The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-05-03
NO. 49,.

n Presidency. He was always surrounded b.
a Gordon of jealous and watchful friends
which my youth forbade me to penetrate
even had desired to do so. Iconsequout
ly heard him say little or nothing, an,
e nothing at all that | can recall to mind.
For the sake of those whose memory o.
reading has not rendered them famiIa
with the history of those times and il
order to give the reader correct idea OF
the attitude which Gen. jackson then oc-
cupied toward the American people, it is
; necessary to take hasty retrospect of the
four administrations which Immediately
preceded his. The memorable victory
achieved by Mr.. Jefferson and the Repub-
lican party, over Mr.. Adams and the Fed
eral party in 1S0C, was the death blow of the
latter party, and though many able mon con
tlnued to maintain and assert its principles
throughout Mr. JefTerson's and Mr.. Mad,
lson's administrations, they were all the
time IN hopeless and constantly weaken
ing minority. During Mr.. Monroa's first
term, party distinctions seemed to be for
gotten, and men were all apparently Of one
opinion. However they may have differed
in private, their dissention5 were not ut
tered in Congress nor through the press
This was called in the parlance of the day
''the era of good feeling, - and it was such
| calm as has not occurred in American pol
| 1tlcs either before or since Mr.. jefferson
had been succeeded by Mr.. Madison, his
Secretary Of State Mr.. Monroe il like
manner had been Mr.. Madisons Secretary
of State, and now Mr. J. @. Adams held
that office undor Mr. Monroe. and was thus
designated as his successor. This quiet
process Of making each successive admin.
lstratiop the direct offspring of the precod-
ing, had come to be denominated ''the line
of safe precedents," and it had its advo-
Gates amongst all those who, either in the
general or State governments enioved OF
hoped for honors or offices under the exist
ing regime. A drowsy monotony pervaded
the political atmosphere, and the few men
who went to the polls to vote at a Presdou-
tial election did SO. not to exercise any in
dependent judgment, but to carry out the
behests of those already in power. Such
an unnatural condition of things could
not be indemnity prolonged in n popular
governments ambitious men rose up in diff
ferent parts of the country, who saw
nothing for themselves in ''tha line
of safe precedents,' - and a feeling of disr
content was spread abroad AMONGST the
people, who felt that the government had
become a matter of routine and was man
aged by clique, not dependent upon, re-
sponsible to, nor in sympathy with them
selves. In the latter term of Mr. McnIocs
administration these discontents manifested
themselves by bringing into the field three
candidates for the Presidency, besides Mr..
Adams, the candidate of course. They
were Mr.. Crawford of Georgia Gen Jack
son, and Mr.. Clay. All these men were of
the same party, and professed allegiance to
the same principles of government.
Amongst them, therefore, it was a choice
Of men and not of measures and the dif-
ferent movements were dictated as much
by personal preferences, rs by desire to
break ''the line of safe preceoents" In
the election of 1924, all Of these candidates
we're voted for, ana Gen. jackson received
he larg ,st number of electoral votes,
hough less than a majority. The House
Of Representatives. upon which the choice
vas thus devolvcd, elected Nj. Adams; Bir
lay and his friends contributing to that
'esult. Upon his Inauguration, shortly
'fter, Mr.. Adams conferred upon Mr. Clay
he Office Of Secretary of State, and thus
vas the cline of safe prccedents' maintain
d unbroken in the person of Mr.. Adams,
nd Mr.. Clay was placed under its fostering
nhuence. There at once rose, throughout
he length and breadth of the land, a howl
( indignation, a cry of bargain, intrigue
nd corruption,' and an excitement in the
opular mind such as that caused by the
Iirring events Of the last twenty years
'arctly exceeded. A party in opposition
} the government thus formed, was al
nee set on foot, and Gen. Jackson was
rouGht to the front a representative
all discontentoi interests, the chosen in
rumont for breaking mp aud utterly de-
roying what was represented as a foul and
Drrupt combination. This is the retro
,ect, and this is the attitude he held when
:; ~ eovr Con Ia,L.,,,