Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-03-23
The issue made by van Rurcn.

Du'Ch III lCffi tIuS ICSpOnUS 10 llG SC0tl-
ment;
singular as il may seem to those who
are not in situation to Judge correctly of
the circumstances, II is nevertheless true,
that condemnation by the people Of the
United States, of many of the means to
which opponents had recourse in that can.
vass, is not less important to the permanent
welfare of our country and its political in
sritutiohs, than the overthrow of the prin-
fciples they labored 10 establish While the
effects of the success of the latter were in
a measure limited and temporary, the en-
ployment Of the former struck at the very
foundation upon which our political edi6ce
was based
at has hitherto been our pride to live
under political institutions which are foun-
ded upon reason and virtue, in the estab-
Iishment Of which neither force nor fraud
was employed, and we have cherished the
belief that it is only by an infexible obser.
vance of the exalted principle which pre-.
vailed at the period Of its formation, that
our Government can be upheld. Without
more particularly noticing the humiliating
details TO which you allude in your commu.
nication, can it be pretended that there
could be any expectation Of success for
such efforts unless founded upon the as.
sumption that the popular voice was not
under the guidance Of reason and virtue,
or upon the supposiion that the moral
principles Of the people TO whom these de-
grading appeals were made, might he cor.
rupted by resort to such practices! The
belief that the use of such means contrib.
uted to the result Of 1910, must have low
cred the character Of our people in The es.
timaton of mankind, and if so, how much
would their respect for US be diminished,
should the coming canvass be so conducted,
rs to establish the impression that the
American people arc liable to he always
thus imposed upon Liability to occasion
al error is an infrmity from which no indi-
vidua is exempt. What right have we
then to expect that communities should be
infaIlibIe! But there is a wide difference
between an occasional alteration. and a
confirmed defect Of character. Can we
expect the people in this country TO main
tain the elevated standing in the eyes of
the world, which they have hitherto enjoy
ed, if, after the lapse ofyears, and the fullest
opportunity for reflection, they suffer them
selves TO be second time thus operated
upon by appliances, from the use of which
every friend to free government must turn
with modification and disgust?
You do not, therefore. gentlemen, in my
Judgment, ever-esimate the Importance
which the proceedings Of 1910 are destined
to give to those Of 1874. Considerations
will be brought into view by that connec-
ton, of greater magnitude than any which
have ever been involved in our political
conflicts, and compared with which all per-
sonaI and party interest; dwindle into in
significance.
81 am. gentlemen, very respectfully.
! Your friend andgpbedient servant.
, sMeVAN BUREN,"
How far this defeated candidate is lin a
: situation to Judge correctly of the circum-
, stances of his defeat. is question for
: others to determine. How ready the pee
! pie are TO proclaim themselves fools drunk
/ ards, and madmen, in 1910, and to rc-elect
: Mr.. Van Buren, by way of abSoving them
, selves from the disgrace Of that epoch. we
cannot positively say, though we can give
: a Yankee guess at it. For a few of US,
= however, we confidently say that we were
never more sober and earnest in our lives
than in that very $40; and if any body
t disputes it we are as eager as he can be to
, try that issue over again. Mr.. Van Buren,
himself admits that the designs of the
wings are all "unmaSked,' all open now
: There can be no farther pretence of con-
cealment or equivoc0tion on our part. As
to sobriety and good order, we drank moth
ing but water in 1910, and are confident
our party drank no more than their oppo-
: nents-not so much in proportion to their
: relative numbers, though each doubtless
drank more than was best. Our side built
some cabins to hold their meetings in, sang
some songs and huzzaed occasionally. when
| they felt like it. but how should all that vi
tiate an Election2 You can't expect the
| winning side to be as solemn as owls,
though. it is as natural as griefto the losers,
+ But if hurIahs arc 10 vtiate an Election.
where would be Old II ckory's two tri-
: uHlphs, with their pgnut pole Publications!
We insist that Martin Van Buren, shall
be the candidate of the Loco Focos for
President tn time. After the defamation
they have heaped on the People for their
; discontinue in 1910, we insist that they
shall not haul of their man and escape the
issue by virtue of plea of guilty.
Let us have a fair trial on the merits as
to whether il was Martin Van Buren, and
his office holders or the vast majority of
the American People who were disgraced
by the verdict of 1910.
Yet it strikes us that the party ought to
. be allowed release from Mr.. Van Burens
I claims at some future time. Suppose he
runs now and we beat him again, as is