The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-09-12
The Democratic Leaders, Considered as
Rulers.
MUM B E R 1.

Will you permit L" locker on here in Wen
na"-one who is neither Democrat nor Re-
publican-to say few words through the
medium of your paper, touching the party
contests of the day.
consider that there is properly but one
question before the country, involving simply,
the merits of the Democratic party. That
party-i in power: Shall it be retained in
power or not? 1t is my purpose to show, if
I can, that its administration of the Govern
ment does not merit the confidence of the
country, and that the political power of the
Nation should be placed in other hands. 1t
is not to true Democracy, but to the present
Democratic organization, that I object-to
their manner of administering the Govern
ment, and to the effects of their party disc-
pline.
My opposition to that organization will be
best understood by brief reference to its
rise and progress:
Previous to the Presidential election of
1898, the public mind of this country was
Soohu, JuSt duu OlcNl
high toned moral sentiment, and exercised
with view solely to the public good. The
election of that year was carried by a SANDER
upon Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Adams. The Jack
son party charged that these gentlemen had
made bargain by which Mr.. Clay was to
make Mr.. Adams President, and the latter in
return to make the former Secretary of State.
They succeeded in making the people believe
this charge, and thereby secured the election
Of General Jackson. In this election, the
first inroad was made upon the moral tone of
the public mind The people, in their admi-
ration of the gallantry of General Jackson
at the battle of New Orleans, overlooked the
most barefaced mllice and injustice, and gave
credence to the charge to which have referr-
ed. This election brought into formal exist
ence the Jackson party. 1t was bred in the
hot-bed of slander, and reared in the light of
military glory. Such party would natural
ly be very kind to the author of its being
the God of its idolatry-and ere long an ap-
peal was made to its devotion in the dissolution
of the cabinet in 1881 The causes of that act
few words will explain. After the election of
Gen. Jackson, in 1928, Mr. Calhoun, the Vice
President, and Mr.. Van Buren,, Secretary of
State, were considered as in the line of prece-
dence for the succession-about four-fifths of
the party preferring Mr.. Calhoun. Mr.. Van
Buren saw that something must be done to ena-
BILE him to supplant his able and popular rival.
Unable to find anything in Mr.. Calhoun's
character as compared with his own to effect
that purpose, he goes to work, and by the
basest means brings about a quarrel between
Mr.. G. and Generel Jackson, and thus sue
ceeds in his object. The Jackson party could
love no one that Jackson hated. But SO
barefaced and wicked was the conspiracy to
ruin Mr.. Calhoun, that some of the members
of the cabinet denounced it, and the dissou-
tion of the cabinet brought to light rupture
between the President and Vice President.
From this time Mr. Calhoun sunk, never to
rise again with the friends of General j., and
MIR. Van Buren was the acknowledged favor
ite of the party. Thenceforward he planned
and directed all its political movements.
The third step of the party in its moral
descent was in sustaining the removal of the
deposits from the Bank of the United States
in October, 1888. That act broke up to
some extent the party associations of the
country. Many who had supported Gen. j.
supported him no longer. Those who con-
demned the removal formed the Whig party,
and those who approved it became the Dem
ocratic party. Some of those who joined the
Whig party were in favor of the Bank, some
opposed to it; but they all opposed the re-
moval of the deposits as a ahigh-handed act Of
injustice because the Bank had no chance
to defend itself, and prove its innocence be-
cause few weeks before the removal, the
House of Representatives, composed mostly
of Gen. Us own friends, had almost unani-
mously declared the deposits safe in the
Bank, and because it was foreseen that the
removal would create great financial crisis
in the country, involving general distress, and
ruin to many. Such was the result. 1t is
true Gen. j. took the responsibility" of the
act OF removal, but it is not known that he
met that responsibility in any instance, by
indemnifying those who were ruined by it.
The next elections resulted in Democratic
victories in majority of the States; and it
was argued that the people had approved the
removal of the deposits. Such, in my opin-
ion, is not true. The people sustained Gen.
jackson in pite of the removal and would. T
think, have sustained him, if he had support
ed the Bank. Equally unwarranted was the
conclusion that because the Bank failed a
few years afterwards, that all the charges Of
General Jackson against It were thereby