The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-07

vulgar notion that our policy is to be swayed
always by maiorities," and that "a reference
to the Constitution as an arbitrary pact which
precludes the will of the majority is almost
matter of offence Now, that "clarum ct
venerable nomen," which occasionally waged
war upon ''the Constitution and the rights of
| the SOUTH" was the sponsor OF that doctrine
which the reviewer 50 much condemns. Cen
| eral JACKSON contended that the Executive IN
depreciation of the Constitution was the supreme
law-that the Executive was the representative
of the people, and that his reelection was
confirmation of his DEGREES. The constant and
unntermitting invasiops of the rights of co-ordi-
nate departments-the systematic abandonment
of the peaceful policy of non-intervention and
| neutrality which originated with the Locofoco
| Presidents, and has been sustained by the Lo-
cofoco party; these created the Wing party, and
| ought to have ensured them the appreciation and
support of the reviewer. But so far from secur-
| ing his advocacy, he reproaches the policy
which the Wings have advocated as the cause of
| Southern disafection. He considers the tariff a
''simple rule, which, if less bold than that of Rob
Roy the outlaw, is not more baretaced and un-
| scrupulous." Internal Improvement in the
States, with the funds of the General Govern
ment, is denounced as advocated by the "profli-
gate and corrupt" Now one thing is undoubted;
| the Wing party has always maintained the Con
stitution as it was interpreted by the cotempo-
raneous authority of those who formed it, or by
the constitutional tribunal appointed to ex-
pound it. The Wing party have invariably
based their support Of every measure upon an en-
deavor to prove that it was constitutional. Their
enemies may have accused them of 'latitudinous
construction but they have at least SO far
respected the Constitution as to refer all their
measures to the letter, or to fair inference from
that instrument. When, therefore, we con-
slider the foregoing objections to the action of
the North, and to the Federal Government, we
see they are applicable to the measures of that
party which the reviewer approves, and to
| those statesmen whom he alone compliments.
| If the objections to which we refer be well
| founded, ought not the directors be found CO.
operating with the Whigs2 If they do not,
the inference must be that the pecuniary conse-
quences of the policy imputed to the Wings
is more obnoxious than the corrupting tendency
of invasion and spoliation-or than the war
upon the Constitution and rights of the South"
But the imputed effects of the tariff can never
be forgiven The ''singularly brilliant" admin
stration of Mr.. Polk is commended, and the
clarum ct venerable nomen" of JACKSON
seems worthy of being worshipped. After this,
we cannot doubt but that the affected contempt
of party ties is based upon party and sectional
hostilities, and that, if the writer hates any
thing worse than Yankee, it must be a Wing.
The assault upon the whole North is not less
gratuitous than that upon the measures of Wing
principles to which we have referred. The ar
tcle contains an unbroben TRADE which may be
summed in one quotations: that the North sis
wholly unrestrained by principle, moderation,
justice, or the Constitution" We cannot see
the propriety Of such wholesale abuse. The
Repielc assumes all its charges against the
North to be true, and lashes itself into a rage
against a distant and unreplying antagonist
We have no wish to take up the contest The
blind and violent imputations upon the patriot
ism and virtue of whole people can do no
injury amongst the intelligent class into whose
hands the ReUietc will fall
But we must ask every friend of the Union
to note the virulent efforts TO impair that sa-
cred compact in the estimation of the people,
and we must ask the Wings to observe the i'm
partial hostility to both parties which imputes
Southern oppression to the measures of policy
advocated by the Wings, whilst it commends
the administration and sanctiies the name of
the Locofoco Presidents.
We have no space for criticising the style
and composition of the disunion articles to which
we have referred. The rather ragged mixture
of metaphor and defamation afford, it is true.
some temptations, but it is not within our pro-
vince. 1t is the partisan and fanatical spirit
which pervades them that has attracted our
attention. As we cannot transfer the article to
our columns, we can merely state its pur-
port 1t imputes TO those Southern politicians
''who opposed the Nashville convention, that
they looked TO be presidents, vice-presidents,
and secretaries - it defends the conven-
ton itself, apologies for its moderation, and
hopes for more decided action when il shall re-
assemble. We cannot circulate the wholesale
assault made by the distinguished professor of
morality and ethics who acquired such fame by
his Nashville harangue. The RerieU very prop
ery omits the Democratic declaration made by
that gentleman that the people Of Ohio were
alone SUPERIOR in the scale Of social estimation to
the hog; he omits the personal assaults made by
the same gentleman upon names deservedly
high in the esteem Of the countryside names
of eminent advocates Of the Union. Better
had he omitted the open arguments in ia
vor Of disunion, the highly coored engpv-
ing Of Southern degradation, the imputa-
ton Of Northern robbery and Southern sub
mission, the imaginary Nneveh, the Perse-
opois, the Venice, which are to succeed cities
built by American industry, animated by Amer
lean enterprise, taught by free schools and wor-
shipping in Christian churches, the defamatory
comparison Of the Athens and Carthage of
| America with the moral Gehannah Of Europe
These show upon the part of the learned pro-