The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-14
LETTER FROM HON. W. B. MAcLAY.
NEw YOAK, January I, 1857.

New YoRK, January I, 1857.
To the SOeisy Of Tammany:
GENTLEMEN Yours of the 10th ut inviting me to at
tend your celebration OF the battle of New Orleans on the
9th inst duly received. II would AFFORD me pleasure
TO accept the invitation and participate WIN you Ia inc
festivities OF that occasion-and more especially 90 you
nronose TO miuge with the memories of the victory OF
jackson "reoicings for the triumph Of buchanan But
necessary absence from the city ooges me 10 oreeo the
qualification cannot however, allow the opportunity 10
mass without giving utterance thoughts that occur
70 me in eonnexon with the events which you meet TO cell
citrate
there " always be found prominent points OF peculiar
interest from which, from the submits OF 50 many OBJ
seyaories all the mnuier events that pertain 10 II are
most distinctly seen. Such crises In the affairs OF
and such the characters and careers OF her
public men, the very remembrance OF which awakens the
most peasurabe emotions OF patriotic heart, and the
suitable celebration of which produces practical benefits OF
the greatest the aged and inspiring
the young emulate the highest virtues and the nobest
deeds of their ancestors
II is indeed by such means than by any abstract
reasoning that the nheritors of civil and religious liberty
with all its attendant blessings prepared to appreciate
preserve and transmit the boom for as acts are more
papabe and impressive than principles 30 incidents and
examples powerful than precepts IL has been
well said by of Engands best philosophers that "he
efficacy of good examples in the formation of public opn
ion is incacuabe Though justify their conduct by
reason aud sometimes bring the very rules OF virtue to the
tombstone of distractions yet they principally act from
example, And with equal wisdom it has been said by one
of Americas greatest statesmen that when sublime v
tues to be absraconswhen they become Embodied
in human character and exemp6ed in human conduct
should be false to our own nature II we did not IN
duge in the spontaneous illusions OF our gratitude and
admiration
So long therefore, as the nature of remains un-
changed and the of human affairs continues to
flow in the ordinary channels of time it will be alike the
privilege and the duty of those who enjoy the immunites
and emolumens of such country and such government
as ours and whom 1t deyolves to maintain the insd-
utions of such government to commemorate the char
acte the conduct and the events in which all these bless
ngs had their origin by which they have been pre-
served
And there is perhaps history in the annals of the
world richly aught with incidents and examples wor-
thy of everlasting remembrance as that OF our own nation
among which the victory of jackson at New Orleans by
no means the least 1t worthy Of annual celebration
and such celebration is especially appropriate at this
time Never since the achievement of that glorious victory
has there been occasion suitable for its
commemoation than the present. for suggested In your
letter to me- there are indeed many analogies" between
the contests defeats and victories OF the late presidential
campaign and those of the Crescent City, years
ago II then now the principle of selfgovernment
which divided the contendng parties In that contest
in this involved the momenous question of religious
liberation And there here fearful want of allie
glance the constitution as the supreme law of the land
The British forces had invaded country ard entered
capital The proudest nation Of the EARTH the Empress
of the Seas had her armies shores taken the
seat of government and burnt to ashes public
buildings Eated by past successes and melted by the
prospect Of grander achievements in future the enemy had
already made preparations to take possession of the whole
southwestern portion OF country when General Jack
son. with small force under his command, sealed vic
tory which gave additional stability to our national exist
ence furnished guarantee for the success of our gov
ernmen and laid the foundations for some of the mobiles
institutions Of country That was, beyond all cues
ton the important and decisive battle fought
American soil since the turning point of the revolution
And no other victory since the days Of Washington ha
done so much to gid the Temple of Liberty with unfad
ing glory, ra.sc.,ion and rr,ao 70 tbs demo
cratic party that in the celebration Of such victory they
point to the illustrious conqueror as genuine whole
49, ;Eoaxs ,Aoc hnY,1r
be rather increased than diminished by the fact that will
the lapse Of time the most violent partisan feeling has gver
place magnanimous award of honor for 1t often hap
pens that public suffer great wrong in reference
we'll their private their public character and conduc
from the Misrepresentation of their political adversares
frequently aggravated by personal animoses This wa
eminenty the with General jackson. Among thu
numerous wrongs inflicted him the fine of thou
sand doas for acting under the most trying circumstances
of his military career in connection with the very bat
which you celebrate according to his best Judgment in tn
exercise of unswerypg patriotic devotion And although
his slow to recty that grevous wrong
twas done during his lifetime And II will always be t
stands recorded with those who voted to reimburse the in
jsred cheftain.
Probably not one man in a thousand acting under th
same circumstances would be found uniformly right
and vet no man ever had violent political enemies
But poserity will do him justice and already his memory
is embaed with that of Washington In the warmest Of
fections of grateful people.
Distinguished merit will rise superior to oppression
and draw lustre from reproach The vapors which gahe
around the rising and follow 1t in its course seldom a
at the close it form magnificent theatre for its recep
ton and to invest with variegated nts and softenet
eauigence the iumin.ry which they cannot hide
have said that the principle of self-government TO
which jackson fought constituted the dividing line be
tween contendng parties in the late presidential cam
pagn The real issue in that canvass was grossly msrep
resented by the so-caed republicans and the democratic
party thereby placed in ae position before the peo
pie Many made to believe that IL was contest be
tween the advocates of slavery the one aide and thu
haters of oppression the ether But far from this thu
very party which arrogated itself the exclusive honor
uphodng the liberties of country was aiming to sub
that popular sovereignty which constitutes the mos
essential element Of egovernmen Gnd which the origin
al States of this Union both under the rcles OF conede
ration and under the constitution distinctly denied
pertinaciousy withheld from, the general government
The real between the democrats and the "republi
cans" not the existence nonexstenee of slavery
State Territory of the United States, but the powe
by which its existence nopexstence should be deter
mined the latter contendng for Gpch in the gene
raj government the former maintaining that it belongs
right and exclusively to the actual residents OF hs Stat
the Territory Such the doctrines of these parte
agreed upon in their national conventions and set forth IN
their respective platforms.
Subsequent to the legislation of 1920 and previous
the debates OF Congress In s4s and 1885, the limitations
OF popular rights and the powers of the general goer
ment relative to the institution of slavery in the organ
cation Of Territories not well defined so dis
tncty understood they have been since. Hence many
good men, following the lead of the Missouri Compromise
failed TO apply TO the Territories the real democratic prn-
cipe OF sefgovernment and popular sovereignty which
mad been from the beginning conceded to the States and
which has since been demonstrated equally and
sary applicable to the Territories far the
their organization will admit and which cannot doubt
viii long receive the universal approval of every State
and Territory throughout this glorious Union.
ho Iox lntx Innt Al.