Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-03-29

| have been blamed, perhaps justly,
for my carelessness and security; and
my listlessness and indifference, to the
unounded opinions of many, have been
regretted, because the public detama-
tons and private ISLANDERS, which have
been multiplied upon me, might, in the
minds Of some, settle down into con-
viction of guili..-l reply TO NY friends
rebukes, that | do not address, myself %
the iroward ludgmen, Of the many-the
mouth-pieces of subler demagogues,
but 10 those to whom truth and sason
arc at all times acceptable. To my
enemies | owe no explanation and, re-
lying or the constancy OF friends, | have
delayed my communication Tor my own
convenience.
can scarcely credit it, that single
instance of apparent contrariety of con-
duct, on an important question, can real
| ~ be the cause ct that envenomed ram
cour and unrelenting persecution which
pursues me. Can it, will il be believ-
ed A deeper, and hidden interest,
| NOR aspiring than my ambition, more
important than my standing, is to be et-
iocted. A gain | ask, can it, zvH il be
believed 2 that The single instance, in
Ahich recently followed the examples
oil my superiors in age and experience,
can really be productive of SO much
virulence and invectye? That man,
who jeopardizes the aspiring hopes Of
an sm eillons faction, must be prepared
to encounter their opposition. In tAis
light1 regard what has been said of me
relative to my vote on the convention
question. Had it not been necessary
TO remove me from my seat before that
measure could succeed, and to check
| the sympathy and respect for me which
SO gross a violation of my rights was
calculated to excite, nothing improper
would have been discovered IN my COM
duct. But now my ruin and disgrace
are to be made auxiliary to their repu-
tation, and the success of the convention
not to be endangered or fail by the ty-
ranical usurpaton of power and auihori-
ty by which it was effected. From any
thing which | have said do not wish
to be understood as being ignoran' Of
The object of calling conventional am
not willing to be thought so great fool /;
on the contrary l uniformly opposed it,
on the ground that slavery was the main
design, and hat the unequal apporlion-
ment OF the representation of the state,
rendered It's Introduction too probable,
&c hazard the measure at this tiGe. The
vote which, under circumstances, Fave
IN the first ipstance for the passage oil the
resolution, | am very sensible that it
behooYes me 10 explain, and shall do
i, the more readily thai my friends may
NJ, any longer alone infer the purity of
my motives from Inc uniform tenor of
my life, which has been ilrecopcitable
with corruption or undue bias and inf1u-
ence.
My right TO seat in the legislature
| became in the end SO ultimately blend
! ed with the question OF convention,
mat it is necessary to notice the promi-
nent points in ihe former, in order To a
correct understanding of the latter On
my election, so little understood, many
opinions have been hazaraed, but in JUS
tce to the majority who confir'oed me
4
in my seat, am bold to say that had
not party considerations Influenced too
many members of the house, their ex-
preston in my favor would have been
much clearer and more distinct than it
was.
The County Commissioners Court of
Pike County, a, their term preceding
the election, on the first Monday in Au-
gust last, established two election pre-
cincts, besides the one designated by
law to be held at the county seat. On
the day of the election, John Shaw, the
opposing candidate, alleging as an ex-
cuse, the Illegally of the appointment
of some OF the Judges to hold the cleo
ton at the county seat, rcceded with a
number of his friends from the polls,
and went Oh to nominate judges and hold
an election of his own. At this poll he
received all the votes, about eighty,
which together with tzuenty-one he re-
ceived in the other precincts, would give
him majority over me. The clerk
commended, that in his official capacity he
could not recog' lie any other polls than
those established by the Commissioner
Court, tina, Mr.. Shaw's poll was one Of