion OF the proceeds Of the public lands a.
mong the States. 1t is very much more probable
lhas they wish these proceeds to increase the
'spoiis In the event that they should achieve
victory" And this is the party which with
front comes forward TO ask power at
i u hands OF The people Will the people grant
1t to them! If they do they will most richly
merit the misery and degradation that will most
certainly follow such an act of folly and madness
III 1t be asked upon what grounds the Wings
claim the confidence Of the people, it may be an
swered in the first place that there are no mis-
deeds mat can be fairly charged against them
In the second place, they are not theorsts-they
go Tor no new experiments, but for those mea-
suTes proved by experience to be salutary and I'M
der The operation Of which the country greatly
pfospered. In the third place, there is hardly:a
possibility that they can manage the public al
ia'fs worse than their opponents have, and if
there IS change, it must, there FORE in all proba-
blhty, be for the better. The people have MOTH
ing to risk by it, 1t is true that the Wings are
charged by their opponents with having failed to
i9ihl their promises TO the people previous to the
election OF Genl. Harrison, but with what mon
sTous Injustice it requires but little penetration 10
perceive. 1t is well known that the Wings were
In full power but one month, at the end Of which
II pleased a wise but inscrutable Providence to
remove the great and good man whom they had