The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-02-17
From the Washington GIoE
The Triumph Of Right.

Permanent fame is better than ephemeral
popularity. The one comes from character
and right deeds the other is based only on
the shifting sands of opinion. This thought
was brought forcibly to our mind 10y the scenes
of the 9Th of January. The day was the an
niversary of the battle of New Orleans. Great
numbers of those who had participated in the
war of 1912, met in Washington to borrow
enthusiasm from the day. The time was full
of memories; but the greatest name connect
ed with it was the name of jackson. His
great career was upon every tongue. The old
soldiers looked upon the capital where he had
been denounced, and upon the white house
where he had written his defences, and then
turned to his statue which indicated his tr-
umph. The angry passions, which once famed
about him are forgotten. His memory is pre-
served in the hearts of the people. Yet once
it was far otherwise. The hero of New Or
leans was once under arrest by Judge Hail.
His conduct in war was once the subject OF
fierce censure by leading orators in Congress.
His conduct in peace was still more ferceiy at
tackled by his political opponents. He was
called usurper and tyrant. The Senate OF
the United States charged him with viola
ton of the Constitution. Bank rebellions were
excited against him in the north, and revOlu
tionary committees proposed to wait on him
from New York and Philadelphia with arms
in their hands, But none of these things
moved him. lie steered by the compass of his
own conscience, and looked for guidance to the
north star Of truth. His sincerity was felt by
his countrymen and respected. His sagacity
also was soou manifest. He was reelected to
the Presidency by irresistible enthusiasm. He
went out Of Office crowned with glory. His
farewell address is still read with reverence
throughout the Union. His words from the
Hermitage, even when the last sands of his life
were running, were always potential words with
the American people. And when he died, the
whole republic mourned. His career exempli-
fes most strikingly the safety to public man
of doing always what his conscience tells him
is right.
He is not the only instance of the kind
in American history 1t was so with JEFF
ferson. The author of the Declaration of
Independence stemmed the tide of bigotry
and intolerance, and was called an iniidel
He advocated free speech and free press,
and was denounced as Jacobin. He kept
the ship Of state on republican track, and
federalism poured out upon him the choicest
walls OF wrath. But Thomas Jefferson lives
yet in the affections of his countrymen, and
in the world, as one of the greatest men in
the whole American Pantheon of heroes.
James Madison was once pursued with
bitterness also by the bloodhounds Of party
and received curses, even from desecrated
pulpits But the war of 1912 rolled on
and closed in honor. Its surviving heroes
are now gloriously remembered. Who thinks
at this period-who thought On Monday
of denouncing it as unjust and unnecessary?
Who thought then of remembering James
Madison as worthy of a halter? Was not
the theme then-is not the theme now-of
an entirely different character? Are not
the praises of that war in the mouths of ev-
cry one Does not every American re.
joice to do honor to its surviving officers and
soldiers Did not every patriotic heart
beat warmly in response to the noble words
with which the President responded on
Monday to the eloquent address which came
to him from the convention? And when
Gen. Cass honored himself on Tuesday, in
the Senate, by proposing to do honor to his
old compatriots in the war, who was there
within hearing of his voice to object to his
proposal that the war of 1912 was waged
against "the bulwark of our liberties Z"
We might mention in this connection,
also, the name and services Of James K.
Polk, whose brilliant administration has
gone now iuto the safe charge of history.
The dwelers in California, and they who
reaped harvests of gold there, do not now
denounce the man. under, whose successful
manage cement of affairs that golden country