The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume V

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TEXAS STATE LIBIURY

thinking wronu · & however widely we may differ with them in opinion o' . 1 & warm the warfare which we may be compelled to wage agamst t 1em, we shall nc,·ertheless regard the purity of their motives, and cherish towards them no other feclin~s than those of respect, & no hostility but what is purely political. Convince all such, of error and they are ready to abandon it; unfold the right, & they willingly embrace it. Truth is powerful, & will prevail in every mind that is not abandoned to bad passions, or debased by mean servility to power. The fault that is in the head, is easily corrected; that in the heart, seldom, or never. All, therefore, that we desire of the honest portion of our political opponents, is a fair hearing, give us this, & we ask no more, give us this, and as strong as may be the faith in the infallibility of Gen. Jackson, we would not fear to risk our lives upon the asser- tion, that a patient, unprejudiced perusal of 111 r. Calhoun's speech, would produce upon their minds the most entire and satisfactory con- viction that the remo,·al of the deposites, is a daring and dangerous assumption of power, a gross violation of the laws and constitution, commited through malice, & justified by falsehood, distructive of pri- vate rights, detrimental to the public interest, & hazardous to the funds removed. There can be no greater eridence of the depravity of a man's motives than the concealment of his designs. Purposes which are laudable in their nature, require no concealment; and their honest supporters ought always to be ready to avow them. Those who work in the dark may very justly be suspected of had motives; & darker designs. As it is with individuals so it is with political parties-they can hardly be supposed to pursue "noble ends by noble means," so long as they shun the light of fair investigation, and throw o,·er their proceedings, the veil of obscurity & mystery. Such ns aspire to objects, which patriot- ism approvPs, & seek thPir accomplishment by means which integrity will sanction, can never hesitate to disclose inge11uously, the entls which they aim at, & the principles hy which their conduct is regu- lated, When looking with a single eye to the public weal, what in- ducement, can they have to act otherwise, than with opennes:; & can- dour? But when conscious of a bad cause & corresponding feelings, then their movements are in secret. the;r doctrines are concealed, & their ends denied. Such has ever been the uncandid & tortuous polic_v of the Union party. Supporting all the federal doctrines, they yet hope to eec-ape odium by repudiating tl1c name; & aiming at the con- solidation of our Government, they exped. to elude responsibility by adopting the title of Union men. This trick and cl~ception they have practiced too often with succe:;s, but a -:ourse so insulting to intelli- gence, & dis?:usting to the moral sense, i~ never p•actisell except from the most unworthy moti\"es, in defence of the worst of causes, & for the purposr or operating on the weakest m1•1tl:::, & the lowest feelings of man. If they are ~inc-er£' in the belief, ;-lrnt thr federal lloctrines of the Wch!-tcr 8c·hool arc the true nncl safe onrs, why do t.he_v prefer to l,!iYC to them insiduous support, rnthcr thm1 open an«l manly clel'ence? And if thC'y an• honest in tllC'ir <:onvictions tlint a c:onsoliclatcll Gover- ment is prefc•rah]C' to nn r11io11 or ~o,·cr('ig11 States, why ,lo they not proclaim it to the J>C'O]ll(•: am] instC'tl 111' ~L•nrtly laboring to bring i 1 ; about 1,,r fraud nJHl Jor1·C', ~trik1• boldly for it;; attainment:- in the

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