Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-04-19


No Slavery ! No Conuentiop |
FOR THE SPECTATOR
Mr.. EDIToR-Daring tie last winer
| have for the first time Witnessed ne |
proceedings of a legislature. Delegated
by number of my fe How citizens to.
procure the passage of law 10 author
ize the building of a bridge, attended 1t
Vandala in the capacity Of lobby men
Der, and Witnessed some things which |
thought singular. What excited mds
interest was the passage of the conYtn
ton resolution. You know the question
was tried the day before it passed, And
lost by the vote of Mr. Hansen, Ih1
voted in the negative. The as,onishmen
which was created by the event is pas
description--busines for the remaiAm5
part ofthe afternoon was spendcd--and
the countenaaces of the convention.ta en-
were beyond the reach of yarJ-slick
| see g stranger" some time since gave
you partial description OF the scenes Of
the succeeding evening. | had before
so RESPECTABLE one. Judges and negroes,
Legislators and wire dancers, Congress
men and trunpeters, were SO unitedand
blended tina, it would have puzzled man
of common capacity to have distinguish
ed "the hopes of tn nation.'' The
thought, that perhaps at some future cAy
those Judges would be called 10 pass
sentence upon some unfortunate wight
who might have broken the laws those
Legislators had enacted for the prevention
of the offence OF which they themselves
were guilty, suggested the truth of say
ing that the law calches only little often
ders. while the big ones escape ugnoliced.
Your correspondent alluded to ives
avaked by the cry o. FIRE! Hansen's sffi-
gy &c. I verify suspec, ne slept was
his eyes open and really SUPPOSED h.
was dreaming, while with others nd pa
raded the streets, huzzaing in one place
and groaning in Notwithstanding wo-
men and children, and DISCUS IN men
of reflection. Forgive my disression.
Hansen's effigy was burnt, because he
voted INDEPENDENTLY, and aucordingto The
dictates OF his own judgment. {" Thinks
| to myself" What will The people say to
these things! VIII they not conclude
that the servant has risen superior - tbs
lord That their representatives have
forgotten they were sent to make laws
and not to break them.
Upon this evening it was unanimously
agreed thai Mr.. Hansen should be re.
moved from his seat. Accordingly, a
bond was passed about among the mem
bers for their signatures, the purportiof
which was, that on the next day TINY
would vote for his removal. Sixteen Dr.
eighteen representatives signed this WY
ting, and on "Wednesday redt emed ,neIf
pledge by voting directly contrary to
what they had at the commencement oil
the session, and reversing the decision
hey had formerly made. hat Nicholas
Hansen was, and John Shaw was not, en-
| titled to seat in that house.
And what, let me ask, was this bond
given for !? Cannot the representatives oil
the people do right without. being bound
by writing obligatory! If John Shaw
was entitled to his seat, could they not
say so without the assistance OF his bond ?
The people will a, once divine the rea-
son. An extraordinary procedure was
TO be resorted 10, and the " master spi-
rit" were fearful lest the :. weaker bre-
lthren" might falter. A deed was TO be
lperpetrated, atthe commission of which,
men who still had some sense of proprie1
~ remaining, and some regard for THEFT
own and the character Of the state, NIGH
shudder. 1t was therefore necessary ID
brace the nerves by piece OF writing
an obligation-a bond.
After all, the " master spirits" were
mistaken--the /" weaker brethren, came
up to the charge like men-they threw
aside all fear of principle, constituents,
and right-and with the intrepidity Of a
Jackson, they attacked the offending
member and drove him from the--house.
Who ever read of a proceeding of his