PAPERS. OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
third Commercial convention, embodying the best talents of the South, have just closed their session at Augusta, adjourned over to April next, iri the city of Charleston. Our Georgia Elections have_ resulted in the success of the party called "the State Rights party" for members to Congress-but no longer in my opinion entitled to that proud distinction! It is not the same noble and commanding party, which we once hailed as the ark of the safety of our Repub- lic - united upon principles calculated to inspire men with devo- tion to liberty and the rights of man - But a party distracted and divideq - without principle - uniting upon men - and setting all the land marks of the ancient Democracy at ~efiarice. 'We find this party now acting in concert with the "whigs " of the North, rejoicing in t [hier] vict [ories J and adopting their principles - a party who are struggling for the ascendency of all the federal heresies which have been advocated since the adoption af the Federal Constitution - who contend boldly for the Constitutionality and expediency of a great National Bank! for a liberal construction of the Constitution - a protective Tariff - Internal improvement by the general Govern- ment - a lavish expenditure of the public money &c &c &c. You will doubtless exclaim, "Can these things be, and o'ercome us like summer cloud without our special wonder!'' yet it is even true - and so potent has a name proven itself - that the people ha,ve been Seduced into the support of men for office with the nanie of "State rights'' on their lips - and rank Federalism at their hearts. Two or three honourable exceptions must be admitted, but not more. Indications too palpable to be much longer resisted clearly dem- onstrate, that the people of the U States are about to be divided once more itpon principles-and in my opinion, the fate of the Union is deeply involved in the issue. The simple principle involving such momentous consequences is this - and this is the question - whether the people will submit to. the Government of men chosen periodically, and accountable to them directly-or to the Govern- ment of a J\Iammoth Bank of the U. States with a capital of 100,- 000.000 of dollars controuled by Henry Clay and ::--Jicolas Biddle! The antagonist and republican measure, brought forward by the present administration at the Extra session of Congress - tho' really the plan of Genl Gordon of Virginia, and l\Ir. Calhoun of So Carolina and called the '' sub Treasury System'' - or constitutional treasury system, is one which if successful, may save the country - and in my opinion, is truly a measure of '' deliverance and liberty'' as pro- nounced by its proposer Genl Gordon. Under every aspect, it appear'i to. me eminently calculated to produce in'finite good to the country- and especially the Southern States. Thus stand the parties in the U States at this time - and they will organize accordingly in due time.- On the one side Henry Clay and a National Bank; on the other, Van Buren and the Co_nstitutional treasury. For my own part. were I to be forced to a ch01ce, I would certainly prefer, decidedly, Van Buren to Clay - as a choice between evils - especially would I do so, with the National Bank attached to his rule - which it certainly would be - But is it not a most un- fortunate state of things, that in so extended a country, we have to choose between evils in the selection of the highest magistrate in the land. ·
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