visa 'a~psv
_kLe
n tvor been a stnckhv!dr•r in any one, and
Vl . l4hirr4 en:y to do, in the situation in
w'ii ch we were pieced, that
. . whicti in n»
would he most beneficial to
the whole people, and would mootadvance
and protect the great agricultural, Immo
fauturing and commercial interests of the
State, witho it wishing to enquire and de
termine, at that time, which, or whether,
either of the great political parties were
most in fault, in producing the present
state of things, or which of them would
be most benefited by any particular course,
sub4evently offered St succeeded in having
carried the resolutions alluded to, as the
best which could be gut done in the exis
ting state of things. 1 then believed
and )et believe, that those provisions
which I have detailed, added to those
resolutions, would have been satisfactory
to, and deemed sufficient by the great mass
of the people of the State who are in fa
vor of the reform, and regulation of our
banking system. That they were not a
dopted is blameable alone to that influ
ence, coining at the time, from beyond the
bounds of our State, to which 1 have al-
lulled, and to those who were most loud
in their declamations in favor of bank re
form, and bank regulation. Reflection at
the time, and subsequently, has however
satisfied me, that those resolutions alone,
will put an end to, and effectually prevent
hereafter the principal cause of complaint,
of the majority of the people ;—that is ;
the repeated suspension of specie pay
ments. The principal inducement to
the banks to suspend was, that they could
not be compelled to pay specie until 90
days after the first presentation and de
mand of their liabilities. The hardship
to individuals was, that but few could af
ford, or were able to lay out of the use of
their money foe that length of time, and
therefore the great majority were compel
led to put the notes in circulation again.
Combining those two together, doubled
the inducements and security of a sus
pension, and rendered the right to enforce
the payment of specie but merely a nomi
nal right in the great majority of cases,
which could not and would not b; en
forced. Those resolutions reduced th:..
period from 90 to 10 days. It can eel
slum, if ever, be any object to a bank to
refuse payment in specie for ten days on
ly ; and but little inconvenience to the
holder of its liabilities to wait that length)
of time. The practical result will be
that after the 15th of January next, no
bank will refuse payment of its liabilities
in specie `without contemplating the
winding up of its affairs ; or if not, they
will in a short time be wound up for it.
Another subject of importance was the
customary annual appropriations for the
repairs and continuation of the public
works of the State. The principal diffi
culty on the subject was oreated and cau
sed by the embarrassed situation of our
financei, and the principal question was
whether the work under contract on the
Erie extension and North Branch divi
sion of our cants, should be directed to
be suspended at the present time, or not.
At the commencement of the Session I
myself doubted on the subject for some
time. But on reflecting that the aban•
donment of these works did not seem to
be contemplated by any one, but only the
suspension of their completion for a pe
riod ; diet by the suspension of the work
in its present half finished state, even for
a year, it would suffer injury and damage
equal to a considerable proportion of tho
customary annual appropaiation ; that
those works were already half, or more
than half finished, and the State hail al—
ready expended half or more than half the
amounts necessary to complete them, and
if they were suspended, during this pe
riod, while the works were going to de
struction, the State would have to pay the
interest on those sums without any bone
fit or advantage being derived either to
the State or individuals, but on the con ,
teary they would be a positive damage,
in their half finished state, to those
through whose land they passed ; that it
they were suspended, the contractors and
those through whose lands they were loca
ted would be claiming and be entitled to
damages from the State; and that the pro•
bability was that 'they would he recom•
mended by a log-rolling bill, engaging
the State in new works of an unknown a•
mount of expense and extent: I came to
the conclusion that true policy and econo
my dictated that they should be proceed
ed in to completion without any suspen
sion.:
No inconsiderable degree of surprise ;
and dissatisfaction was felt and evinced
by many members on discovering the a- I
mount of money alleged to be expended
and indebtedness incurred, on the faith 1
of the State for repairs of the public
works, by the present Canal Commission- I
era, during the last year. Out the 9th of I
February 1839, $300,000 were appropri
ated for the repairs of the •public works, I
and by the act approved 2nd July 1339 i
5405,000 more was appropriated for tkr
same objects, and the present Canal Com
missioners informed the Legislature,
when requred, that they had incurred an
indbtedness for the repairs of the public
works, on the faith of the State, afti.r ex
pending those SUMS, of between $274,000
and 075,000, making in all near a mil-
Jinn of dollars. When thi4 discovery
was made, it astonished many of the mem
hers, (myself among others), and of course
begat an indisposition in seine members
to place any more money in the handout
the same incers• Especially when the
fast Legislature had refused to authorize
the expenditure of such an amount, and
tshs amount so greatly exceeded what had
been found sufficient in preceding years.'
I could not myself, by any means within'
illy power, get to understand, how thin
large a inountof looney hail been expend
ell, or why this largo amount of indebted
mess, contrary to law, hod been incur
Oren ; arid I was, rlB it ith gond
`cause, dissatisfied witl - I manner in
which the money appiiii*,a - ted by the pre
cious Legislature, hal Irer, disbursed by
the present Canal °Ulcers. I will not un
dertake positively to assert that the can
duct of the present Canal Commissioners
cannot be satisfaetorly explained ; but it
seems to me strange and incomprehensi
ble, if not worse, anti that it Cannot be
justified. But even if the course of con
duct a . the present Canal Commissioners
had been and was wrong, I could not
bring my mind to beliefs that was sulli•
divot to justify the refusal to make such
appropriations as the situation of the pub
lie works obviously required. On the Leg ,
islature meeting in May last after the ad-.
journment, and the opinion of a majority
of the members seeming to be that appro-.
priations should be made to continue the
works on the. Erie extension and North
Branch division of our canals; with the
view effectually to put an end to the log,
rolling system which has caused so great
(in many instances useless) an expendi•
tura of money, and so large an indebted.
ness on the part ofjthe State, by the hitch
ing on to every improvement bill of com
pany and new works, and making the
granting an appropriation to such compa
ny and new works a condition of allowing
the State to procure and have any money
for the works in which she was already
engaged, and also with the view of pro
curing the speedy and certain completion
of this extension and this division of our
works, I exerted myself to procure the
prospective appropriation to each of those
works of a certain fixed sum in each year
hereafter until they were completed. A
number sufficient to constitute a majority
in the House and a decided majority in
Senate were favourably disposed to this
pro2osition and promised to me to vole for
it. But subsequently, and especially af•
ter it was discovered that the amount and
sums I have mentioned wore alleged to
have been expended, and of indebtedness
incurred for repairs !during the last year,
many of those members refused to vote,
for the proposition, alleging their dissat
isfaction with the course and conduct of
the Canal Commissioners, and fears as
to their future course, as their reasons.
Many of the members expressed them
selves willinz; tit vote for a prospective ap
propriation for tii;. , se works if the Canal
Board was re-organiz;!il and di,Terently
constituted, but not otherwii3. This a!s
satisfaction with the course ant; conduct
of the Canal Commissioners and a maj..rs
ity of their officers under their control,
(not including the engineers, against
whom of late I have not heard any com
plaint), I am satisfied was alone the cause
of preventing the adoption by the Legis;
lature of this proposition. And this will
illustrate the extent of that disatisfaction.
Another illustration of it is, that when,
near the close of the session, the Bill to'
resurganize the Canal board and create it
in a different manner was offered in the ,
Senate as an amendment to another Bill,
there were, in recollect aright, (I have
not the Journal before mc), twenty one Sen
ators who voted for it, and but eleven who
voted against it, and I know that of those
eleven, about one half would not have,
to soy the least, exceedingly regretted it
he B ll had became a law.
Some persons expressed tears, that the ,
requirement in the resolutions alluded to. ,
of the banks to loan $3,000,C,00, for pub-
lic improvement purposes, would compel
them to expand their circulation and
thereby retard, or endanger, the resume
Lion of specie payments. Such howevei
will not be the effect- The contractors
on the public works in progress, and the
hands and others employed on the finish
lines have ken paid no money, or but
very little, since October last. During
this period they have been principally sus
tained and enabled to continue working
by the merchants along the different lines
who had purchased goods in our princi
pal cities on credit. The money of
bank notes when obtained from the banks
will be paid to the contractors, and others
entitled to it, who will pay it, in discharge
Id their debts to the merchants along the
lines, who will again in discharge of their
debts, pay it to the merchants of our cities,
and they will return it to the banks to
pay what they owe to the hanks. *nes
the money obtained from the banks, or the
greater part of it, will be returned to them
again during this tall, and the banks iu
lieu of unavailable debts due from indi
viduals, will have available State stock.
I will merely add, that the fears of those
who anticipated that if time was given to
the banks, they would expand their circu
lation, is unfounded, as I sin happy to
learn fi um all quarters, that our banks
have of late, pursued and yet are rim
ing a prudent, steady and regular course,
a ith the view of resuming at the time
fixed.
The providing the ways and means of
paying the debts due by the Common
wealth to her citizens and others, and
maintaining her faith and credit inviola•
te, was another important subject. To'
do this requiring some Means of a perma
nent character, and the present general
Government having clearly indicated that
so long as it was constituted as at pres
ent, the thirteen old States, the original
owners of the public lands, would not be
permitted to receive any share of their
proceeds, and the probability was, that
unless the present general administration
was changed, those lands would Le given
away, or what was, eacept in name, tanta
mount to it, to the new States, either by
,iiere-tneal or wholesale, or their pro .1
ceeds sunk in the swnnius of Florida ant: .
itherwise squandered, so that there was
no hope from that quarter, for the present,
.he only resort Veit in otir present situa •
tinn, wits the disagreeable one of a direct
'lax. The only alternative, :he only
choice, was, that of State degridatton,
lur direct taxation..
A majority of the Legislature chose the
latter, and passed, unpleasant as it Was
to do so, a direct tax bill—one it is believ
ed as little objeCtionable as could be ex•
peeled under the circumstances.
Having extended my remarks fo a
greater length than 1 contemplated at the
cominenceis ent, I have only in conclu•
sion to say, that having never had any
taste for public exhibitions and displays,
nor any inclination to participate in them,
unless when absolutely necessary, I res
pectfully request of you to excuse me.
from attending the public dinner you pro
pose to have. But as I 'may fairly pre
sume that one of your inducements in re
questing my attendance at a public din
ner, was to ascertain my views and opin
ions on some of the present subjects which
have lately engaged public attention, I
have deemed it due to you thus to give
I them.
1 remain, very respectfully
Yours, 4'c.
J. M. BELT,
MECHANIC'S LIEN.
HUNTINGDON COUNTY, SS.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to the sheriiTof said county Greeting:
Whereas James Clinger hath filed a
claim in our county court of Common ,
Pleas, against David Barr, for the sum of ,
one hundred and seven dollars and thirty ;
eight cents, for work and labor as a play
terer and icarpenter, done, performed,
and bestowed in and about the erection
and construction of the certain building
to wit: all that house and superstructure,
erected upon the farm of the said David
Barr, twenty-eight feet by twenty-eight,
with a kitchen attached thereto, about 18
feet square. And whereas, it is alleged
that the said sum still remains due and on
paid to the said James Clinger: now ; we
' command you, that you make known to
the said David Barr, and to all such per
' suns as may hold or occupy the said bui-
• ding, that they be and appear before the
• Judges of our said court, ate Court of
• Common Pleas, to be held at Huntingdon,
I on the second Monday of August next,
r to show if any thing they knew or have to
say, why the said sum of one hundred
hand ;even dollars and thirty eight cents
'lshould not IT leied on the said building;
James Clinger, tic
to the use of the
cortugtotheto:nantie:Ztt. the act
ofa,mbly,inschcas : a : aod
pro
' sided, if to them it shall :seem expedient;
and have you then there this writ. NVit•
ness the ilimorable Thomas Burnsitit4 Esq
President of our said court at Hunting
don, the twenty-seventh day of Jthie, A.
10, 1840.
James Stool, Proty
MEC HAIV IC'S LIEN.
lIUNTINGDON, ("AUNTY, SS.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ]
to the sheriff of said county Greeting:
Whereas James trrelausky lately, viz:
on the 12th day of April 1839, agreeably
to the act of assembly in such case made
and provided, filed a claim in our county
court of common Pleas in and for the
said county, against Samuel Duncan for
the sum of sixty-eight dollars and eight
•ents •'against all that certain log building
wo stories high, twenty •four feet in front
Ind thirty feet back, situate in the town
If Duncanssille, in the said county of
Huntingdon, for work and labor done and
,erformed and materials furnished, in re
airing, remodelling and improving said
louse within six months (then) last past,
And whereas it is alleged that the said
-um of sixty-eight dollars and eight cents
still remains due and unpaid to the said
lames Welosky. Now we command you
that you make known to the said Samuel
Duncan, that he be and appear before the
' Judges of our said court, at a court of
common Pleas to be held at Huntingdon
on the second Monday of August next,
to show if any thing for himself he knows
' ar has to say why the sum of sixty•eight
dollars and eight cents should riot be les , -
' led of the said. building according to the .
' form and effect of the act of assembly in
' such case made and provided, if to him it
• shall seem expedient, and have you then
there this writ. Witness the lion. Thos
Burnside Esq., President of our said
court at Huntingdon, this second day or
June A. D. 1840.
James Steel, Proty
STRAYED OR S7OLEIV,
wriom the
subscriber I
ving in Henderson
IWO. township, Hunting twra•
don county, on the night of the first in
istant,
TWO BAY MARES,
One of them is about 10 years old, heavy
with colt, black mane and tail. The otk
er 7 years old, brushy mane and tail.—
Both black large foretop, and legs from
the knees downwards are of a black brown
and other marks which are not known.
A reasonable reward will be given to
any person who will return said mares,
or inform him where they may be found.
JAMES BOGGS.
Henderson tp. July 6, 1840.
THE JOURNAL,
One country,one constitution, one destiny
Huntingdon, July 8, 1840.
Democratic atntintasonic
CANDIDATES.
FOR FR. ESIDENT,
GEN.WM. H. HARRISON
OF OHIO
FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
JOHN TYLER ,
O VIRGINIA.
FLAG OF THE PEOPLE
Or A single term for the Presidencyy, and
the office administered for the whole AO.
PL E. and nut for a P A RTY.
Q 7. A sound, uniform and convenient Na-!
:lona' CURRENCY, adapted to the wants of
;he whole COUNTRY, instead of the SHIN
E'LASI ERS brought about by our presen
RULERS. '
117-EcoNomv,RETRENCIIMENT, and RE•
VOHM in the administration of public affairs,
('Tired of Experiments and Experi.
menters, Republican gratitude will reward
unobstrusive merit, by elevating the sub
altern of WASUINOTON and the desciple of
JEFFERSON, and thus resuming the safe anp
beaten track of our Fathers,—L. Gazette
Electorial Ticket.
JOHN A. SHULZE, ?Sen'to'l
JOSEPH RITN ER, Selectors
Ist Disirict LEVIS PASSMORE,
2d do CADWALLADER EVANS.
do CHARLES WATERS,
3d do JON. GILLINGHAM,
4th do AMOS ELLM AKER,
do JOHN K. ZELLIN,
do DAVID POTTS,
sth do ROBERT STINSON,
6th do WILLIAM S. HINDEU,
7th do J. JENKINS ROSS,
Bth dn PETER FILBERT,
9th do JOSEPH H. SPAYD,
10th do JOHN HARPER,
11th do WILLIAM M'ELVAINE,
12th do JOHN DICKSON,
13th do JOHN M'KEEHAN,
14th do JOHN REED,
15th - do NATHAN BEACH.
16th do NER MIDDLESWARTH,
17th do GEORGE W ALKER,
18th do BERNARD CONNEI LY,
19th do Gr.x. JOSEPH MARKLE,
20th do JUSTICE G.FORDYCE,
21st do JOSEPH HENDERSON,
22d do HARMAR DENNY,
.2ait do JAMES MONTGOMERY,UGFFINGTON
241 h Ao
25th do - JOHN DICK.
Interessing Correspondence.
The great length of the letter of our
Senator, J. M. Bell, Esq., had excluded
our usual variety. The importai:ce, how
ever, of the information contained it,
satisfied us that we could riot find any 1
thing of more importance. We call the
attention of our readers to the article al
luded to.
To the Farmers & Meehan
ies—No. 6.
What is patriotism of the present day?
In the days of good old fashioned patrio
tism, love of country was the feeling of
its possessor. Now, it is love of that ma•
ny headed monster—party. Aye, that is
the Philosopher's Stone, which changes
the basest, and most unprincipled, into a
perfect saint of a patriot. To desert a
certain party at the present day, renders
a man liable to taunts and jeers, from
those who cannot appreciate the pure love
of country which directed his course.—
But let us examine.
Eight years ago, slid patriotis:n consis
ted in a fixed determination to destroy
the U. S. (tank; and to place the depos-'
ites in the State Banks, which, it was
declared, could perform all the functions
of the monster, even quicker and safer.
He who adhered to these crude notions of
our political dictators, was called a pure
patriot,—he who dare open his mouth
against such consummate folly, was pro
nounced a knave, and a traitor to his
'—Bank Aristocrats!—British and
(country
Hartford Convention Tories! and Rene
gade Democrats, and British Whigs!--
T.hese and thousands of other terms are.'
ir e roach were used, to induce the honest )
man to believe that such brawlers were
the patriots of the day, and their opponents
all that their own ill tongues could call
them. That was a humbug that lasted
but fur a day. Even the "revered chief,"
' himself; soon found that his pet banks
were any thing else than what his patrio
tism called them ; and they fell under
the same hand that warmed them into life.
' The deposites were taken from them.—
' Thea commenced that most deceptive of
all cries--" Gold and Silver currency.''
The same party that had bestowed such
scores of epithets on their opponents, for ?another who was at the storming of .
abusing the pet Banks, now became the 1 neY Point, and neither would have avi
if this motion prevailed.
abusers of them themselves ; and the ;
"d,. Rugs." and "Rag . I•allmadge withdrew his ni, , l
Bar
Barons , " min - . of ye ' stei day to litlik 0 ant the words .
Bled with the jingle of a fe w gold pieces, . the highways," and offered the folio.:
made up the humbug of that day—or as : substitute:—"Or shall tar six on:
the party was pleased to call it, the pat- next and immediately preceding the ek
tion, have rented a tenement therein
riolism. the yearly value of five dollars, and sh.
You farmers and mechanics were ap- have been rated and paid a highway tt
pealed to, by your love of country, and either by labor or commutation."
by the blood of your patriot sires, to join Gen. Root said the amendment of t
' in and help tear down these souless banks; 1 gentlemen e from Dutchess was proyidi
I cla s s for t the
c disfranchisement itiiens : i.he reent
renting
r‘ n n o r e ce r o n
and assist in bringing the "Yellow Boys"
into yuur own pockets. You were told I merits had become odious to the peopl
that "in seven months bank rags will be
abolished"—"That curry farmer's wife
and daughter would travel on gold"—"That
it would flow up every stream in the coun
try." In short you were told that every
blessing that this earth knows, would be
conferred, if these souless corporations
were destroyed. The advocates of this
consummate folly called themselves pa
triots, and those who opposed them, they
pronounced oppressors of the poor me
chanic and laborer; and the daily cry was
the "rich against the poor." This was
another of the humbugs of party. It las
ted only as long as their jingle was delu
sive! Have you ever yet, notwithstand
ing
it is seven years, seen the Dank rags
abolished? Have you not been decieved,
. and deluded, by those deceptive cries of
patriotism? Those who talked the most
about destroying the "rag currency," have
- now become its most zealous supporters.
In our State they are the special recipients
of Executive, and Legislative favor,—and
yen are now told that this is patriotism
too.
Next came the cry of Sub Treasury.
This was all that was great and good. It
has now been in operation some two
years, "in spite of lamentations here and
elsewhere." It has been in operation,
and its Treasurers have been in active
operation. They have run away with
millions of the people's money. And
here let us illustrate this humbug spirit of
this party by another• case.
When Gen. Jackson became President,
'some of his lynx-eyed patriots discovered
that Tobias Watkii.s, a clerk in some of
the departments, was a defaulter to the
amount of $3,000. That patriotic band
seized him, and incarcerated him in pris
on, and declared that he should rot there,
fur his deep dyed infamy of robbing the
people's treasury. This was to show
their patriotism. Since that day, and
while the same party have been in power,
millions have been stolen, and they say
nut a word. Their patriotism extends
not beyond the pale of their party. In
fact there is one case where, a defaulter
to a large amount was continued in office,
16e,ause it was thought that he had taken
its 1 ,00 1 as would do him ; and if any
new one wag put in his place, it was
probable that he would need as much
more before he would be satisfied.
Even in our own State the same party
is in power, and they have rsmoved offi
cers who were known to have performedi
their duties faithfully, and with fidelity,
and acknowledged defaulters retained in
their places. You need not go out of
your own county, to see this. Yet this is
fall done by the patriots, who tell you
that they love the country, and its insti
tutions, but that their opponents are
British Whigs. This we call more of the
humbug of the present day.
We have already extended our article
longer than we intended, and will con
clude by a few remarks upon the subject
of party. PARTY is the most relent•
less tyrant in the world ; and if allowed
to run mad, in its schemes of delusion to
'secure success, it will prostrate the proud
est pillar of our Government. "Party,"
said an eminent lawyer, "party is the
gourd of a day, it may flourish in the ntghl
of deception, bet it must wither in the
light of investigation ; and under the full
beams of risen truth, it dies and is for
gotten."
In conclusion, then, we ask you farm
era and mechanics, are nut these things
true? Have not the madness of part)
power ruled our country long enough?
Van Buren and Old Soldiers.
In the Convention of New York, a mo
tion was made to prohibit those from vo
ting, who had only worked on the high
ways. Mr. Van Buren advocated the
measure, and said "the pee were not
prepared for universal suffrage."
Mr. Russell, in opposing the motion to
cut ()Wall persons frmn voting,' that had
only paid a tax "on the high ways," said:
"Ile was against striking out. It would
disfranchise many who ought to vote. Ile
recollected a revolutionary soldier in his
town, who was at the siege of Qlehcc, and
and led to many frauds. He entail
upon the remarks of the gentler(' u► fro
Niagara (Ir. Russell,) who mentionc
two instances in his town, where two re'
olutionary patriots and soldiers, one
whom fought with Montgomery under tl
walls of Quebec, and the other undi
Wayne at Stoney Point, would be di!
franchised, if this provision were stricke
out. But the honorable gentleman fro:
Otsego (Mr. Van Buren) thinks that
this clause is retained, the amendment
will be jeopardized, and probably be rc
jetted by the people. That honot alil
gentleman must doubtless be better ac
quainted with his constituents than him
self, (%lt. Root.) This might be the cast
so tar as it regarded Cooperstown, whicl
the gentleman represented ;• but as Dela
ware was contiguous to Otsegu, and as
part of the latter county was nearer tr
Delhi than to Cooperstown, he-must clan
to be as well acquainted with the senti
ments of the people in that quarter. a
their representative.
Mr. Van Buren telt himself called on
to make a few remarks in reply to the
gentleman from Delaware. He observed
that it wise evident, and indeed some gen
tlemen did not seem disposed to d►sguis.t
it, that the amendment proposed by the
honourable gentleman from Delaware,
CONTEMPLATED NOTHING
SHORT OF UNIVERSAL SUFF-
R t GE. Mr. V. B. did not believe that
there were twenty members of that corn
. mittee, who, were the bare naked ques
tion of UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE put
to them, would vote in its favor ; and he
was very sure that its adoption was not
expected, and would not meet the views
of their constituents.
Mr. V. B. then 'replied to a statement
made yesterday by his honourable and
venerable friend from Erie, (Mr. Russell)
in relation to the exclusion of soldiers who
had fought at Quebec and Stoney Point,
under the bansers of Montgomery and
Wayne. And he felt the necessity of
doing this, because such cases, urged by
such gentlemen as his honorable friend
were calculated to make a deep and last
ing impression. But although a regard
fur them did honour to that gentleman,
yet it was the duty of the Convention to
guard against the admission of those im
pressions which sympathy in individual
cases may excite. It was always dange
rous to legislate upon the impulse of indi
vidual cases, sl here the law about to be.
enacted is to have a general operation-
With rt ferenee to the case of our soldiers,
the people of this state and country had
certainly redeemed themselves from the
imputation that republics are ungrateful.-
With an honourable liberality, they had
BESTOW ED rite MILITARY LANDS
UPON 'THEM; and to gladden the•
evening of their days, had provided them
with pensions. Few of those patriots
were now living, and of that few, the
number was yearly diminishing. IN
F EEN YEARS, TILE? urtAvii.
WILL HAVE COVERED ALL THOSE
who now survived. Was it not then un
wise to hazard a wholesome restrictive .
provision, lest in its operation it might
affect these few individuals for a very
short time? He would add DO more.—
His duty would not permit him to say
.eas.
One word on the main question before
the committee: We had already reached
the verge of universal suDa,ge. There
was but one step beyond. And are gen
tlemen prepai ed to take that step'? We
were cheapening this invaluable right.
He was dispose d to go as tar as any man
in the extension of rational liberty; but he
could not consent to undervalue this pre
cious privilege, so far as to confer it with
an undiscriminafng hand upon every
one, black or white, who would be kind
enoug'i to condescend to accept it."
The above shows in glowing colors,
, what kind of a Democrat Martin Van
Buren was in 1621. He cared not for
the soldier who bled at Quebec, with the
gallant Montgomery.--Ile cared not for
the soldier who had been with mad An
thony at Stoney Point. No! no!! if
they were TO9 POOR TO RENT A
HOUSE, they should not vote. So thought
Van Buren. 'they had got enough. They
had got "military lands," and a pension ;
and in fifteen years they will be out of
the' way. He could nut think of ap
proaching so near universal suffrage, as to
let these poor, yet brave old revolutionary
soldiers have a vote. They had endured
the toil, the privation, the suffering, and
the danger, of the struggle of liberty
against oppression ;—they had helped to
erect the temple of Freedom,—yet Mr.
Van Buren would not agree that they
should be allowed to N ote, because they
were too poor to rent a house.
Honrst Freemen, what do you think of
this kind of a Democrat? He would not