Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-04-09

Van Buren, and his Secretary Of War, were charged
with the Infamous design to raise standing military
force of two hundred thousand men, TO subugate The
pe ope, and to subver the laws; and while the feoe,
rasts knew the charge be wholly false, they elect
Military Cheftan who was clearly liable tothe very
charge President Van Buren, and his Secretary oi
the Navy accused of a wicked determination TO
introduce into the judcia tribunals of their country,
the testimony of the blacks against the whites IN oil
cases whatsoever. And the Hooe case, decided BY
4 naval tribunal of Southern Whigs. was imPo-
IDENTIFY paraded 10 sustain the false accusat'on'-
The census which the Federalists themst Ives had
advised to be taken in the manner it was was iassy
converted into Democratic purpose TO tax even 'he
pigs, poultry and potatoes of the people The hghess
officers Of The Treasury were accused OF stealing I'M
accounted millions Of the public funds. The whoe
Government was loudly proclaimed 10 be rotten aho
insnlvent. There seemed TO be common Federal
exultation the fabricated distress which wing
gerry depicted TO the public mind. And these sell
fish deceivers of the people, these wicked libellers
of their country, afterwards treated criminals the
manly Democrats who dared 10 vindicate themselves
from the monsrous charge. The bloody execution
els OF power declared It u be ample cause TOT the
removal of any officer, that he had taken the Extra
Globe, or attended Democratic club. And the luck
less officers who slnned in the premises, were quickly
deprived Of their daily bread
Under the terrors OF this monsrous tyranny, all me
great lights of civil liberty were daly threatened with
total extinction To work up vengeance to the blood
les, deeds the Federalis,s urged President Harrison to
remember how he himself had suffered from the power
of President Jackson They knew the chord, and
touched 1t with cunning hand: and stfagh the INA
ginary wrongs OF the Minister meanly avenged by
the President on innocent and worthy men. The Ere
sident no longer resisted the scramble for the oces
his mercenaries crayed and determined TO enny fur-
Their resistance would have sounded The kne of sordd
Whggery. All the leaders Of the ravenous rabbe were
convinced of that, and informed the President so; and
quickly, the Mad sonian, the official organ of the Go
vernment frankly declared that "Pary considerations
1c0aid gorern Tie President in appointments TO- and re-
morals FROM office; The only rue Which could the
nation from q totai dissolution Of parties "
With pain and surprise, President Harrison beheld
the fatal dilemma 10 which his cunning supporters had
coolly reduced him, for their selfish ends. He was e.
ther to violate his declarations his pompous
promises and lofty inaugural speech; or his trium
phant mercenares disbanded and undone. How be
resolved the trouble, is fully known and understood
The love of power, the force OF party ties and The
craving appetite for office, which the Wings eylnced,
must tell the sad but truthful tale of solted promises
and broken faith
But no excuse for party cruelty or broken faith
be derived from the conduct Of President Van Buren,
towards the Wings Towards his opponents President
Van Buren, mild, mercul and forgvIug-to
degree never yet surpassed by any Magistrate who
ever reached the summit of political power He made
but very few removals fer any cause whatever. And
among these, must include officers who belonged
TO his party, and supported the measures and
principles of his administration. The voaries of
pleasure and vice will acknowledge that negli-
gencc and nempetance disqualIiy officer for
the duties Of his trust. justify his removal from it.
Worthless officers always advocate tenure for life,
and expect TO be quar,ered the Government, and
enjoy the advantages Of office, while they grossly vio-
late the planest conditions of the trust And their
removal however demanded by the public coed, SUBJ
ected President Van Buren, to the harshest cpthets
| OIL fpll nd nius rouid atp him
Yet, President Van Buren, evinced his nagnanimy ;
and exposed the iraes of any officer to public
scorn; when the public anxiety to understand
the causes OF REMOVAL and the grossest msrepresenta
ton of Executive motives, enabled, If they did not re
guIre the President 10 disclose the circumstances and
TO Justify his conduct To the nation. No; lie removed
his brother officers when the public interest required
him to do it but he never ured the commserated
victims of thar own in!auatlon Free and candid en-
curry authorizes the assurance that President Ian Bu
male TemoraiS for putty ends So little did po
ca prescription direct his course that lie not only
retained in Office bat allowed his political opponents
bring into office, many Federas,s who were hostile 10
him, and who Ind voted against him. II will impar
the public understanding proper notion OF his mer
CIV end moderation In remember, that when he retired
from the Government there in the city ot Wash
ngton alone, one thousand Wings and more who held
public stations By the tenure of his will and that,
with the single exception Of the Post Office, there
no public department in Washington which did not
contain majority oil Wings
And vet that mild and tolerant statesman, who fed
and clothed his enemies I'LL he made them stronger
than his friends, reved as monster who destroy
ed his fellow citizens for opinions sake; who banshed
the honesty he could not buy, and who hid the heavy
hand Of arbitrary vengeance every officer tho served
and adorned the Republic. 1t is hard indeed. that
black and noxious harvest of ingratudG should
ripen from the charitable seeds which exalted power
scattered with liberal hand.
| But il this groundess and ungrateiul accusation
| OF Van Wprp 10 u
did his promising SUCCESSORS reform the practice they
affected 20 abho, by what signal examples OF mo-
deration did they ebuke political prescription for party
ends: Did those loud m1uihed advocates of political
fobeaance commit wanton acts OF arbitrary cruelty
for selfish ends' Did the public officer who ventured
to examine the men measures of the Government
become fearless liberne, whom the nys OF party in
dignaon served to illuminate. but could not consume
Why fellow citizens, the keen and heavy guotine Of
Federal vengeance ruled the hour, and covered the
country with deuge Of blood. Under the ter
rors of that iron reign, the Democratic voice was
subdued to n whisper in the Government and
officers, venerable from age and SERVICE and whose
tried and incorrupbls integrity had endeared them
to the nation, banshcd like convicted and uncom
miseracd lelons Worth, service and distinction, how
ever entitled to the mercy and assistance Of Christian
Magistrate, pleaded in vain and, without Investigation
or the prcfcrment Of n single charge nnumcrabe off
GERS were deprived of bread because they honestly be-
cved and dared to say, that William Henry Harrison
had title from superior merit and qallhcatons 10
stand above the world in honor and in place. Whoever
had voted or detained against the war-whocver had
raised his blue lights and beacon fires, and invited the
public enemy among us, came confidently forward to
share the hcnors ard cmolumen of The Harrison admi
nisra lion. But under that bloody dynasty, Democrats
were daily removed from the service OF country they
sincerely loved ard honestly endcavored to serve
Whoever had stood fast 10 his country through the pes
OF war and graccd by hs vaor The public cause suffered
from Tie ruthless hand Of Whgssh violence and perse
cuiion No age, nor service, distinction; no daring
heroism honorable scars, could from Federal
vengeance the gallant Democrats who faced the foe and
rod the paths Of glory in 4 bloody field
Let every Democrat remember this, and mark the
motley multitude OF idle drones whom The leading Fede
rats in direct violation Of their recorded prnci-
pies of juslice rewarded with the honors and emolu
mcns they insocny snached from capable and worthy
men. DloClPLE VI JEtf EhSoN.
president Jackson recalled Ges Harrison from Bogoa !o liz
quarrel with tn. pubic authorities there.
In s2g whea Pre- dent Jackson into office there
ony 80 Officers in The city Of Washngton and the
Federasts thought tyranny the
Old Democrats by any lesows OF public pap
On the Of March, l8i there 30 Democrats in Office
n with aggregate SALARY arontin.
l5 aud there them NJ the place. Si Wings III
office with an ag.egate salary Of 1896 sos.
So that when President Van Du.en went out of Office tie