The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1847-06-26

dency. Not for this did Mr.. Calhoun and his
adherents %labor--they pro Osed no conditions,
demanded no concessions, exacted no promises,
made no bids for that high Ofice--they believed
that it ought to be the spontaneous gift Of the
people to the man of their choice, and not a
matter Of chaTering among a set of political
hucksters. Furthermore, they believed thatthis
noble gift would always be bestowed upon ac-
knowledged talents, and high moral worth, as
the reward Of long public service, if the people
were Just suffered to act according to their W
instructive sense of right, <,as they did in the
earlier and purer days Of the republic,) unbljn-
ded and unbewilderedby the p%estilent sophisms
of demagogues, and unawed by the menacing
d~ictation Of irresponsible caucuses.
MIR. Calhoun and his frienus had seen their
highest hopes time after time dashed to the
ground, and they were hidden to continue sing
ing h~ozannas to the idol Of the party. The
sacrifice was declared to be made for the good
Of the country, and who could therefore object
to it? Thus good terms are used to conse-
crate bad deeds. No doubt many Of our great
men would be as ready to sacrifice themselves
for the good Of their country as were the Decii
Of Ancient Rome, but the goad o, the country
and the interest Of a band of selfish and corrupt
political intriguers are very different things,
though often COMPOUNDED. 1t is now called
patriotic to give up talents, and virtue, and
long public service, to take in their stead medi-
ocrity, and ~knavery, aud inexperience, to guide
the %cOunsels Of the nation. And to crown all,
the victim Of this folly is called upon to per.
feet the sacrifice by assisting in person at the
obsequieS Of his own hopes. Witness the let
ter which they made Mr.. Van Buren, write in
1874, approving the conduct of the Baltimore
Convention In sacrificing him to the good Of
the country! (Heaven save the mark. Tru-
ly this reminds us Of what we have read of the
arts Of certain hypocritical priests who con.
trive most adroitly for the love Of God (pious
soulsD to plumber their victims, persu' ding
them all the time that they are acting for the
good Of theirsOuIS, but letting them know that
if they do not submit with a good grace, car
nal as well as spiritual weapons will be used
upon them. There is scene in Oliver Twist
much like it. When the overseer of the poor
come to question Oliver in regard to ME treat
menr, his good IandIady took her stand behind
the officers chair, and all the time Of his ex-
animation shook her two huge maui fists at HIM,
which SO frightened the little half starved ur-
. . bib,
chin that he praised her and hel table to her en-
tire satisfaction, though he had much reason
to speak very differently Of both. So Mr.. Van
Buren, might have been disposed to speak what
he really telt, and curse the whole set Of poIiti-
cal jugglers and hypocrites by whom he had
been so gloriously bambOozled out Of his cleo
ton; but he saw more than two ugly looking
fists fl 'urished before him, and ready to come
down on his devoted head if he did: so he
just simpered out, thank you, my dear friends,
am always ready to be sacrificed for the good
OF my country. What a noble martyr! He
we'll deserves to rank with another celebrated
character who suffered in a certain bloody
reign, because he could not help it. Mr.. Calhoun
q hO uSpttutiutIS lt tuC HOHOIb u SuCn a
martyrdom. On the contrary he seems to have
as little notion of ''testifyine'' to please these
loving friends as had Cuddie Headrigg to gra-
tlty the maternal pride Of old Mause. Even
the exhortations OF Father Richie have had
no effect upon his obduracy, though they have
been seasoned with the JUNCTION Of 1913 and '99
Nothing now remains for the holy Father but
TO illuminate his bull of accommodation, and
when it does come, no doubt it will cast DR..
Slop and his curses on Obadiah completely
into the sade. Mr.. Calhoun doubtless thinks
it quite enough Of disinterested patriotism to
suffer others to offer up his political prospects
on the altar of party without being required
himself to laud the officiating priests. He,
perhaps, dues not feel that .t.her patriotism or
self-respect calls upon him to thank the tyrant
who has defeated his laudabie ambition, and
would compel him to bow down and do hon.
age to upstart pretenders Of NOT half his wears,
and scarcely a 1.-THE of his talents. When the
punishment Of the ostracism was degraded by
being inflicted on a low and mean citizen. i,
was abolished; and if the Presidency Of tbis
great Republic is degraded by being bestowed
on unworthy and incompetent men, it oughr
to be abolished also. The mantle once worr
BY a Washington, an Adams, a Jefferson. and n
Jackson, should rather be burnt than fall upor
the shoulders of apuny, fawning, time-servine
demagogue-we had better say that none were
worthy to wear it, than that the people had be-
come too degenerate to bestow it on the wor
thiest. 49,
For Me Mssssigpi Creole.
mL..lIA