Vermont Watchman And State Journal

For the Watchman and Journal.

A TOUCHSTONE FOR DEMOCRACY.

I have just found the following excellent description of true democracy, as that much perverted term ought to be understood—and where, think you, was it found? I know many men will wonder at the fact, which is a fact, nevertheless, that it was discovered in a modern democratic paper. Perhaps, it was put there to lead the unwary to think that this is modern democracy: be it as it may, it is a true touch-stone by which the party in power (and which, I am happy to see, is getting out of power, right speedily,) ought to be tried; and to this task, badly and in my poor way, I now betake myself. The following is a description of true democracy, given by Thomas Jefferson. Let the admirers of that man heed its instructions—compare with them the measures and principles of the administration party, and draw their own inferences. I will endeavor, or to assist them in the work by a sort of running commentary.

"Equal and exact justice to all men; (1)
"The support of the State governments in all their rights, as the most competent administrations for our domestic concerns, and the surest bulwarks against anti-republican tendencies; (2)
"The preservation of the general government in its whole constitutional vigor; (3)
"A jealous care of the right of election by the people, a mild and safe corrective of abuses, which are lopped by the sword of revolution, where peaceable remedies are unprovided; (4)
"Absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority the vital principle of republics, from which there is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism; (5)
"Economy in public expense, that labor may be lightly burdened; (6)
"The honest payment of our debts and sacred preservation of the public faith; (7)
"Encouragement of agriculture and of commerce as its handmaid; (8)
"The diffusion of information, and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of the public reason; (9)
"Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of person, under the protection of the habeas corpus, and trial by juries impartially selected; (10)
"These principles form the bright constellation which have gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages, and blood of our heroes, have been devoted to their attainment; they should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to "Peace, Liberty And Safety." (11)

1. Have the men in power now, and who have been for the last eight years and a half, acted upon this principle with regard to the Indians?

2. Remember the war which has been waged and is waging against the state of Pennsylvania and its policy for the last two years. Remember the instructions on the subject of the expunging resolutions, which were gotten up at Washington, for state legislatures to adopt; and remember that every effort, backed by the name of the late President, was made, and too often successfully, to make the state legislatures but mere tools to do the will of the Executive in this matter. Remember that the power and patronage of the government has been, and is now, brought to bear upon the state elections.

3. Remember the direct assault upon the Senate in the case of the resolutions on the removal of the deposits; the fact, that appointments have been frequently and unnecessarily made, without the consent of the Senate, and in some instances when the consent of that body had been absolutely refused. Remember that the independence of Congress has been assaulted by the offers of bribes of offices, or threats of vengeance, from the Executive power. Remember the bold claim of the late Executive that the offices of the law were his, and responsible to him, and the consequent result that the EXECUTIVE obtained complete power over the National Treasury. If this is "preserving the government in its constitutional vigor," then say I, save the government and the constitution from their friends!

4. Let the recent election at Baltimore test the "jealous care of the right of election by the people," as exhibited by the Van Buren party. Let the thousands of aliens,—who are every year driven in crowds to the ballot boxes in our cities, in violation of the naturalization laws,—be another test. Let the open, universal, and common practice of officers of the National Government, in interfering in our state, county and town elections—in riding about through towns and villages electioneering, and in scattering political papers, pamphlets and votes—be another test.

5. Remember the vetoes of the past, and the threatened vetoes for the future! I cannot help here remarking upon the astounding declaration, or rather pledge, contained in the Inaugural address of Mr Van Buren: he threatens to veto any law on the subject of slavery in the District of Columbia, unless that law be assented to by the slave states; no matter what may be public opinion at large. A more reckless disregard of the will of the majority cannot be imagined.

6. Remember that, since the present men were in power, to wit, since 1829, the national expenses have increased from about twelve millions to over THIRTY millions a year!—aye, remember, too, that the enormous sum of thirty odd millions is annually expended at a time when there is no national debt to sink, as there was in 1829.

7. Bear in mind the denunciations fulminated by modern democratic presses against the merchants, for paying their debts in Europe! and also the notorious violations of the public faith with regard to the unfortunate Indians.

8. Ha! the encouragement of agriculture: look at the cotton of the South, at half price as it has been within the last three months!—look at the wool of the North; either piled away unsold, or sold at a monstrous sacrifice!! The encouragement of commerce, too: how has it been encouraged? "Perish commerce" as well as "perish credit"—was not a humbug: commerce has indeed perished, under the fatal encouragement of a modern democratic government!

9. Bear in mind the committees of investigation at the last Congress packed by a Van Buren Speaker, to cover up abuses. The published journals of that committee not only exhibit high and low men—the then President and Reuben M. Whitney—refusing to testify: but they show the Van Buren members of the committees actually objecting to and voting down questions which were proposed by the Whig members for the purpose of "arraigning abuses at the bar of public reason."

10. Look at the press—subsidized by official patronage! Look at the monstrous and direct attacks upon the liberty of the press within the last two years.

11. Yes: this is "the touch-stone to try the services of those we trust." Shade of Jefferson! thanks to thee for this true and faithful index of pure democracy.—thanks for this voice from the "apostle of Liberty" to call an erring people from the verge of political destruction! Democrats of Vermont—I subscribe to this definition of democracy, and as one anxious that the reign of false doctrine and political heresies shall speedily come to an end, I exhort you to try the modern democratic party by the touchstone of Jefferson. Freemen of Vermont,—by whatever epithets you may have been assailed by the government presses and office-holders: however loudly they may have cried, "federalism," "aristocracy," "monopolists," "bank men," on the one hand, and professed "democracy" on the other: thus far you have maintained the true democratic creed of Jefferson; you have resisted, from the beginning until now, the heresies of the day; you have unyieldingly and victoriously, so far as Vermont is considered, resisted the violations of this creed by the Jackson Van Buren party. Will you falter now, when a voice, as if from the very grave of Jefferson, is raised to cheer you on to a still stronger contest, and a more glorious triumph? Let us anew pledge ourselves to this creed, in its length and breadth, and,—cheered by the consciousness that we are right—go onward to the battle and to victory.

NO MODERN DEMOCRAT.

CHelsea, Aug. 19, 1837.