American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-08-10

"ssuH'e ds preliminary Proposltloh' LOO ciear
to be questioned, and, therefore, requiring no en-
forcement, that the right of the People 10 select
and discard at pleasure their political agents, and
particularly their chief Executive Magistrate, is
the very corner stone of liberty in represen ta-
tive republic. There is no other political power
that the people can exercise under our system of
government; and to deprive them of this. amounts
to an absolute disfranchisement 1t follows as a
necessary consequence, that those political agents
who disregard and violate the known will Of the
People, in the election of the Chief Magistrate OF
this Republic, the Constitution of which recogni.
yes the right of the People to choose that Magis
trate, are guilty of the gr0ssest treachery to the
People, and OF assailing the very citadel of their
liberties.
Now assert, and pledge my reputation upon
the truth OF the assertion, that John Quincy Ad-
ans was elected against the will Of majority Of
the American People, and of majority Of the states,
by a minority OF the Representatives in Congress,
a considerable proportion of which minority, in
Guiding Henry Clay, voted against their avowed
principles, and against what they knew to be the
will of large majority of their constituents
also assert, and am willing to stake my hum
bic stock of political reputation upon the truth of
the assertion, that the circumstances OF the extra
ordinary coalition between MIR. Adams and Mr..
Clay, furnish as strong evidence Of an abandnn-
ment OF political principle on the part Of Mr.. Clay
Mr. Adams, as is ordinarily required, in court Of
Justice, to establish the guilt of those who char
yed with the highest crimes known to the law.
Before proceed to make good the first Of these
two important p ,po-,ions, must remark. that
all the advocat Of Mr. Clay--followng the ex,
ample by himself in his letter to his constitu
ents-have, with an apparent consciousness Of the
badness of their cause, most papably misstated
the question.
They assume that the advocates Of General
Jackson vest his claim to the Presidency upon
the fact of his having received ninety nine electo
raj votes, a larger number than was received b,
any other candidate; and then set abont proving
what man Of common sense ever denied --tfa
a plurality of votes does not impose upon Con-
gress an obligation choose the candidate that OBJ
talns that plurality.
1t is impossible for me to avoid the belief tat
Mr., Clay knew this to be false statement of the
question, and that he Intentionally made it for the
purpose Of eyasng the true question at ISSUE
The objection urged from the vel; beginning to the
election Of MIR. Adams is, that he was chosen by
members Of Congress who knem that majoruy Of
the People Of the United States, and ,najority Of
the .Statps preferred General Jackson, and that
several of the members who voted for MIR. Adams,
voted against the will of the People Of the States
they represented, solcmnly and constitutonaliy
declared, and several others, including MIR. Clay,
against what they knew to be the almost ufan-
nous will Of the People of the States they repre-
scented, though that will was not constitutonally
declared. Such is the objection. and will now
proceed to maintain it. General jackson received
seven out of eleven of the electoral votes of Ma
ryland, three out of five of the electoral votes oil
Louisiana; and two out Of three of the electoral
votes Of Illinois and yet majority Of the Re-
representatives. of each Of those States voted against
i General Jackson, and in favor OF MIR. Adams
In Kentucky, the only competition before the peo-
pie was between Mr.. Clay and General Jackson
A majority of the People voted Tor Mr.. Clay; a
very respectable mnority-abuut third as well
as [ reco!lcct-for General jackson; and not q
single vote for John Quincy Adams. But this il
not all. The canvass was conductedby Mr. Clay
and his friends--l speak what ! know from un.
questionable authority to be the fact-upon grounds
of exclusive hostility to MIR. Adams. General
Jackson had such hold upon the affections ant
confidence of the People Of Kentucky. that the
friends Of Mr.. Clay. to induce the People TO vote
for him, used this argument They SAID none O
the candidates could be elected BY the People, arc
, that the election would, OF course, dcvolyc upoi
the House Of Representatives; that before tht
House OF Representatives General jackson hat
no chance of success and that the only way, there
fore to defeat the election d John Quincy Adams
and secure Western President, was to vote fo
Mr. Clay: for that, if he obtained votes sulcien
to carry him into the House of Representatives a.
one of the three highest candidates, such was ii'
influence there, that lie would be elected.
/, Against Mr.. Adams, it was urged by Mr.. Cha,
! and his friends, that he was an enemy to the in
terests of tie West, as Indicated by various act
Of his political life that he was an 'saposac fed
! erast' the reason given by MIR Clay for rcIasn;
: to serve with him, in subordinate station, IN tn
Cabinet of MIR Monroe and that It was imror
tant, on the Of principle, 10 break the Cahi
net succession, which, in the Of tlinc, wou
enable the President, matter of course. u non,
mate his successor. Thu, you perceive that IL
canvass was conducted by Mr.. Clay, before til
!. People of Kentucky, upon principle, in direct Is
,,r,..l ,;,, Nj Adam. " k.t sn,ln,v