Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-07-25
FROM THE ILLINOIS INTELLIGENcER.
'Eo the People Of Nlinois.
FELLOW CITIZENS,

AS candidate to represent you IN the
seventeenth Congress, claim the right
to place before you my past conduct in
its true 1 ,at, and to explain and defend
the principles by which am governed.
That every man should read this address
with an eye cleansed from prejudice, and
with determination to give to truth and
reason its full weight, cannot be expect
ed, until personal interest and party zeal
shall cease to influence the human mind.
Will not an enlightened people listen to
the appeal of fellow citizen with an at
tention not to be diverted by the sugges-
tons of intrigue or the noise of faction !.
From them, not from faction, l wish
support. The little merit l have attain
cd in the view of my countrymen, is the
work of my own exertions, unaided by
the wealth or influence of any other
under no obligations to consult the de-
sires of any party of men--1 owe allie
glance to none, and feel prepared to
come before the people, promising, if
elected, to represent the public interests
and wishes to the extent of my capacity
Great pains have been taken to circulate
the idea that have been brought forward
to serve what is termed the " old slave
party of this state. Indeed public
Journal printed at Edwardsville has
charged it upon me with as much APP
parent gravity as if the writer of the ar
ticle really believed it.
AT once to undeceive the people, and
to show with what little shame truth can
be abandoned, let me refer the public to
the very town in which the paper is pub
Iished. Do the shareholders there sup
port me? Does the man, to whom pub
lie fame attributes the principal manage
ment of that press, support me Nay
does the man who has advertised more
negroes for sale than any ten men in the
state besides, support me ? Do the men
who can cry freedom and slavery at the
same instant of time, as it may serve the
purposes of intrigue and ambition, take
any interest in my behalf? The public
cannot forget that a portion of my parti-
GUAR opponents are composed OF men
who could Justify senator for his vote
on The Missouri Question:" and con-
demn a representative for similar vote.
Those who prefer this charge, before
they establish any credit with the public,
must take care to be consistent. False
hood may serve a temporary purpose,
but it is sure one day to be discovered
and opposed, and those who condescend
to practise it are involved in ruin and
disgrace. / wish not to be understood
as charging all those opposed to my
election, with such foul unmanly con-
duct. Amongst them are to be found a
large portion ofvirtuous honorable men !;
but the public will surely excuse me for
resisting an ungenerous attack. 1t is
due to myself, my friends, and the coun-
try at large, to expose an untruth, with
whatever solemnity it may be published.
am as much opposed to any change,
by which slavery may be introduced in
to this state, as any man in it. 1t is true
that l once stood pledged for its intro
duction, and if erred on that occasion,
I believe shall remain insensible of the
error to the day ofmy dissolution. tits
with me first principle in politics, that
representative is bound by the voice,
wishes and instructionso of his constituents.
What possible guarantee of freedom
have we left if this principle is denied !?
1t would take more room than is useful
to employ to discuss this principle at
length: Suffice it to say, it is the creed
of republicans. Two respectable citi-
zens offered to represent the county of
Randolph in the Convention called to
form our state constitution, one opposed,
sn,s other in favor of the introduction of
slaves: i was also candidate, without
opposition: my own opinion, as uniform
ly expressed, was opposed to slavery
But l was called upon to declare whether
/ would obey the voice of my constitu-
ents, as expressed by the result of the
election between the gentlemen referred
to. Let me put the question directly to
every candid republican in the state !:
What ought to have beep my answer
It was as it should be-in the affrma-
, tive. The candidate in favor of slavery
was elected, and my course of conduct
on that subject was thereby fixed. II !
was wrong, in whose favor did | err! In
nv own? No-in favor of the people,
and their right to frame their own form
ofgovernpent. Ofsuch importance did
the trainers of our constitution consider