Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-05-31


South. Our language is-"you have
i" had the Presidency for he whole num-
I" Der of years, except four, since the
" establishment of the Constitutions
+" another division of The old Union, that
" which is not second to you in Revolu-
p" tionary merits, now offers a candidate
"with unsurpassed pretensions, be mo-
" dest and equitable and polite enough
" to accept him. Virginia, particularly
-recolect that when you talk OF Mr..
" Crawford or Mr.. Clay, ii is not I'M
"known nor unheeded that those gen
tlemen are VirginianS, though one of
"them may live at Washington, and the
"other at Lexington. The attractions
switch they have for you are well I'M
derstood-and equally, the motives of
"your array against Mr.. Adams-you
will not have a man from the East-a
Yankee--you will have none but
" Virginan." 1t is this sectional preIu
dice, or selhshness, or tenaciousness of
supremacy, that some Of the most dis
tinguished and enlightened politicians OF
| Virginia, and indeed OF the South gene
rally, would dlScountenance, and still Ii
they could: they would crafty the East
as matter OF justice and propuety, and
means of promoting the spirit OF na
tionalhy-whiie. too, The more ingenu-
GUS and rejecting part of the mass ofthe
Southern people feel the unfairness and
inordinacy, OF insisting upon furnishing
the successor Of Mr.. Monroe, to the ey-
clusion of statesman rendered Ivy ano-
Their division of the Union, whom they
know to be worthy of the Office.
Sectionalisn-if we may be allow ed
the term--in this question of the Prasi
dency, is not the rotation of the office
among the several divisions ofthe Union,
all other things being equal; but The OBJ
stinate, .oUerweening erertion TO retain
it IN one Of these diUi8ions. Each will
wish and seek to have IT in turn--this is
unavoidable nor is there cause for
man might always be found, we can pre-
sumo, upon whom the nation could de-
volve the trust with safety and credit
and if the admitted rotation should have |
the effect, quite natural and almost GER
tain, to obviate collisions, feuds, linger
ing irritation between the several d1vi-
sions, and confine the intrigues and strife
of election to one of them, much would |
be gained for the cause OF quiet, political
morality, and permanent union. In the
general and abstract, the opportunity oi
choice from the stasemen OF the whole !
country ought doubtless to be preferred
bat it could happen only very seldom,
that there would be found in one divisioi
an individual much more eligible for
the station than any one possessed by |
another; and the bensft of this mere
chance could not fail to be verbalaDced
by the advantage of escaping the evils
which attend the present order OF things.
The principle of rotation now accrues
TO the East, by sound reasoniug--and
with the strongest auxiliary considera-
tons on the next occasion, it would
operate for the West, with improved
in other spects.-These are
points, however, which we shall discuss
at future time; with this salyo in adj
vance that we think and can shew that
the claims of the East for Mr. Adams
have much broader basis than the prin-
ciple just mentioned.
1t has been crafty urged by the parti
sans Of TWO of the rival candidates, that
he is the candidate Of Eastern Federal
ism. This is denied and reluted in the
most direct and authentic forms:-All
he leading " Republican" prinls Of New
England deny Ii, and claim him as theirs
the Republican" members of the,
Legislatures have, in their conventions,
him in like manner. And
hey ask the Democratic politicians OF
he South, {" do not the Democrats OF
g New England deserve well of you
g have they not maintained long and
't arduous struggle in support of your
IS system and cause Have they not lent
's all their aid and confidence to your
&c elect! Is it not time for you to make
sc some concession 10 them, when they
'' tender to you one, whom your favor
sc ites-those you gave to us as Presi-
$. ents-dstinguished by every mark
g of the utmost confidence in his Repub-
50 licanism and capacity"
We have heard, from good authori-
ty, this anecdote. When the ke-
publican" party, several years ago,
gained the ascendancy in some of the
New England States, and general and
lasting triumph seemed to be about to
crown their exertions, Republican"
officer of the Federal government (from
the middle States, ran to give the inlor-
n, ation IN a Southern one and EXPRESSED |