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UALElGH. fN. C.) h .......l-aHI. IT THOMAS W. icoTT., -t be paid in advance.... v vy "T7- i. ' eer tbaB three-months after . year'a subacttatwn ne-. iomea due, n4 notice thereof shall have oem giye: J t ... ..inir 111W. are mstftedthnce for one dollar, and for twenty-five cents eien. subse , qnent insertion 5 .and in like proportion ere tnare ' is x greater wumoer 01, lines vmui " .7 (Tj No subscription can in any case be reCei payment of at least $1 50 in advance. I Without Political. - troops rallying arid encouraging them, instead! of ibreeinitatinK himself to the rear, and beiner amonir the foremast in that disastrous, disgrace . a . .. ... . . i i rul retreat, . wiraia ne nonaae mtMriun . .. J , LI-l. 1 th Bficuritv of tne nuouc duiiqioks, wuibb could have been defended by four hundred "tud properly posted in them ? But Gen. Armstrong was made the scapegoat of the transaction. Th;rf1lv--The severity of Virginia policy has ho tenderness even for citizens of her awn .hmild the be sufficiently disinterested ad independent to oppose this- monopolizing spirit. Mr. unes was rej..i- exposition. . Of Inqtive fur opjasfnKthp nomination of Mr. 1 Monroe, for t hetHace , of President of the . . United States. " ' . ' '.. , Circumstances Hve-ari,e& 'which' maJce it proper to explain to the nation, and 0' - ing motives which iuUueeS IBe7rttieeiittfTe f4h people, in the late caucus. at Washing - ton, tolitppose the -Homination of Mr, Monroe for (hi office of president of the United States. The ciposit iou Wi II be brief, it js haiped it will "be clear and to every impartial mind it must be (Satisfactory. The objection to Col. Monroe as a candi date for "the presidency .was twofold; First, As irfefanted ThTrolT;y-whie!,eeut,1 hluifur adoption to that high station : SecondlyvAyi respected his particular qualified0"8 for the chief magistracy,' " " . On the first point, the following considera tion, founded' upon Tacts universally known, seemed irresistibly to prescribe his exclusion. The present constitution has been in operation about 37 years during the whole of which term TP.i.niin-' tVir vennh the president has been from the .stale' of Virginia. This monopoly of (.Sixthly Ever distinguished republican io other states, who might1 justly aspire to the presidential chair, having, fn this manner, been thrown in the baek ground, nothing remained hnjt to popularize Colonel Monroe and that was effected as if it were, by enchantment. Hit former hostility to Mr. jUadison was fsrriven coneiuaiory dinner was provided in .the neighbourhood of Mr. Jefferson's residence; at which were present Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madi son, ana Colonel Monroe, and there the plan was iaid Colonel JfcLjaa jl preliminary step, tan Liil f!n.i.k -e 1" : A. I I " " itnr ui t trgmia, wm uurneu first erade of talents, and no one has rendered ftbenee into the office of secretary of state and mere services 10 me diu,iw. i"-"" ut uiumem every measure in peace ami body. He was known to be opposed to ihn w4u war, oV the part of the executive, has poln vation of Coir Monroe to the presidency, fronted, towards his eleva tion to the chief meeia- a diminutive opiaiotfof his abilities.. He f ey.The press, which alas I is venal, put gradually disclaimed, and finally compelled tSthig disposal, by the patrouage bestowed in retired , ' . , ;.-r-1niigihe.lrtited-6tatea,-':nw.--The"neWs. Fourth! th in Maseaenuseiis wim. papers under his,eontroul have been eonstautly the first post in the government, so far, from bf ing considered hy llie Virginians v ornaehnieht tin the fair claims of the other sec tionsof the Union, bas by dexterous sophistry, heen couverted into au argument to prove, that those who yuestion the propriety of contiuuiug power for so long a time in tne same only guided by ambition, or 'impelled by facti- n. mniiv.a 114 if the teiiaeitv with which a few meii, in that statei cling to tfie presiden tial, succession, were net in itself an aaniniio ... :-,i:;., : fi,o, r Iia most ardent and ...,. .o.,nkn Ma (h; put i'i.r nnwer. But this lea- ture of local policy, odious as it is,, vvoold have awakened a spirit of indignant resistance, had it not been anoarent that, in order to ensure its success, the-whole weight of the republican . " party, for fifteen years past, had been artfully wielded to cut off from popular reepeet and es- timatinn. the most distiniuished characters fn tither parts of the United States :rTo Support this assertion, it is only necessary te recur to a fiw facta within the recollection and observa tion of every politician who has been on the , public stage. First, With the view of seeurin- the presi 1pnv in a Virginian, a vice Dresiilent for Mr, d term of office was selected from New Yorkfof an aare too advanced to ren der it probablethat he would be chosen to the w'J?".:.,"-'!:i..M.kv rendering litm me . moilt promineTita an' iasii Mhtra?n'lf'thirw in that state. The claims of thecoldcr i?Jinton were accordingly superseded hv those or-Mr7m(lis6ft IsaTtf was taken tnai this circumstance should not be overlooked at "1.116 critical moment, and Mr. Jefferson, about to retire from office, in answer to an address from the legislature of Maryland, alluded to It inlerms fob giannl policy was again adopted in the selection of Mr.ucrry trom Massacnuseits,, Th viee-nresiilcut of the United States should be possessed of every qualifieatiou to discharge the, important duties which would de volve On him, in the event of the death of the president and when it is taken into cpnsidera tiou that merely to secu re the Virginian succes sion, the best interests of the country jire jeo pardized, by calling men to that office jvho are superanuated, and past the discharge of impor tant functions, it cannot but be viewed by the nebula w'itK'drfeust if not with indignation. ' Secondly, about the same period the state of iNew-lork urouglituen. Armstrong into puuuc notice, lie had been a senator in congress from that commonwealth. His genius was feared. He was taken iff by a foreign embassy. His diplomatic career in France was marked by ''spirit and ability an at his return he became popular in the United Stales. He accepted a seat ijj the cabinet, at a time? of great diiltculty and responsibility; Respecting bis administra tion of the department of war, there have been various opinions. He alleges that be exptri enced perpetual embarrassment in the concerns of Iris deparlnjeut, by t;e "unusual interference ,,tf.t a great Civil officer of slate," viz. Col. -JHwrob. MTiie cantnre uf the rocAro.pftM.tilt- adroitly seized upon as a pretext for denouncing him. 1 he particular and personal friends of Col. Monroe, unities; with ihe federalists, in suited him iu the streets of Washington, and Mr. Madiipn discarding him from otlieCi gave the fatal blo w to his reputation. Whatever might have been the Conduct of General Arm strong, it is evident that the president, tehen he took the fitld, as commander in chief , was at least equally responsible for the safety of the eapilaL- ColMonroe also took the field', and formed a part of the troops at Bladensburc "After having hu volunteered his services, in a military capacity, it remains for him to ac: count to the nation, why he was not among the appeared most likely tinlistuH 4he Virginia aueeession. was John Quincy Adami.He was removed by an embassy to Russia. Mr. Madi son proffered him a Judgeship, which be had the sagacity to retuse. i. wy broad, he will be kept from the view of tho people, and his claims, which are every way superior to Mr. Monroe's, will in tlmway De iirc Vented Irom inierienusj wivi iuu ... " v t ' ot4--v,w-'r- , : Fifthly A prominent trait in tne policy 01 Virginia, in regard to me prcsiucucy auu vu which has made a deep impression is the open tan an Is a cliAWD to the particular personal friends of Aaron Burr, on account of their long continued and persevering hostility to Mr. Cliu- ton. The patronage snow ereu upon tuo per sons most in the confidence of that man, is in AoA PTtmnrdinarv t becaose not one of them Kpin eonsnicuous for serviees reudered to the natidn, or sacrifices to promote the welfare of the republican party some wea may oe formed of the governmental profusion, in this narlicular. from the following appointments, which have all taken place within the compass Of Mr. Madison's adminisirauon, viz. William P Van Ness, the second to Burr in his duel with Gen. Hamilton, district judge of New York. His brother John P.- Van Ness, superinten dent of the public buildings at the city of Washington, wilh a salary of 1600 dollars, and contracts. 1 ;' . And Cornelius P. Van Nes, in the first in stance, United States district attorney at Ver mont; Jthon collector of the customs for the same district ; and, lastly appointed a commis sioner for running the boundary line, with a sa lary of 0,000 dollars per annum. : 7 Jonathan Fisk, U. 8. attorney for the dis trict of New York; ' - Besides several others, whom it is not neces sary to designate. These all belong lo that class of politicians, called Burrites, known to be the most welcome guests at the President's house, and in all the public offices of the gov ernment. The object of .this patronage is per fectly understood. They form a small but ac tive band of politicians in New York, and have always had a press at their command, whose attacksave been directed against De Witt Clinton, as the man ntost likely from his ta- lentFad lygk party, to interfere with the "regular succes sion." This band is in constant correspondence through its associates at Washington with the administration and all its proceedings at New-York have been subservieut to the Virginia- policy,. It was in this way Mrvliulon was for a long time cat off. from theonfideiue of the republican party. He, however, has now regained bis standing with the republicans of New-York, It is true that Mr. Clinton, in compliance with the solicitations of the NewrYork' Legis lature committed an .error in permitting his name to be set up against Mi. Madison, at an unfortunate period the same however, is e- qually true as it regards Col. Monroe with this difference- that the latter was discounte nanced by the Virginia Legislature, and' still persevered in his opposition to Mr. Madison. The one was pardoned and taken into favour, and the other has laboured under the weight of court, proscription and denunciation And yet it is acknowledged by the most intelligent of Colonel Monroe's friends, that as to all endow ments which should belong to the chief magis trate of this country, strength of mind, know ledge of character, decision, literary, legal, anu philosophical attainments, ancTeularged views of uational policy, there is no comparison -be-tweeft-him and Mr. Clinton. This perseverance and bitterness of pros cription was' less pardonable, as Mr. Clinton was the most zealous in revolutionizing TMew York to republican principles and from the year 1799, when this revolution (which secured the election of Mr. Jeffer&imj was first . eBected, until 1812, the era of his denunciation, was the pride, the stay and support, the life and soul of the republican party, that important state. 1 hat gentleman is, in all his principles or go vernment, strictly and sternly a republican as the older. Clinton was wont to lay of liim, fte was born a republican.--His great error was interfering wiih the regular succession, at an unfortunate period even the Burrites cannot accuse him of opposing the war. . But it ne ver will be a reason why Virginia persecution should slacken, that the object of it, is in all respects, a suitable character for chief magis tracy of the eountry on the contrary, Ibe fur- naee wIlllowwtlhTrtearmore intense the arrow, will be dipped in a more fatal veuom. tcenHng with the grossest' panegyricks and the people, who know not the man, take their impressions only from the public prints. ' Even the National Intelligencer, which is well known to be a subservient nrgan of the executive, has been hlted with adulation, at which a ininij ol the least delicacy must sicken with disgust. The hired applauders at the theatre afford not an instance of more disgusting Venality. It is thus, that in the name of republicanism, a few"1eadiiiginenin-Virgin geously violated republican principles. They have with extraordinary art made use of the zeal, the honest prejudices, and devotion of the republican party-to further the purpo.se of-a selfish ambition, and accomplish the degreda- tion or every oilier state in the Union. Hav ing thus, by various artifices cut off from the good will of the people the eminent characters of other states, they tauntingly exclaimed, who is so , popular as our candidate ? This is worse than scorn ; it is cruel mockery. Seventhly, it is notwecessary to dwell upon the circumstances oflr. Jeffersou's having, in the flood tide of republicanism enforced an alteration in the constitution. It was unfortu nate, that the republicans were precipitated into that me lire. They now find the evil of it. Instead of the question's being left at large between Iwa of our best citizens by the mode of designation how io practice an individual (s enabled to. intrigue directly forlhe office. Eighly, to these various causes of legitimate opposition to the Virginian policy there is a point to be added, that, in some soi l touches the honor of the republican party. In the gloomy times of the late contest, when the city of Washington had been burnt, & the war-were a menacing aspect on different pointsof the fron tier, wnen Mr. Dallas had officially proclaimed the nation a bankrupt, and .Virginia found herself tinabled to sustain the incumbent weight of domestic odium, and foreign hostilities. Col. Monroe commissioned two of his friends to de clare to the republicans of congress that he ab dicated his pretensions to the presidency, and would lend his influence in the support of a candidate' from' any state. But no sooner did the horrizoD begin to clear up, and victory at New Orleans give an earnest of the speedy re turn 01 peace, man ho recalled his abdication; and the same friends,ionorably indignant, instructed to explain, anil state that Col. Mon roe's intentions did hot; correspond with his uwrds. For the truth of this statement the curious inquirer may appeal to Gen. J. G. Jack con, or to Gen. Desha. Ninthly, But it is not the north and east, alone, over which the policy of Virginia has predominated. Tlie minor officers have indeed been bestowed in that quarter, while Pennsyl vania has been studiously neglected, "and oiily escaped the aliasement intended her, by the en ergy of the late Jno. Sinilie. The third cen sus placed New-York, in point of population iiic iicau in tuu umuui at ni w.iiu griei Virgiuiasaw herself removed by natural caus es, froni that high eminence, and she resolved at least to fill the second nicifte. Accordingly the late John Dawson, a relative of Col. Mon roe, and. intimately in the confidence uf the ad ministration, before the bearing of the census was fairly understood, proposed in congress 37,000. as the ratio! for eaclfepreseiitative. 1 Ills would nave llirown..! 'ennxylvauia by one member of congress; behind V irginia. Sinilie penetrated the design, and united the Pennsyl vania delegation in favor of a ration of .83,000, which prevailed. This raised that state to aa equal rank with Virginia.. The tiles of the Intelligencer will amply verify these particu lars. It is remarkable ton, that the policy of irginia lius leu lier to shower the patronage and others of government on refractory states ner most lanniui irienus sue most neglects Secure 111 the obedience of the sooth, tltey ex perience but little of the blushing honorsand rich patronage of office. . The great and im portant state of North-Carolina is an example of most marked and preserving neglect. Jot an important officer jf administration, a for eign minister, dr any other officer of impor tance, has been selected, from that since the' adoption- of the eoostitiitioB. Th& reason is obvious. - She ean be otherwise governed and why waste honors .and emolument on a state suffieientlv acquiescent .in; tba views of the saccmion, when discontented and , restless, ftates call with a turbulent voice, for office ana patronage." , So many eflbrts all tending to the same result, cannot have been the effect of aecident They incontestably establish, on the part of a few leading men in Virginia, a systematic design of perpetually governing the eountry, not upon, the sound and general principles of republican ism, but by taking advantage of the generous bias, and unsuspecting passions, of the repub lican party, by official management, the veaali tj of the press, and governmental paironaare. On the second point of the objection, namely, the particular qualifications of CoJ. Monroe for the presidency, the considerations against him were not less cogent and weighty. Ilia nest friends allow, him to be hut of moderatn eapacityj and slow of comprehension. This, -it is notorious, gives to those Around him an un due influence over his intellectual determina tions and lead him, in a throng of business, to commit the most important affairs of state to hieompeteut handr.V-Urbanity is not denied him) but that, by rendering him more ecessi ble lays him slilV more open to the artifices . of imposture. ' A man of this cast will always , Keep laients at a aisianec, and surround, him self by compliant mediocrity,' and hvDocriti- cal dullness. 7TW'ilbwBeftv-et comprehension, and want of penetration, and decision in Col. Monroe, have been conspicuous throughout his political life. In France he mistook his instruction and Committed great blunders, or willful er rors, and jvas recalled by Gen. Washington. In England, also he misconstrued his instruc tions, or rather perversely acted contrary to them, and signed a treaty w itb, such mortifying eouditiou auuexed, that Mr. Jefferson iudig nantlyscntit back, without consulting the se nate. He was recalled in disgrace. Thus dis claimed in his diplomatic career On all sides, ny reuerai ana repuuueau administrations, can dour must allow that he has no title Id rank with the first characters in America. But thus ordinarily gifted, Col. Monroe has furnished unequivocal evidence that his lust for power is insatiable. r Returning from England at a time when he knew he was not the choice of the republican party for the presidency ho coalesced with tho federalists of Virginia in opposition to Mr. Madison. Why should that gentleman escape censurs on that scorer The executive man tle ia. too thin to conceal the deformity. To promote his, ambitious views, he forced into Sublio notice his private correspondence with lr. Jefferson, and never ceased his hostility to Mr. Madison, until he was assured of btiiig brought . into the department of state. If the executive has the power 10 nominate as his sue- -eess) or roan .ho notoriously iiicompetent, haa committed the greatest political errors, and out- , raged the will of the republican party, it is evident that election is a farce, and the voice of the people an unmeaning soiiud. . - , Besides these weighty objections to Col. Monroe, on these main points, there are others of a very serious nature. Power has continued so long in the same hands that in many, in stances, the incumbents of office appear to be losing sight of the fundamental principles of republican government. A system of official vianagement, andspecu-latiou-on the disbursements of office appears to be gaining that threatens to subvert the plain iMdholeitom fieri. Davip.wavJndetd un a ipelSI mission for a siion i mi - Ideas 'of economy are 110 longer in fashion at W b K Ii in ivtntf . lintiLinn. a,t l..n,llH .. which give rise to iniquitous slock jobbiuir, tho art of governing by Presidential patronage, and entangling intercommunications with Imi rope, are alone in voKUe. Such a state of things seem loudly to demaud a change iu the executive office : and this chance can never be effected, so long as the office is transmitted from one hand to another in rntular succession. Large balances of Unsettled accounts remuin unadjusted on the books of the treasury. Col. Monroe himself, if is understood, is slill a to linquent on these bookaJo a very consideral le amount. One 1 act, 111 this respect, will sneak more than a volume. '1 he late consul of tho United Slates at Algiers, returning home, and slill having au unsettled account of some thou sands of dollars, was nevertheless appointed aeeountant of the war department. The debt wliioh he ow es to the nation is a guarantee of his obedience to-the government in the settle ment of any account, Id any mode that may in duce an accession of influence to a favorite can didate. .' . ' '. , These art some of the reasons which induced fifty four republican representatives of the peo ple to opnose the nomination of Colonel Monroe in caucus. They supported Mr. C raw furd be cause they know him to be independent, virtu ous andbble. Had it not been forlhe discourag ing delicacy of that respectable gemlenian, and she most neglects, his more immediate friends, he would, beyond all quesuon, nave been nominated lor the presi dency. Itjs with regret we announce our belief that this gentleman will not consent, to be look ed to as the candidate of what w e . conceive lo be a majority of the republicans, . . This candid exposition of motive is confident ly submitted to the people. Supreme arbiters if they ehoosr, it is fur them (0 dteide whether ihe" eonduet of those opposed la Col. Monroe lias; : been instigated by unworthy inotivts, or guided by sound, honourable and constitutional princi ples tit is for them to determine whether they, will elect, as their chief magistrate, a person recommended to them only by the eastiug vote of the Virginia deligaflon, after Jiaying iu that , state enjoyed that high office twenty four out of twenty eight years, against whom fifty four re publican deligatcs, representing two million of people, after deliberate investigation and per- J
The Raleigh Minerva (Raleigh, N.C.)
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May 31, 1816, edition 1
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