Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-01-26
the country as the rightful plumber of politica

. Duls W TcluTn 10 tnc TeIldTk 1 nave dITcful
made. Could any thing infiict a deeper woun'
on the cause of republican institutions, thai
such a spectacle of levity and instability on tn,
, part of the constituent body, as would be exhibi
ted in the restoration of Mr.. Van Buren,, after TIT
overwhelming condemnation of his adminisrra
ton, pronounced by the almost unanimous cleo
toral voice of the country but three short year.
ago! Would it not render popular government
Itself " ~by-word and taunt " among tn nations,
In $40 the American people, upon the fullest
and most deliberate hearing of both sides of the
political controversy-of the friends as well as
Of the opponents of Mr.. Van Buren-recorded
their votes against him by such a majority as
never before signalizcd the retreat of any minis
ter from power, and was till then ute ly unpar
allelcd and even unapproached in the history o.
our Presidential contests. Of the twcntv-siH
States composing the Union he received the
votes of but seven, and all of these Except one
among the smallest of the Confederacy of the
29l votes of the Electoral Colleges he obtained
but 60: aud Of the popular suffrages, a majori-
ty of li5,O00, out of the free and enlightened cit
lZeus OF America who voted in the election, gave
in their accumulated verdict against him. And
yet, in the face of this solemn finding of the
great inquest of the body of the naiion--whiIe
the echo of the general voice which pronounced
1t, has not yet died upon the cara bold attempt
is made TO induce the people 10 take back their
own settled and well considered judgment, and,
IN c~levatng again to The highest office of the
Republic, the individual whom they had so re-
Gently and deliberately %deposed, pronounce a
fragrant sentence of qualification and lncompe-
tencc upon themselves. | know not in what
light other minds may view such a proceeding;
but TO me 1t seems a contemptuous sporting
with the sovereign constituency Of the country
"A sheer mockery and insul, to the public in
telllgcnce.
And by what means is Mr.. Van Buren, to be
again Presented as the legitimate and anointed
candidate OF the Democratic party Not GER
lalnly by the vii! of the great body OF the party,
who, we have every reason TO believe, deprecate
and deplore the madness and folly of the act,
but by the secret and invisible agency of Sc f.
constituted c~OnclaceS and caucuseS, controlled
with absolute sway by a few bold and adroit
political managers. ! run no risk in saying,
that il the individuals composing the party
throughout tie Union could he INTERCEPTED,
upon the rOir dire, to say whom they would
prefer as the Presidential nominee of the party,
three tourths of them at least, and probably a far
larger proportions, would unhesitatingly declare
their preference for some new cand And
yet, in utter contempt of the popular sentiment
of the party, and dIsdainiulIy rejecting the only
equitable as well as practicable mode OF arriving
at the viii Of the majority, through the medium
OF a fair, equal, and uniform popular represent
tation in the nominating Convention, the friends
of Mr.. Van Buren,, (holding on to that oil
machinery of party discipline and subordlnation,
derived TO them from the cunning order of the
Jesutts, through the bloody Jacobinical Clubs
OF Revolutionary France, by which one or two
active spirits are enabled to suppress the will
and control the movements of vast and entire
lnlIps pf mon innar ionclv ,Iocl,ro tb,t bo ,n,l
he only. shall be the candidate of the party.
Is it not time that honorable and patriotic men,
As they respect the dignity of their own char
acters, the privileges OF treemen, and the
sacred principles OF Republican Government,
should unite in one generous and vIrtuous
struggle TO overthrow, etiec.ually and forever,
the tyrrany OF a system which, if now submit.
ted to, must finally convert our noble popular
Institutions into the worst of all Nominations
that Of an INSCRIPTIONS and sordid party oligar.
chy.
And what are the wise and beniCnant meas.
ures OF administrative policy which are promised
Us as the fruits Of Mr.. Van Buren's restoration Z
a return to the glories and blessings of the Sub
Treasury systen-a renewed war upon the
currency, commerce, and business of the coun.
Try Just at the moment when, by the mere
fact OF the withdrawal of the hostility of the
tpNti IllIl'lits anu lIdl us WtItcdtTlT NOiUrT
which is inherent in the energies OF free, en-.
terprising and industrious people, all the bust.
ness pursuits of the nation are regaining their
prosperity and activity, and the currency and
exchanges OF the country are finding their
proper and natural level, every thing is to be
again thrown into confusion, and we are to be
re- plunged INTO a chaos of wild and pernicious
experiments, simply to signalize a remorseless
party triumph, in the of a meas.
ure openly at war with every great practical
interest OF the community. And to this would
be added, by a natural and necessary connection
all that long train of congenial abuses which Sc
vigorously illustrated the era of Mr.. Van Blu.
ren's former Observation-Disclosures schemes
for extending Executive power and Presidential
patronage proluse and protligate expenditures
> OF pubic money the impunlty and protection
of iaithless public officers, purchased BY the
merit Of their party services a new brood D
delaulters, OF the lloyts and the Harrises-a
race the entire disappearance OF which since
1910 is one of the ~proudest proofs of the justice
and necessity oil the change then decreed by the
$ voice of the people. But 1t were vain to attemp
I an enumeration of the teemlng abuses tina
. must ever attend the fundamental heresy of Mr.
Van Buren's political system, which, instead o
t regarding government as a high and holy trus
r for the good of the country, sees in it nothin!
! but a job to be administered for the benefit of
= pdriy, of which the President is the head an,
grand dlm0ner.
= Now, | would ask, what is there to be appre
. hended from Mr.. Clay's election, which ough
TO have the weight of a feather in the scale
when compared with the fatal and destructiv,
/ evils, poisoning the vital elements Of republican
" freedom and virtue, as well AS the essentia
sources of national prosperity and happiness
lN,ltnb AN hapa ava ~ asp -, hal,,, ,,rnnl