Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-11-19

assigned, when my mind was brought TO
conclusion by some late proceedings
OF your own, and determination ior'a-
ed, to surrender immediately back into
your hands, The responsible trust you
had heretofore contded.
One inducemenl to my determination
was that travelling to tie city OF Wash
ipgton twice year, imposes no neon
siderable fatigue and although this Is a
minor consideration, and one which
would have been met with cheertulness'
if business involving the interest OF our
! happy country had required the exer-
ton; yet was aware oil nothing OF great
national importance which was likely TO
come before Congress, excepting sub
Jet that you have lately had before your
body, the amending the Constitution oil
the y States in relation 10 The choice OF
Chief Magistrate. Upon tls matter
! | greatly doubted whether II might not
be my duty again to appear IN the Senate,
and extend my feeble aid, towards pro-
duclng an alteration in which great IN
terest with the people OF the U. States
exists; and Oh which the security OF our
republican system may depend. But be-
| ing advised Of resolution OF your body,
| presenting again my name TO the Anne
rican people for the Office of Chief Ma
glslrate of the Union, could no longer
hesitate on the course should pursue
doubt yielded to certainty, and deter
| nined forthwith to ask your indulgence
| to be excused from any further service III
| The councils Of the country.
Situated as l am, my name presented
to the freemen Of The United States for
the first Office known 10 our constitution,
| could not, with any thing OF approba-
ton on my part, consent either TO urge,
or to encourage, change, which might
wear the appearance of being induced
from selfish considerations from a de
sire TO advance my own views. feel
| thorough and safe conviction, that impu-
lation would be i'll founded, and that no.
Thing could prompt me to an active
course on any subject which my judg-
| ment did not approve; yet as from late
events, it might be inferred that the pros
poets OF your Recommendation could be
rendered probable, only by the people
having the choice given to them direct,
abundant room would be afforded to as
| cribe any exerlion might make, 10 eau
ses pertaining exclusively 10 myself
| lmputaIlons thus made, would, | assure
you, be extremely irksome to any person
of vir'uous and independent feelings
| they would certainly prove so to me;
| and hence the determination TO retire
from situation, where strong suspicious
might at least attach, aud with grea.
seeming proprieiy. | hasten therefore
10 tender this my resignation into the
hands OF those who conferred on me the
appointment, thai in the exercise oil their
constitutional rights, they may confide it
10 some one meriting their confidence
| and appreciation.
Being aboutto retire once more to pri
vate lite,it may be the last time, probably,
hat shall have an opportunity of adj
dressing you. Permit me to suggest to
you then, some remarks upon The pro-
posed amendment of the constitution OF
the United States. Our political fabric
being regulated by checks and balances,
where experience assures US, that those
which have been resorted TO are inefii-
Client, or that however well their boun-
daries have been defined by the parch-
ment OF the constitution, some new bar
rier TO the encroachments of power or
corruption in any Of the departments OF
government is necessary, a corrective
| should be applied, and it is the duty OF
the people in justice to themselves 10
see that ono is provided. There is no
truth more sacred in Politics, and nonc
more conclusively stamped upon all the
stale constitutions, as we'll as the federal
constitution, than that which requires the
three great departments of power-the
Legislative, Judicial and Executive, to
be kept separate and apart. But simple
and manifest as this truth is, the difficult
" OF armng ii in practice with conslilu-
tional restraints, still remains and forms
question whether in lis amendment the
wisdom and virtue Of the present genera
ton may not be usefully employed
Gratitude to the founders of our happy
government certainly cannot be lessened
by honest efforts on our part 10 improve,
or rather to fortify the blessings which
have been transmitted to US, with such
additional guards as experience has
proved to be neccssary. Upon this prin-
ciple venture freely to accord with you
in the contemplated change proposed to