The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-05-14
THE HARMONIOUS DEMOCRACY.


The Richmond Enquirer of Friday contains
very ably written and pungent address TO the
Democratic party in Virginia from the friends
of Mr.. Calhoun, from which we have thought we
could not do our readers greater favor than to
make copous extracts. After speaking of their
attachment to Mr.. Calhoun on account of his
eminent abilities, long public services, pure and
spoless character, ardent patriotism, &c, and of
their having given him up and united with "the
democracy" of Virginia for the sake of " the har-
mony and success of the party" they say:
Nothing seems, however, to protect Mr.. Cal
houn or ourselves from the unprovoked agrees
sions and unjust imputations of caba at WASH
ing,on, who in spirit of dictation and denunca-
tion spares not our noble and cherished States
men from the foulest and most unfounded assaults,
nor ourselves from the basest suspicious. The
Globe speaks of the Coalition in Virginia against
Mr.. Van Buren-Will he expose the treason and
name the conspirators We challenge him to
speak out. Name those, if he dare, who have
yielded a reluctant or hesltating support to MIR.
Van Buren,, in the elections just past The same
paper imputes to MIR. Calhoun the settled purpose
and design of defeating the treaty with Texas,
and the impous desire of at once disso!ving the
Union-in short, with deception and treachery.
Never, never did mad and thoughtless infatuaton
more mislead human judgment. Never was there
a more heartless policy pursued, or more
founded and unjust charge promulgated against
any man much less against one whose pure and
unsullied life has made HIM the impersonation of
frankness and fidelity. In the absence of all
evidence, nay, with the correspondence of Mr..
Calhoun before the country, stamping and con-
demniDg the suspicion as untrue, comes the
Globe, paper which is in some respects the
oracle of portion of our party, 10 make this
wan,on and unjust assault on one of the first and
best men of the Republic. To increase yet more
this great outrage, this paper has the folly to
meet the names of some of us, with those of some
other of the friends of Mr. Calhoun, and idly to
impute to them and to us, superiority to him.
This is absurd and idle mockery 1t has but
made us feel bitter scorn and contempt toaUards
one uho, for The insidious purpose of alternating
friends, has resorted TO such degrading mears,
and who could place poor an estimate on our
intelligence and independence. The attempt is
to strike Mr.. Calhoun down, by fattering his
friends; and by absurd and hypocritical compi-
ments, 1t ls hoped to separate them from him, and
them when future occasion shall require it,
they Will share no better fate We disdain this
disngenuous attempt to distinguish between Mr.
Calhoun and his friends. We allow no such ex-
emption in our favor We throw back on the
Globe his poor attempt Of fattery to us at The on
pense of such man. 1t reminds us of ULYSSES
and his companions, IN the cave of the one eycd
Polyphemus only the Globe would improve up-
on the fable; spare as for the present. and make
Ulysses himself the first victim Of its vorac,y"
1--WE owe to the Globe and its associates nc
allegiance. We acknowledge in them no superb
ority. We contemn their mad and miserable at
tempts at dictation, and shall Iearlcssy perform
our duty. The course of this paper is neither
calculated to command our appreciation, nor to
convince our judgmcnts-much less does it tend
to retain ancient friends, or 10 make new ones
and it seems, it is yet to learn, that coarse re-
proach, or bitter invectiye, gives more evidence
of good taste, than Of good sense whether it
from the editorial chair or from the invisible die
tator, who writes from behind the curtain"
"If however, the madness of prescription and
dictaion shall yet prevail; if the ntoerant bear