Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-04-21

thDllsnment OF no dangerous eAaulpie.
| saw in il, on the contrary, only con-
formity to the safe precedents
which had been established in the
instances of Mr.. Jefferson, Mr.. Madison,
| and Mr.. Monroe, who had respectively
filled the same office from which he
was to be translated.
A collateral consideration of much
weight was derived from the wishes OF
the Ohio dele gation.-A majority OF IT
during the progress of the session, made
| up their opinions to support Mr.. Adams
and they were communicated to me.
They said, Ohio supported the candi-
| date who was the choice OF Kentucky.
We failed in common exertions to
secure his election. Now, amongthose
returned we have a decided preference
and we think you ought 10 make some
sacrifice to crafty us" Was not much
due to our neighbour aud friend!
considered, with the greatest res
| pect the resolution Of the General AS
sembiy of Kentucky, requesting the de-
| legation to vote for General Jackson.
| That resolution, it is true placed US IN
a peculiar situation. Whilst every o.
Their delegation, from every other state
in the Union, was left by its Legislature
entirely free to examine the pretenslons
of all the candidates, and to form Its
unbiased judgment, the General AS
| sembly of Kentucky thought proper to
interpose and to request the delegation
to give its vote to one OF the
| candidates, whom they we're pleased
to designate. | felt a sincere desire to
comply with a request emanating from
a source SO respectable, If | could have
done so consistently with those para
| mount duties which | owed to you and
to the country. But, afterf full aud anx-
ious consideration, l found it incompo-
tible with my best judgment of those
duties to conform to the request of the
General Assembly. The resolution
asserts, that it was the wish of the peo-
pie Of Kentucky, that their delegation
should vote for the General. 1t did not
inform me by what means that body had
arrived at a knowledge of the wish of
the people. knew that its members
had repaired to Frankfort before de-
parted from home to come to Washing
ton. | knew their attention was fixed
on important local concerns, well enti-
tied, by their magnitude, exclusively to
engross it. No election, no general ex-
preston OF the popular sentiment had
occurred since that in November when
electors were chosen, and at that the
people, by an overwhelming majority,
had decided against General jackson.
| could not see now such an expression
againfth him, could be interpreted into
that of a desire for his election.
If. as is true, the candidate whom they
preferred were not returned to the
House, it is equally true, that the state
of the contest as it presented itself here
to me, had never been considered, dis
| cussed, and decided by the people of
Kentucky, in their collective capacity.
What would have been their decision
on this new state ofthe question, ! might
have undertaken to conjecture, but the
certainty of any conclusion of fact, as
| to their opinion, 1t which l could ar
rive, was by no means equal TO that Ger
tainty of conviction ofmy dutyt to which
| was carried by the exertion OF my
best and most deliberate reflections
The letters from home, which some OF
the delegation reserved, expressed
the most opposite opinions, and there
were not wanting instances OF letters
from some of the very members who
had voted for the resolution advising a
| diffe rent course. | received from a
highly respectable portion of my constr
tuents a paper, instructing me as FOL
lows: ave, the undersigned voters in
the Congressional district, having view
ed the instruction or request OF the Lee
gislature of Kentucky, on the subject
of choosing a President and Vice Presi-
dent of the United States, with regret,
and the said request or instruction to
u representative in Congress from
this district, being without u know
ledge or consent; we for many reasons
known to ourselves, connected with so
m~omentous an occasion, hereby instruct
our representative in Congress to vote
on this occasion agreeable to his "
Judgment, and by the best lights he
NAV have on the subject, with, or with
out, the consent of the Legislature OF
Kentucky" This instruction came
both unexpected and unsolicited by me
and it was accompanied by letters as
suring me, that it expressed the opinion
of a moiority of my constituents. /
| could not therefore regard the resolu-