The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1824-06-25
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA


legislature was held within the walls OF
your capitol in February last. The
friends of all The presidential candidate.
were indiscrimiDa'ely invited' Tor the a
vowed purpose Of harmonizing together,
and sacrificing all personal predilec,iops,
10 the wiil OF the majority. A poll was
Fairly opened for each of the candidates
The maine Of every member was pnbiicly
registered. The, result was, that most
decided majority OF your representatives
determined TO recommend 10 their
| fellow citizens, VIM. II. Crawford, Of
Georgia. as president, and Albert Gala
tin, of Pennsy lvania, as vice president, of
| the u States.~ They also framed an
electoral ticket, composed Of a citizen
from eoch of your electoral districts You
will find no man upon this list who does
! not deserve your confidence. Most of
them have already acted as your electors.
Ali ofihem have Tough; the good fight
in the republican ranks.
| We submit the complete list Of cleo
tors. With the exceptions Of two gentle.
men Zone OF whom was member Of the
Ias' legislature, and a decided friend To
VIM Fl Crawford. The other understood
also to be his friend i've save heard
from all the persons nominated They
nave all expressed their determination
TO support the candidates Recommended
by the las, legislature.
| This mode of selection has been sane
toned by the long established usaees of
| the republican patty. as well as by the
advantages it has secured to us It's first
result, was the triumphant election of the
man ofihc people, thomas Jefferson.-
| From that day 10 the present no better
exredieDt has been adopted. Legisla-
live nominations have the eject of cons
ccD,ra'ing the scalte'ed strength of the
Republican party. So long as the present
mode OF electine your president prevails,
whilst there is such diversity in the
manner of election IN the different states,
it is important for US 70 adopt some
course which is calculated TO give its full
force TO the vote of the state 1t was
natural and proper that the members of
your last legislature should have adhered
to he old forms OF nomination. Few can
disapprove OF il. but those politicians, who
uraDle 10 give their favorite candidate the
ELECT ofsuch recommendation have re.
fused either to concur in it or 10 sacrifice
their personal partialities 1t is for you TO
say in Nov next, how far the strength
OF the republican party is to broken up
by minorties and fragments of minorities.
We beg leave, also, TO remind you, that
Legislative nominations are now zealously
advocated IN many of those states W hose
congressional representatives. refused 10
attend the caucus in Washington. You
see other large states concerning mea-
sures to give an undivided vote at the
spproac hing election. You see the state
of Massachusetts exchanging her district
system fora general ticker. Why then
should Virginia depart from this course?
WHY should she despise Legislative nomi-
nations, either OF her own delegates at
Richmond, or OF the republican repre-.
sentatives at W ashlngton Is the union
OF the public sentiment of less ccnse.
quence on this than on any former occa.
sion You see the citizens OF these states
distracted by variety of candidates, each
oil whom has his Jealous and devoted
partizans. Shall rue make no effort to
concentrate ouI votes No effort 10 pre-.
vent an election by the house of repre-
sentstiyes No effort 10 secure to the
large states their due ascendancy in the
! Union! No effort to prevent the minori.
| ~ OF votes from debating to the majority |?
Surely at such crisis il behooves Us
10 use every exertioD TO give TO our be.
loved state the jus! weight to which she
is eDIitle6-and also TO cooperate with
other states in securing choice by the
electors of the people. Can it be wise
| or patriotic to distract our citizens at
this moment when they should be united?
!, is, for another reason, highly important
that we should have concert at home.-
| This ancient commonwealth has been, for
| many years one of the most jealous 1--WE
will not say able) supporters of republ.
can principles those principles on which
our Institutions are founded, and by which
the administration Of our government has
been SO often and so gloriousIy directed.
is she prepared to friuer away her
strength, 10 SOW discord among her OVID
| citizens; aud thus, perhaps, enable her
| opponents TO triBg men into Office whose
principles do not approximate the nearest
! 10 her owns whose habits may be entire
! ~ different from her own, and VINO might
administer the government on teDets es
ssDiially distinct Are we prepared to
strike the republican standard which has
so long waved triumphant in this state
under which ouI united citizens have so
4 long naTched IN victorv . and To enI;st