The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-28

MeXco herseiI' inc amount mus ascertalned 10 be
regarded as finally and defnitvely fixed and Mexi-
co required, and if necessary, enforced to pay it.
C.
For the Union.
"THE JEFFERSONIAN Standard
thing Ritchie he is just com.
The l. as
formaton the people will have no means Of knowledge
good authority BY The Wsy anS what +
within the recollection ofthe small number Of his contempt
ares who sury " Now The question we wish to ask is
information the subject II he will tell what Jeferso-
man which hs 80 much adnires consists
deuce and in that way confer upon well the public
q signal favor
The above long text, Mr.. Editor, for what in
tend shall be very short sermon, concludes the
leading editorial in the New York Express of the
ssd instant; and without presuming 70 volunteer my
feeble speech for one who can WELD the pen of a
Junius in his own behalf have yet little patience
with the shallow afectation it exhibits, that beg
leave to offer few words in reply.
In observing our periodical elections for several
years. two facts have been forciby presented to my
mind First, that before and during every exciting
political contest, in which the wing leaders have
generally avowed, with greater less boldness, the
necessity of STOPPING To conquer, they have sought,
like Absalom, to ''steal the hearsn of the people;
and thereto have not failed TO invoke the exalted
| name and pure doctrines of Thomas Jefferson.
Secondly, when smartng under defeat, these leaders
have consoled themselves by revealing their real
sentiments, deamiDg the character, and questioning
| the motives of this great man. The arstocratc
principle has everywhere been known by the same
sign. The political reformer may storm its defences,
and silence its last gun, yet he will surely encounter
in the expiring efforts Of the garrison the shafts of
rdicule, and sneers of affected contempt We know
that theatrical representations Of puritan pety and
simplicity, favorite amuscments Of the court of
Charles I'd; and the imbecile French emigres be-
guiled their cowurdly retirement by hurting point
less epigrams at the hero, whose name was ter
| ror to Europe, and whose march threatened to
sweep their favorite systems from its face This
class, who are unfortunate to 'slcarn nothing
and forget nothing" ever look with the same uri-
| friendly eye upon the popular champions; and am
sorry to kosc that the erocity and relentless hatred
which survived the grave, and denied a peaceful
rest to the bones of Oliver Cromwell, has too faith
full counterpart in the breast Of more than one Of
our countrymen, who regard the authorship Of our
declaration of independence Of Great Britain as the
objectionable sin.
One Of two things is plainly visible in.the article
Of the "Express'-cxtreme effrontery, or deporable
ignorance; and may do the editor the greatest in
justice by ascribing It to the former. Charity, and
bis well-known honesty, forbid it. Some captious
disputants may deny sclfevident premises, and, in
the course Of argument require proof Of facts that
were never before doubted with the hope Of gaining
temporary advantage, or. by opposing obstacles,
delaying the defeat that is inevitable. But we will
suppose that he Of the "Express'' is not one OF
these. Though he has long impaired daily instruc-
tons to the "talens and intelligence" Of the land
he is in no degree vain of his attainments. With
frankness and modesty above all praise, he CON
esses, in effect, that he had never read of Thomas
Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton as the leaders of
the great parties into which the country was divided
after brief experience under the new system did
not know that both were born to command, and
eminently endowed with capacity to shape and d.
rect our experiment in poitcs--that the genius
of the former obtained the mastery and succeeded
in placing our government on the republican tack,
on which, with but few brief intervals, il has
since pursued ts prosperous and steady career. He
had not learned that the principles Of these men
were in direct opposition that the one was repub-
lican, and the recognised head Of the present dem.
ocrac party, and the other federalist as reverent-
ly acknowledged to stand in the same relation to
the modern wings in this country. If this portrait
of an American editor il overdrawn, ii is drawn by
himself The thinner had the advantage Of an init
mate acquaintance with his subject and il is not for
us to question the accuracy Of the likeness.
FOR the information of this humble seeker after
knowledge, cannot believe any portion Of the "pub
lie" il equally destitute. propose to give two pre-
cise definitions Of the standard" deemng il un-
necessary, at presents to dwell upon those other i'm
portnnt questions Of national politics which have
been so thoroughly discussed in the last year. almost
any one of which would prove an infallible test
Mr.. Jefferson, then, advocated strict construction
of our tcritien constitution. His conscientious mind
admitted az only those powers plainly expressed, or
necessary and proper to carry into execution those
clearly and individually granted. But he disclamed
even this degree Of implication unless the necessity
and proprety were SO obvious and palpable that the
grant expressed would be null without the power
implied. The Jeffersonian standard therefore, for
bidding alike the speculations of theorists and the
suggestions Of expcdiency, imposes strict inter
probation of the constitution, as II passed from the
hands of its makers and wisely limits the agent to
the instructions Of his principal. .fs1
Let the express" bear in mind that this is con-
sidcred by the democratic party the very 'law and
the prophets" out Of which most of the minor
questions egitimately arise with its opponents and
il is expected that the "Uniono will be devoted 10
the uniform and consistent support Of this cardinal
principle.
But there is another decisive test Of Jeff,rson;.n
republicanism, to which past and passing events
give high value. With the germ Of our reyou-
tior--the very origin of disoord between the Eng
lish people within the realm, and those colonsts
whose adventurous ancestors had made their abode
and founded home for their children on this con.
tincnt, two distinct parties, not only on the
question Of British supremacy, but the perfect
adaptation Of the British government to every age
and cline. Their discussions were interrupted by
the war. Peace in great measure quieied the pas
sions, and for several years were free from any
INTERNAL h<huou winch miRht ucvclop tne true
characters and sentiments Of men, after the pressure
Of danger from without had been removed. But
the formation of political constitution for the new
" emancipated country afforded the occasion for
renewed discussions Of the general principles and
ends of human governments. Il offered ct OPP
portunity for the exhibition of the natural ten
denotes Of the different actors in the revolution and
though they had been jealous and devoted in the
assertion OF colonial rights, many, from the bearing
Of their early studies the natural structure Of their
minds, were filed with an unbounded and blind adj