New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-08-29
democrats md Democracy

Democrats and Democracy.
We received few days since as we often have
before an anonymous letter saying how much the
writer liked some things he had min The Tribune
how confident he is that we at heart Of the
night sort, and urging us to unite fortunes with
the party which he considers Democratic The
letter concludes as follows:
BE one of u.s. who are engaged in the great cause OF
freedom at home and abroad in cmancpating ne peo
pic from Feudal and Conventional Tassaiase aud masking
them brothers, all over the world
Your sincere friend, DENoCNAi-
In Cromwells time one Of the old cavaliers OF
King Charles |. shown that he might admire
specimen Of the coinage bearing the lnscrip-
tons The Commonwealth Of England aud on
the reverse God is with us. g see sad he
after giving it grave scrutiny that God and nc
Commonwealth are on opposite SIDES 10 our mind
it is very much so with Democracy and those whom
our correspondent considers Democrats luiam
Legcett always recognized the distinction between
essential Democracy and the proiessedly Demo
cratic party, following the latter only so Tar as
seemed consistent with devotion TO the former and
the Evening Post under its present ieeb!er and
more time.serving direction has not hesitated to
assert the same obvious distinction.
distinct interest will to illustrate this dis
tinction 1t was the Presidential Election OF 724
Five candidates for President offered, but one
of them was withdrawn leaving four, NIL OF them
members in regular standing of the soca'led Re
publican or Democratic party. But Caucus OF
oae.foarM of the Members of Congress had select
cd one OF the four VIM H. Crawford as me
Republican candidate, and 1t was attempted to
make the support of this test of party ortho-
doxy and iealty. This was resisted, we think
most Justly and Democroticaly, by threetourtIs OF
the People including large majority OF those OF
this State But among the prime movers OF the
Caucus wires was Martin Van BUren ofthis State
and here it was gravely proclaimed and insisted
that Democracy required blind support of Craw-
ford in preference to Adams Jackson or Clay all of
the Democratic party, who were competitors for
the station A Legislature was chosen rs Re
publican before the People generally had begun
TO think of the Presidency and this Legislature it
WIS undoubtingly expected, would choose Craw.
ford Electors of President But the friends of the
rival candidates at length began to bestirhemselves
and demand TINT the New York Electors should be
chosen by direct vote OF the People, and not
by torestalled Legislature This demand
was vehementy resisted by Martin Van Buren,
and those who followed his lead, including the
leading Democratic politicians and Editors OF
the State, the Albany Argus. Noahs Enquirer or
National Advocate. &c. &c, The feeling in favor
Of an Election by the People became so strong and
general that Gov Yates, though himself Craw-
ford man, impelled to call special session OF
the Legislature for this express purpose. The AS,
"a ID
pie by an overwhelming majority, in defiance of
the exertions of Van Buren,, A c. Flag nc. The
bill went to the Senate to which body Slas UirgLt
had recently been elected from the Northern Dis
trict and elected by Clintonan votes On explicit
understanding that he would vote for giving the
choice of the Electors to the People He accord
ingly voted on one or two abstract propositions
shat the choice ought 10 be siyento the People But
when it came TO direct vote, this same Silas
Wright, now Governor, voted to deprsee the People
Of that privilege, by postponns the whole subject
20 the next regular session OF the Legislature, when
il would be too late for the People TO choose Elec-
tors for that time. A bare majority "a the Sen.
ators thus withheld from the People the right they
demanded The csbal failed in their great object.
after al, for several Members of the Legislature
elected Democrats took ground for Mr.. Clay, and
by uniting with the friends of Mr.. Adams defeated
most of the Crawford Electors. and Crawford lost
the Presidency,-We We're but thirteen when this
took place but we looked on very earnestly, with,
on, prejudice. and tried to look beyond the mere
names by which the contendng parties were
called. Could We doubt that Democracy was on
one side ana the Democratic party on the other ?
VIII Democrat attempt TO sainsay i, now?
Mr. Adams was chosen Presidents thorough a
Democrat, in the true sense OF the word as ever
Gved-a plain. unassuming, upright, and most ca
pable Statesman, He managed the Public Affairs
90 well that nobody could really give reason for
opposing him, and hardly any two gave the same
reason. There was Party conflict during his
time respecting the Bank, Tariff Internal Improve.
ments, nor sny thing else Of substantial charac-
ter He kept the expenses OF the Government very
moderate. he never turned man out of Office
because of a difference o. Political sentiment, We,
il was determined at the oatset that he should be
put down. no matter how well he might administer
the Government, and combination OF the old Jack
eor. Crawford and Calhoun parties, with the per
sonsl a6herents OF De Witt Clinton, aided by 3
shamefully false and preposterons oatcry shst he
had obtained the Presidency by bargain with Mr.
Clay, succeeded in returning an Opposition Con
gress in the middle of his term and at It's close Il
put in Gen. Jackson over him BY large mslori'y
The character of this man Jackson we had stud
led pretty thoroughly and without prejudice. hl'
fatal duel with Dickinson about horse-rsce MS
pistoins Col. Benton in the streets Of Nashville
his forcing his way through the Indian Country
with his drove of negroes in defiance OF the express
order OF the Agent Dinsmcre; his Imprisonment o!
Judge Hall at New-orleans long after the British
had left that quarter and when Martial Law ought