The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-08-02


and in the immortal nature Of man,
They gave the right of suffrage to eve
ry freeman ;they vindicated the sanctity
of reason, by giving freedom ofspeect
and of the press; they reverenced the
voice Of God, as it speaks in the sou
Of man, by asserting the indefeasible
right of man to worship the Infinite
according TO his conscience; they es
tablished the freedom and equality oi
elections; and they demanded from ev.
cry future legislator solemn oath 'ne.
yer to consent to any act or thing
whatever that shall have even ten.
dency to lessen the rights of the peo.
ple."
These majestic lawgivers, wiser than
the Solons, and Lycurguses, and M,
mas of the Old World-these prophetic
founders of a State, who embodied in
their constitution the sublmest truths OF
humanity, acted without reference to
human praises.
They keep no special record of their
doings ;lhey took no pains to vaunt their
deeds; and when their work was done,
knew not that they had finished one of
the sublinest acts ever performed
among men. They left no record, as
to whose agency was conspicuous,
whose eloquence swayed, whose gen.
erous will predominated; nor should
we know, but for tradation, confirmed
by what followed among themselves.
The men of Tennessee were now a
people; and they were to send forth a
man to stand for them in the Congress
Of the United States--that avenue to
glory--that home of eloquence--the
citadel of popular power; and with one
consent they united in selecting the
foremostman among their law-givers-
ANDREW JACKSON.
The love Of the people of Tennes-
see followed him to the American Con-
gress; and he had served but single
term, when the State of Tennessee
made him one of its representatives. in
the American Senate, where he sat un-
der the auspices of Jefferson.
Thus when he was scarcely more
than thirty, he had guided the settle
ment of the wilderness; swayed the
deliberation of people in establishing
its fundamental laws; acted as the rep
resentatlve of that people, and again as
the representative of his organized
State, disciplined to knowledge of
the power Of the people and the power
of the States; ;the associate ofrepublican
statesmen, the friend and companion of
Jefferson.
The men who framed the constitu-
ton of the United States, many Of them,
did net know the innate life and self
preserving energy of their work. They
feared that freedom could not endure,
and they planned strong government
for its protection.
During his short career in Congress,
Jackson showed his quiet. deeply-seat-
I'd, innate, intuitive faith in human free
Iom, and in the institutions Of freedom.
He was ever, by his votes and opinions,
ound among those who had confidence
n humanity; and in the great division
If minds, this child of the woodlands,
his representative of forest life in the
vest, was found modestly and firmly on
he side offreedom. 1t did not occur
% him to doubt the right of man to
he free development of his powers; it
lid not occur to him to place guard
ainship over the people; it did not oc-
,ur to him to seek to give durability to
popular institutions, by giving to gov
,rnment strength independent ofpop-
liar will.
From the first, he was attached to
he fundamental doctrines of popular
,ower, and of the policy that favors it;
md though his reverence for Washing |
on surpassed his reverence for any
,uman being, he voted against the ad-
lress from the House of Representa-
ives to Washington on his retirement,
because its language appeared to sane.
ion the financial policy which he be-
ieved hostile to republican freedom.
During his period OF service in the
Senate, Jackson was elected major
,enefal by the brigadiers and field off
.ers of the militia of Tennessee. Re-
igning his place in the Senate,he was
made Judge ofthe Supreme Court in law
md equity; such was the confidence
n his integrity of purpose, his clear
less of judgment, and his vigor Of will
o deal justly among the turbulent who
into the new settlements of
Tennessee. sabo t1t IoI
Thus in the short period of nine
,ears, Andrew Jackson was slgnalized
" as many evidences Of public esteem
S could fall to the lot Of man. The
'ioneer of the wilderness, the defender
# its stations, he was their lawgiver,