Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-05-29

yet then his abuse Of US might have claimed some
respect, some attention, as possibly the Just voice
of fee unbiased citizen But now, as the bru-
tum fufnaen Of angry but weak authory-as the
mere chaing of power crossed in its purposes, or
held to account for its acts-as something that every
man should offend, when its conduct has offended
public right, or even opinon-as, in free country,
just that Of which all should be jealous. which all
must ever bepermted freely and even with license
to canvass-as, in fine, the last thing which should
dare attempt to put down public discussion of its
proceedings--,ohdt, ask, is there in the full
limitations of Executive Indignation against us, or
,ohaf, still more, in mere vtuperation, under what
distinctly amounts to its official sanction, that should
disturb US In foreign monarchies, an Opposition
writes or speaks almost what it pleases concerning
the conduct of those in power the measures, the
character of Ministers, are treated with extreme
freedom the very person Of the Prince is often
made invdious or ridiculous. Is it only here, and
under our boosted institutions, that decent and
fair Opposition be borne, and that those at
tempting it are to be crushed, in the public sight,
by Presidential strength, or stabbed with the calum-
MES Of the Executives known instruments! No;
a shield Of public approval, under which one may
walk safe from such puny blows, and laugh at the
official choler, teach it that there are things
far more to be dreaded than itself A wretched
foreigner and hireling could, in former days,
wage war OF invectlve and of opprobrium upon
not only the Administration, but the character of
the Father of his Country. 1t was borne in silence,
,,cbt ha Nv rla S,,bor
the freedom of the press, and who can stand upon
the strength of their own conscious recttude. Gen
WASHINGTON did not even require that he should
be dismissed from the employment which he then
held in the Secretary of States office. Is Mr..
Polk SO much above Gen. WASHINGTON, or are we
so much below the hardened libeer referred to- that
our fair comments are to be stfed! Can it be
BILE! Can it be seli-approval that makes the pre-
sent Executive sensitive! If his measures can
not be sustained except by forbidding all free ex-
animation OF them, had they not better be aban-
doned Is nothing TO be allowed to condemn them,
except the confusion, the misrule the mischiefs
which we already see the public debt and msfor-
tune which we know to be encompassing the
lrretrevable public disaster and disgrace which al
sane men know must follow an unjust, expensive
and dangerous war, the very success of which car
bring, instead of compensations, nothing but long
train Of difficulties, and but too probably of ca
lamities,
For ourselves, and for great part of the Wing
press and party, we say that the Opposition carried
on to the most ll-advised body Of measures that
any public Administration ever undertook once,
has been far more moderate than they or their au-
thors or their aids deserved. We ourselves have
never thought violence of language, vocabulary
of reproach, personal contumely, becoming or safe
weapons of political contest, even where they might
be used with justice. To be moderate, to be fair,
to be respectful even beyond the measure of respect
exactly merited; to enlighten, not infame to ami
mate the public judgment, not excite the public pas
sons to be careful Of the character Of others and
observan of own, has been our constant effort,
our solicitous study Editors. There are idle
public heats enough that choose not to fan there
are legitimate public flames enough, and plenty OF
people to blow them, without our turning our cheeks
into pair of party bellows. As little has it ever
been our practice to blow hot or blow cold upon
any body or any thing, merely as suited man or
a party. Acting thus, ii has not seldom been our
fortune to dsplease the hotter spirits of that side
for which none have battled with steadier devo-
tedness, and even TO ALLEVIATE for time great leaders
whom none in the main, more admired or relied
upon All hereabouts know that this is so all
are aware that many of our very friends have often
made it strong objection to us, "Ihat the Inelli-
gencer was TOO moderate, TOO mild not sufficiently
party paper" What, then, we soberly ask, must
that Administration be-what its character-what
its measures-wha its temper-what its sense
what its willingness to meet the discussion of its
the degree in which its acts will bear
handling when its selected organ, its openly adopt
ed minister Of the press, is made or is suffered
and both are the same in effect on its behalf con-
nually to assail the National Intelligencer with
personal and party obloquies, caumnies, denuncia-
ons such as it would shock all monarchcal
France to see the organ of its King employ against
lie National. the avowed Republican enemy of his
throne, his dynasty, and his person Is it come to
worse here than under Royal Governments in Eu-
rope? And is this feeble, this advised, this un-
popular Administration, gotten up the last des-
perate expedient Of party at its wits end, and now
forfeit of even the conventional confidence then
Destowed-is it, we ask, mad enough to imagine
hat to il alone, of all existing Governments, not
purely personal and autocratc, there shall not dare
10 be an Opposition Can it fancy that its acts are
% be edcts, It's pleasure CGsarean rescript, its
ll-imagined violations of law and the Constitution