Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-07-07
To the People Of Illinois.

In presenting myself again before
you as candidate for seal IN The rep
resentative branch of the Legis la,ure of
the Union, feel myself called upon by
sense OF respect for your expectations,
to render an account to you, of such Of
my pas, conduct in the discharge Of my
representative duties, as has not been
distinctly understood, and generally APP
proved by you AS the proper and con-
stitutional Judges of my conduct, | will
freely submit to you, those considera-
lions which influenced me, in such acts
OF tina, description, as may come to my
knowledge, and OF their suffic,ency leave
you to Judge.
shall then at the outset, proceed 10
the consideration OF my vote in the House
OF Representatives,, in the late Presidens
tial Election; and, as that is an act about
which much dissatisfaction has been tx
pressed, feel quite sure shall be heard
with patience, and Judged with candor.
Indeed there can be no motive 70 infu-
ence an enlightened and generous peo-
pie, when sl,ting in judgment OF iheip
own servant, TO do otherwise.
In considering this subject, it becomes
necessary TO go back TO what occurred
previous to my last election, in order
TO meet the charge tba, has been mada
against me OF my violating q solemn
pledge, publicly given to you, which
bound me 10 give my vote in Congress
to Gen. Jackson"
This charge necessarily involves this
inquiry: DID l GIVE SUCH A PLEDGE
Believing shall be Judged by you
with candor and fairness, also hold my
sell bound not to depart from either in
presenting TO you the facts on which that
judgment is to be formed. Where then,
is the evidence on which this Allegation
OF such pledge rests Here it Island
pray you TO read il Tor yourselves, and
your own good sense will enable you
fully TO understand it, On the 3olh Of
May, 1924, whilst al Washington Cry,
| published communication TO, you,
containing in relation to the Presiden-
tial Election, the following sentiments
" In voting in my individual capacity az
a citizen, for ain eiector in The disrc, in
which l reside, | shall surely vote for
him, who will, in The electoral college,
support the individual that l believe to
be bes, calculated, properly and faith
fully 10 administer the Executive Cos
veFnmens: but, should the electors cho.
sen by the people, fail 10 unite majori-
ty OF suirages on any individual, and
thereby devolve the duty on the House
of Representatives Of choosing one tor
them, | shall feel it my duty TO vote as Q
representative in accordance with the
clearly expressed sense OF the majority
OF those, gvhose zviU shall be called upon
TO express"
After my return home, on the 18th Ju.
ly, 1924, published second address,
to you, in which held the following
language: 81 have already stated that
in the event OF the election going to Con-
gress, l should, as representative, and
in accordance with what consider 10
be a cardinal principle Of our represen.
tatIve system, to be governed by the
ascertained will Of a majority of my cons
sti,uents."
Both these addresses were printed
and extensively circulated in the State,
and many of them, in all probability, are
yet remaining within your reach. They
may be examined, and it will be found
that the foregoing extracts contain all
that l stated in relation TO the course /
marked out for myself as your represent
tative. What more, then, l ask, did
these declarations bind me to do? They
bound me to do this, and no moro -,
That, il the electoral colleges through
out the United States, should not make
choice of President, then |, as the rep
resentative OF Illinois, would vote for the
man who had received the vote OF ma
jOrity of my constituents-yes, a majori-
ty, fellow citizens, of your votes.
The question then arises, in order to
ascertain whether was bound to vote
for Gen. Jackson; whether he received
a majority of your votesl Or, to state
the question in the most uutxceptiona-
BILE form, whether he received MAORI.
ty of the votes that were given by you
for electors
The following statement, taken from
the returns made to the Legislature,
shows the number Of votes given Tor
each of the Candidates for President ~
For ADAMS, l542
For JACKSON, ls72