AN EXAMINATION

MR. CALHOUN'S ECONOMY

AND

AN APOLOGY

FOR THOSE

Members of Congress

WHO HAVE BEEN DENOUNCED.AS

RADICALS.

PART 1st.

DECEMBER, 1823.

NO. 1.

ECONOMY-MR. CALHOUN.!?

"Great savings in the War Department." COLUMBIA TELESCOPE.

Since the Secretary of War yielded to the earnest solicitations of a caucus, composed of a small hut select number of his friends, in the Legislature of South Carolina, to be considered as a Candidate for the Next Presidency, he has made more noise than all the other presidential candidates together. This he has been enabled to do, chiefly by the officers of our standing army, who have also obtained his consent to be considered as their candidate An efficient corps of newspaper editors has been recruited, organized, and equipped, for the service of the War Department, and well drilled and disciplined under a proper head, established at the seat of Government. These editors have sounded his praises throughout the Union, with undaunted courage and unremitting exertion. If we are to believe one half they say in favor of their youthful candidate, his talents, greatly transcend the limits we have heretofore ascribed to the human intellect. Compared with him, even Washington and Jefferson must be considered as secondary cha racters.

He is represented as a STAR "in our political firmanent, whose rising effulgence has attracted the eyes of the American People," exciting new hopes and anticipations."

That this young gentleman has suddenly become a star of the first magnitude, is partly explained by the editors of the Franklin Gazette, who very gravely inform their readers, that Calhoun burst upon the world. course, this luminary has not shed his light upon us by degrees, like the rising sun, but has struck us with all his

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meridian splendors at once, and thus be-dazzlled and confounded no small portion of our younger politicians.

This is a new and bold experiment on the part of the Secretary, and if it shall prove successful, we shall have young gentlemen bursting upon us from all quarters. ur Presidents thus far, have gradually risen to their elevated stations, by a long series of faithful and important services performed for their country; and it is not believed, that the confidence of the people can be suddenly gained, by any splendid innovations upon the course, hitherto pursued and consecrated by the patriots who have presided over the councils of the nation.

ter The lofty, pretensions of the army candidate, have as yet, received but little notice, from those who think he has no claim to the high character he assumes, because they have never believed that he could possibly succeed, in his ambitious views. They have never believed that a whole host of editors, could write a gentleman of Mr. Calboun's age and merits, into the Presidency, even with aid of all the officers of the standing army. There are circumstances, however, which render it important to examine, with some attention, his assumed superiority of character and intellect, and his pretended merits on the score of service.ed

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es. Although it has been evident for several months past, to the blindest of his flatterers, and even to himself, the most blind of all, that he can have no prospect of receiving more than the vote of his own state; yet his agents, civil and military, are pressing their operations with as much industry and zeal, as if he was seriously to be held up as a Candidate to the last. The objects of these apparently desperate measures, are not misunderstood. One, perhaps the nearest to the Secretary's heart, is to crush what remains of the old democratic party, in Con gress, under the pretence of extirpating radicalism. Ancther is to gain as large a stock of popularity as possible, to be passed over, for a valuable consideration, to the northern candidate for the Presidency. As to the first, much has already been done under the late system of amalgamating parties. As to the other, it remains yet to. be seen, how far the popularity thus to be created, may be of a negociable or transferrable nature.

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When Mr. Calhoun received the appointment of Secretary of War, after it had been offered to Governor Shelby, Mr. Lowndes, and Mr. Clay, and refused by them all, it did not occur to him, that he could by any possible process ripen himself into a presidential candidate before he should reach the age of forty; although he his mind, to ruie over this people in had fully made up due season. His immediate aim was to provide a suitable successor to Mr. Monroe, who might hold on a few years, until his own character and pretensions should become more fully matured.

Some Presidents have been accused of selecting their successors; but this President, that is to be, is endeavoring to select his predecessor; and thus make provision, that the good people of this country, shall not be in want of presidents or presidential candidates, for at least sixteen or eighteen years to come.

It will be recllected that in 1818, Mr. Calhoun and his immediate friends, were very solicitous to select a northern candidate for the presidency. They openly de-clared that the people of the north had a fair claim to this high office; that the gentlemen of the south were on this occasion, governed by the most liberal principles and feelings, and were disposed to do justice to every part of the Union. These professions of liberality however, deceiv ed no body..

Although no President had ever been elected from a state south of Virginia, which, in fact, is now one of the middle states; yet all the Presidents from this state have been charged to the south, as much so as if they had been elected from the Carolinas or from reorgia. Mr. Calhoun saw clearly, that if the next presiden should be elected from the South, the claims of the North and West eight years hence, would be such, as not to be resisted; and of course that his turn to be elected, would not probably arrive under sixteen or eighteen years, for which And hence arose his great he had not patience to wait liberality towards the gentlemen of the North.

In two or three years after he was placed at the head of the War Department, his extreme indulgence to the officers of the army was such, as to gain heir entire confidence. They rewarded him with unbounded ap