Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-05-14
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE SOUTH.

rather notable article appears in theast Charles
ton Mercury The Administration is taken to task
FOR its subservicncy to the West, and is warned of
disaster and defeat il it perseveres in its tImed
and lconsidered Ii is told that already Its
first great has failed although 1t began the
session with majority Of some eight IN the senate
and seventy in the House. The Western states
men are disparaged; "the coarse Jury OF their IAN
guage and dcnunciations," the "reasonless pohcy
of their measures" their INSCRIPTIONS rapacity for
appropriations of the public money!" are the phrases
which the Mercury uses to designate the charac-
terstics Of the dominant class Of Western politi-
clans. Complaint is made that although Congress
has been in session nearly five MONTHS neither the
civil and diplomatic appropriation bill nor the army
or navy bills, though reported early, have yet been
touched; that Western measures under Western
dicta,ion have mainly occupied the time. Oregon
and fifty -four forty, with its kindred measures, rifle
regiments mounted and unmounted increase of the
army, bills to protect settlers and establish our laws
in Oregon-Indian agencies in Oregon--mail f,cili-
ties to Oregon In short, the Mercury asserts the
utter incapacity Of Western politicians to govern
the country, and concludes thus
sit is impossible that the administration can he
successful unless it will rid itself of such influ-
ences. Its proper affinity is with the Southern
Democracy-that Democracy under whose wise
craftsmanship the Democratic party has been al
ways successful, and the Union prosperous. Had
the President listened to their counses, the party
would now have been unted-the Oregon question
with all its fearful commissions and losses would not
have occurred-and consistently with all his former
principles, he would have moved on i'm the path of
honor and true glory. Not only disastrous failure,
hut dishOnor must attend his subservency to the
West. Will he sanction their huge harbor and ri
yer bill, now pending in the Senate? If he does,
he will be recreant TO all his former principles on
Internal Improvement, and if he does not, and We
toes this bill, what will he gain by all he has done
to CRAFTY their Oregon rabdity They will have
nothing but curses for his administration and his
fame. Leave them he must, if he would not be
personally Observation-Disclosures them he must, If he
would not have his party broken up. and his admin
istration tramped down. No administration ever
sat i'm Washington which could withstand the ar
raw of talent and power, which faces him on
the Oregon question. Let him fall back TO his old
friends and his old principles, and he may yet re-
trieve the past, and win the gratitude and applause
of the people in the future. His first error in re-
jecting Mr.. CALHOUN from the State Department
seems to have followed his administration at every
step. II is now clear that this was not an error
merely in the selection of men, but of essential po-
Icy. Although the confusion and losses of the past
rretrievable, he can yet restore his administra
ton to success and power"