Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-06-13

whether or not Tou have rot expressed
your united opinion in favor Of the hbe-
rality of the offer. Upon what conside-
ration, for what reason, or under what in
fluence, have you been induced to hesitate
and postpone decision Have you not
a desire to remove the burthen Of taxes.
already like an incubus, expressing and
bearing down the people ? and is It
by refusing or delaying to accept such
offers that you demonstrate to them the
sincerity of your professions Ask your
own hearts whether you do not believe,
that nine -tenths Of the county would hail
their acceptance with pleasure and gra-
titude? Do you not believe that the ge-
neral prosperity of the county would be
promoted by it? that the seeds of di-
vision, by gratuitous erection Of the
public buildings, would be torn up by
roots, and the petty factions which hope
to distract and divide the county, be pros
trate in the dust? What individual in the
county would not be benefited by it :
Would he not be relieved from an enor-
nous tax Would not an additional fund,
from which, large and growing revenue
could be created, have been secured to
the county, and which, fjudiciously ma
naged, would at future day be of meal
culable importance?
How then can you answer TO the peo-
pie! How answer to your own con-
sciences, for delaying to carry into effect
a measure SO important in its conse-
quences, and so beneficial to the people
at large? l ask you whether the general
interest Of the county, and of its inhabi-
tants, is not the guide for your conduct
on such an occasion and whether, if it
is evident, that the general veal is to be
promoted by the acceptance of such pro-
positions, you can in justice to them, and
conscientious discharge of your duty,
justify yourselves in delaying to accept
them
lam ayerse, from the general good
sense and impartaIity with which you
have discharged the functions of your
office, to believe that any undue inllu-
ence has been exercised over you, to
control your decision, by the expression
of extra judicial opinions, by gentle
man high in official dignity: but it is pos
sible that his opinions may be entitled to
great weight, when his legal acquire
ments and education are considered; and
no doubt the citizens of the county
will feel under great obligations to him,
when they may possibly know, through
the medium Ct their POCKETS, that thew
arc indebted in some measure to him, for
the desirable privilege of paying for the
erection of public buildings, which other
wise might have cost them nothing: and
it is to be hoped, that his opinions in his
own county, land on the sub ectof national
road, may have equal weight. The peo-
pie, however, are alive to the question
of the erection of the public buildings,
and deeply interested in the acceptance
of the donation and it remains to be
seen whether their opinions are to have
their just weight and influence. You
have long enjoyed their confidence ana
respect and l am bold to hazard con-
lecture, that you already regret your in
decision. Believe me, gentlemen, it is
one Of the worst traits in the human
character. Imbecility is dcspised, when
even erroneous decisions may from their
promptness be respected. You have
still the means within your reach of JUS
tifying the characters you have therefore,
sustained as men of judgment and deci.
sion. Let me then intreat you to reflect,
and act from the dictates of your own
opinions, unbiased by the threats and
jesuitical opinions of others. 1t is due
to yourselves; it is due to the people.
You cannot, in justice to them and their
rights, shrink from the discharge of your