The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-04


opposition which they had given to the Federal
Government was transferred to its administra-
ton. At first, indeed, the voice of caiumny dared
only TO whisper against Washington and his
measures, but ere long il was heard in thunder.
"When the French revolution commenced, it
was hailed by the people of this country. genc-
| rally, az the dawn of rational liberty in Europe.
But when, in it's progress, it had become the de-
struction Of religion and morality; when thou
sands Of citizens daily sentenced 10 death
and butchered, without trial and without crime;
when all the horrors Of anarchy were poured out
upon that devoted country at home; and when
Attiia-ike, 1t had become the scourge Of God to
foreign nations. the Washingtonan party began
to entertain fears for its result and thought il
necessary to stem the torrent of French influ-
ence, which was rapidly OVERLOOKING our country
To this duty they were imperiously called, az il
was~not only in theory one of the avowed objects
of that government to spread revolutionary prin-
ciples the whole world, but they had actual
ly attempted to the seeds Of rebellion through
out the United States.
"True to their original principles and their first
love. the Democratic party Of that day became more
the friends of the French as they became more The
enemies Of social order. When the proclamation
of neutrality was issued by Washngton--that
proclamation which is now almost universally
try-that proclamation which impartially placed
England and France upon the same footing, and
laid open the commerce Of the world to America,
they snraged that had not entered into an
alliance ,oith the French republic aand ,oaged tDdr
under their banners against the human race But
when the treaty OF peace with England. COM
monty called jays treaty, ratified by w ash
ingon. torrents Of personal abuse ,cere poured on
by the Democratic party upon his head They
openly charged the Father of his Country with an
intention of destroying his beloved offspring
To such a pitch Of ingyatitude they carried
9 by their diabolisdI passions, that they dared
publicly, and without the slightest foundation,
to accuse him Of secretly putting his hand into the
treasury. like felon, and appropriating, with
out authority, the money Of the nation to his own
individual use. That man, the vigor Of whose
youth had been worn out in those splendid mill
tary achievements which made our country indie
pendent, and whose age and experience had been
devoted to the creation and organization of tho
| Federal Government--that man, who had never
received one farthing moro of the public money
than what he had expended in the public service,
sras accused Of being base peculotor of the public
treasure. During this cruel persecution his noble
mind felt sensibly the atings Of his countrymens
ingratitude. In the bitterness of his SOUL he com
planned that be had been abused, to use his own
indecent terms as could scarcely be applied to a
Nero, notorious defaulter, or even to a common
pickpocket."
what must be our opinion Of an opposition
whose passions were so dark and malignant as to
be gratifed in endeavoring to blast the character
and embitter the old age of Washington. After
| thus prosecuting the savior of his country, how
can the DEMOCRATIC Party dare to call them
selves his disciples?"
we presume that our contemporary will not
| object to the authority we have thus produced
to set him right in mere matter Of fact. He
seems to be laboring under sincere but most
singular delusion in regard to General WASH
INGToN, and his relations to the DEMOCRATIC
party. He has SO frequently claimed the Gen
eral as DEMocRAr, and SO uniformly quoted
his administration as DEMOCRATIC, that it
would seem he is actually beginning to believe
that what he alleges in this behalf is historical
ly true. But what says Mr.. BUCHANAN
He says that the present Constitution was
adopted and WASHINGTON was elected Pres-
dent, Notwithstanding the desperate effortsv
of the anti Federalists, or Democrats, TO defeat
both. In its inception, therefore, the admins
tration of WASHINGTON was certainly not
DEMOCRATIC. 1t was obviously not naugu-
rated under DEMOCRATIC auspices. How was
it during its progress
Mr.. BUCHANAN informs us that the opposition
to the Federal Government was transferred to
the administration. When the disturbances
of the French revolution broke out, in spite of
WAsHINGToN's efforts to stem the torrent, the
democratic party of that day became more the
friends of the French as they became more
the enemies Of social order" they were sem
ragged" that WAsHINGToN had not embarked
in war with the human race; they poured
out torrents of abuse on WAsHINGroN's head
they were so instigated to ngratitude by their
''diabolical passions, I" that they accused WASH
INGroN of being peculator, applying to him
such terms as could scarcely be ssapplied to a
Nero, notorious defaulter, OF even to COM
mon pickpecket." Well, therefore, may Mr.
BUCHANAN ask, on this presentment of the
case, what is to be thought of men who sought
to blast the character and embitter the old age
of WASHINGTON, or how, ''gtfcr thus pcrsccut-
ing the Sarior Of his Country, can the DEM
ocRATIc, PARTY dare to call themselves his
disciplesu"
Now, if Mr.. BUCHANAN is right in his state
ment of facts, the Union must be wrong. If
the sketch drawn by Mr.. BUCHANAN in 1915
bears any approximation to the truth. the adj
mnistration of WASHINGTON was exposed to
the violent and unremittng hostility of the
DEMOCRATIC party. AS this view Of the ex-
Secretary moreover, accords with that taken
by the histories of the time, we apprehend that
the truth cannot be blotted out by the continual
claim of General WASHINGTON by the Union
as the first of the Democratic PRESIDENTS.
Straws show which way the wind blows.
As the Union and Mr. BUCHANAN differ so en-
tirely in regard to WAsHINeroN's administra-