Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1824-10-27
lFoR THE MASSACHUSETTS SPY. |

| rOh At1Es MASOaSIOOL1A - ~ ~
Mr.. Editor
In your last paper you have touched on the
qualifications of person suitable to represent
US in Congress by saying,"a good Represen-
tative should not be pledged to, any man, OF
set of men--to any section, or to any particu.
lar interest" and you allude 10 Lincoln and
an Upham, as examples such as we ought
now to have. These gentlemen, MIR. Editor,
were uncommonly open, frank, and andepe'I-
dent, and their sentiments and opinions were
as we'll understood and known before their c.
lection, as after they had actedin Congress as re-
spects all the leading principles and interests of
their Constituents & country. Neither stoical
indifference nor studied concealment for the
sake of professional business, or Temporary pop
ularity, induced them TO keep1n state OF
neutrality l. to have no opinions, when all their
tellow-citizens were strongly decided and open
in the avowal of their wishes 1t is true no
one should be pledged, otherwise than to think
and speak and act asprightly and Independently.
And Is the man who has an opinion and ex.
presses it, pledged? ] should say not and
Furthermore, should aver, that a man Of this
cast is the only one who can safely aud con.
slstently be entrusted With power, and be the
| able and honest statesman. 1t Isl a little re.
| markable, that your correspondent who has
been so impartially surveying the candidates
from which a selection must be made, should
transmit, at the same time, his !electioneering
piece to two papers for publication, taking
care to omit in the Spy paragraph shelving
the writer to be decided Tariff mum, and in
sertng it in the Yeoman, where it was proba-
oily thought it would harmonize with the feel
ings of the Editor and the readers of that pa
per, but disgust the readers Of the Spy. There
is disingenuousness in this mode of manae-
ing, which think will not be approved by
the Electors, who haze sentiments. and wish
to have sentiments and declare them.
Z" Almost every prominent man." says he sshas
taken sides on the tariff question, which has
SO unnecessarily ercited the feelings of the peo-
pie, while MIR. Davis is not identified with
either OF the conflicting parties of the presen,
day. lie is not pledged by any previous act
or opinions. to any man, or. class of men.
When he is called TO act, he will act honest
~" when almost every prominent man"
land probably every one except Maj. Davs)
has taken his side on the tariff question; when
the Hon. MIR. Webster and the Hon. Mr..
Clay two not very weak, dishonest, or short
sighted polIticians) have been engaged with all
their might for and against the ''tariF cues
fton, which has so unnecessarily e1eited The
feelings Of the people," & all Congress has been
for months debating on it, to me, at least, it
seems no recommendation TO possess negatire
propeTtieS-to be insulated, and stand, like a
pillar OF marble, rnsenS,ble and indifferent,
while the people are excited, and their most
honest, and powerful, and eloquent champi-
ons are contending for, what they believe to
be, the Gatat interests of their constituents.
} Whose horizon is more elevated and whose
views more enlarged, and whose political in
tegrity is greater, than Mr.. Webster's: And
yet he had an opinion, he had SentianentS--
and, without being pledged at all, freely told
ms ,'e~a before his election as well as in the
nan OF Congress. Had the Hon. Mr.. Mills
any sentiments on this subject? If mistake
not ne fully conceded with Mr. Webster. The
opinions OF every gentleman who is candi-
! date for public Office ought to be known.
And who are the friend: of 6 american, Indus.
'Ty' that are specially invited to convene and
designate candidate for Representative fol
Worcester South District Does it mean all
The electors (for believe they are all friends
to american Industry or does it mean the a.
oettors OF the tariff only5 And il so, will;
tney select man who has no feelings, no o.
P'htons, and who has never spoken or Gcked in
49, F~St' tSHtytL(CUCUt manner, lIlat
any man or class of men, can tell what he has
been or as or wlH be- lam no friend to mas
querades, and always wish to vote under.
stahdinng'y, and give my suffrage for gentle
man who has some transpa, ehcy and fired prin.
eaptes OF general policy, and believe my fell
iow-citizens will, very many of them, be of the
same sentiment. am friend, and decid.
ed friend, TO agriculture Commerce and Manu-.
hrf Ion, Al.
be Patronized and fostered and rise at the ex.
pense and depression ofthe other. The govern
ment scales should be held in equilibrium
that all may stand together and CONFORMITY
flourish. DFCIcION
Anew remarks and explanations from us
WILL we trust, satisfy our correspondent, that
on the subject of congressional qualifications
we do not materially disagree. He has quot
ed our text, and our exemplifcation and
we accord with him in his further illustration
OF our premises. Openness, Jrankncss and snde-
pendence, we think most essential requisites
and that if man has not formed an opinion
upon interesting national topicks which have
been discussed, and which still asitate the
public mind, he is too ignorant, or too indfFer-
ent to the concerns of his country, to become
good representative. This VIC deemed the
fair inference which every intelligent and
candid man would make from our argument.
We meant also, to be "open, frank and inde-
pendent" in the ayowal of our 6 opinions, 50
thatf man without mature consideration
has made up his mind upon question which
divides the sentiments of the community, cs-
pecially if that sentiment accords materially
with his personal interest; if he openly and
tenaciously supports that opinion-and is set
up and elected by party attached to the
same interest and views, he is not likely 10
prove one who can safely and confidently be
entrusted with power, and be the able and