The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-08-01
9 sE gaaG2 MXsss agasD @ag Isn@De
correspondence of the Miners
Express.

EXPRESS
For the Express.
IT'S Distance lends Enchantment
10 the view.
Men seem TO have grown SO tired Of ordinary
old-fashioned republican virtue, that in the be-.
stowal OF favers, they look abroad for some con.
spicuous individual to bestow that reward which
is due only 10 transcendant merit. No matter
how that individual may have attained to noto-
riety-provided he be netorious--no matter
what may be his qualifications for the intended
trust-f he has shown any ability in the en-
ployment which has rendered his name first
known-this notorious individual must be forth
with invested with the greatest power gwen
authority of guidng-of directing-aye, of
leading the destnics Of free people.
And this power-this authority, has been
conferred upon General Tay Tor, by constitu.
tional-by legal majority Of the People of
these United States In the bcstowal of this
great power, this legal minority looked not for
a man Of merit--for they knew not the merit
Of the man whom they chose, otherwise than
as the leader Of an invincible band Of heroes
every one Of whom may be as we'll entitled to
their gratitude and applause as he. for aught
they knew. They looked not for man of yir-
tue, else they would not have chosen at ran.
dom; they would leave nothing to dubious
inference, where true virtue was to be, or at
leu st ought to be, Distinguishing character
istIc OF their choice. !.
But they did look for an individual who was
sufficiently notorious to be strong--wllo was
sufficiently incompetent to be weak. They
looked for q strong man to elect-und he was
elected ;-thcy look cd for weak man to con.
tro-and they control him.
What vas il that secured for the present in.
cumbent Of the Presidential chair the lofty po-
sition thathe now holds. or rather that he ought
to hold? His democratic character as o soldier
his success while acting in that character
his pledges to the people, based upon that char
acter-these had their influence with the de.
mocrats;-we have already seen what infiucn-
ced the opponents of Democracy.
What is it that makes his administration Of
the government reproach--a libel upon the
institutions OF his country? His want of that
character in his new position which gained him
success in subordinate ca pacity. -fs@
Proposing 10 act as the resident of the PEG.
pie. if elected, he makes the principles of mi
nority of the people TO be the rule by which he
determines who the People are--makes this
vital Il first principle Of whiggery to be the rule
by which an individual is 10 be recog missed as
ono Of the People. This most dangerous prin-
ciple of whggcry--.hs inveterate enemy of
popular rights, is the guiding principle of this
Taylor Administration. We must either as.
sumo this to be true, or else brand our Presi.
dent with the crime of having perpetrated II
premeditsted falsehood--of having pre.deter-
mined to impose upon the people BY his popular
professions. Well. then, he is the President
of the People. according to the wing rule of
Interpretation Of his pledge, to be the President
of the People, we can understand his acts sub.
sequent to his election. By this Interpretation,
we can understand why it is that he has chos-
en- his advisers and subordnates, not only from
the elite of dignified whiggery, but also from
the elite Of the vagabondsm Of the same party.
If these be the People, then has he performed,
and well performed, his promise; but as if it
were part Of the principles which he takes
for his rule to be consistent to &c false, he has,
in performing his pledge to be the President of
the People,. e., the wing party-vioated
other as solemnly mades<s-N US important to
be kept. M
He promised that no dist st man should
receive his favor. One of hisSdrst acts was to
smile upon swindler. He secuted at the idea
of appointing drunkard to Office and now he
patronage. lie would not sully hereford of
his favor with the name Of q duelist, and he
confers upon protested duelists the manage
ment2of our foreign relations relying moTa,s
no doubt. upon their bull l-dog propensitics than
upon DIPLOMATIC etiquettcs M
Thus hsxe his promises been KEEP his pledr.
es and hrs character redeemed And thus, too,
have the predictio . sc the ID emocratic Party
been verified ins his incompe
ssaz 18th his professions upon his lips, siic was
elected; wien elected id lsas falsifed lis pro
fessions. Believing ing his professions, Demo.
Gratis gave him their 80 pport. BY This support
his election was secured he received saslegaI
majority. and is nstitutionally the Presidents
Bht does he not know--do not the wing party