Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-07-28

So said Pope, and so say reason and
common sense. But there is among us
a set OF faAiiosolaherS who hold that the
honor lies not IN acung well your part
but in the particular section OF country
IN which you happened first to breathe
the vital air. According to the notions
OF these sapient people, no matter how
honorable and upright a man may be IN
his dealings with his fellow-men--no
matter wha, sacrifices he may have made
Tor the good OF the country--no mailer
how pure his integrity, how extensive
his talents, or how ardent the zeal with
which he has devoted them to his coun.
try's service-these things. and every
thing else which depends on the aviH Of
the individual, bring him no honor, be-
cause he had the lot TO be born In diff
ierenl part OF the country from their mo-
ole selves. On the other hand, however
deficient man may be in genius, &C.
quirements or integrity; yet IL his birth
happened to take place within The pre-
seTi6ed geographical hmifs, he is enli-
Tied to all Tie honor, and worthy OF ALI
the confidence these wiseacres can bee
stow.
Such are the doctrines Of this pol,i.
cal scct--doCtrnes winch they avow
with astonishing boidDess, as it totally
UNCONSCIOUS OF the contempt and deles-
talon which such principles cannot fail
to bring upon those WHO profess them.
They lay claim also to The appeila.
lion OF republicans ! Republicans !! F.!
Are they no, the rankest Grlstocrots 2
What species oil aristocracy osD be
worse than that which conters honors and
Offices, not according to merit, nor even
according 10 merit, nor even according
to responsibility OF percentage, but solely
according 10 the place oil nativity?
In deciding on the claims OF q Candi.
date tor public Office, the iIIus.rlous JEFF
ierson proposes three questions, VIZ:
" Is he honest? Is he caha6le i? Is he
JaaAfal 10 Tie Constitution 2" But INC
sect speak oil throw all these inquires
aside, and only ask, " Is he a native Of
the same part Of The country az mySeF?"
Happily tor Illinois, this class oil poo
llucisns is not very numerous. Their
boldness is to be ascribed to their leno.
rance alone; Tor II they could bu, know
how contemplate their doctrines make
them appear 10 the eyes oil reasonable
and rejecting men, they would blush 10
avow them.
Aou will soon be called upon, fellow.
ciuzens OF Illinois, to decide who shall
occupy, tor limited period, the several
executive and legislative Offices within
your gilt. In making these selections,
does not the public good---does not even
your own interest, require you TO choose
The best talents aud the purest patriotism,
without any regard to the country which
gave them birth Most of US are natives
OF other states and countries, and there
is scarcely member of the Union, or
nation Of Europe, which has not some Of
her SOUS among us. We are, however,
| by birth, or choice, all AMERICANS.
Dor fathers fought End triumphed to.
gether." " The indep endence and Iiber.
~ we possess, are the work of joint coun.
ellis and joint efforts; O! common dan.
gers, suferings, and successes"
My friends, scorn to be the slaves Of
prejudice. 1t is the child OF ignorance,
and folly is its father. Spurn from your
society the man who shall attempt to
persuade you that the birth place Of a
candidate ought 10 have any weight in in.
ducing you 10 support OF reject him.
Those, and those only, who have "ac:-
ed 7veN their F,arts," are worthy Of your
suffrages. There is no country on the
| globe which can star1h nobility upon its
children---no country which can give
its natives claim to your confidence,
regardless Of personal merit. Nor is
there any country which may not furnish
statesmen, heroes and sages. We all
revere the memories ofthe Washingtons,
Henrys, and Morsans, OF the south, and
oil the Frank lins, Hancocks, and Greenes.
of the north; nor are we unmindful Of
La Faye,.e, kosciusko, DE Kalb, Mont.
gomery, and SteubeD, though their ma.
tivity was on The other side Of the Allan.
tics
Finally, fellow-citizcns, " .det we'll
YOUR hart." Let merit and not section
al p,ejudices, be the criterion by which
you shall be governed in bestowing your
suffrages. Let this BIO your conduct,
and you may reasonably expect that tho
prosperity Of The state will be the happy
result.
MARION.
State Of Illinois, July 10, 1926.
W>Olo,, VIn