Virginia statesman. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1828-1829, 1828-07-23
FROM THE LOUISVILLE FOCUS

The interogatories contained in the fol-
lowing communication are founded, we be-
lieve. on correct information, and will,
therefore, merit the attention Of the gentle
man to whom they are addressed.
Editors oftte Focus.
TO THE HONORABLE JOHN ROWAN.
SIR: You have made the declaration,
or at least expressed and apprehensions,
that. ifJ0hn @. adams be reelected to the
PRESIDENCY, the ne1t Congress 'ciH be the
last that 5cU erer set IN the United States.
III / am not misinformed, you have express
ed vourselfto this effect on more than one
occasion. Permit me, therefore, to put
the inquiry to you-up0n 1cbat grounds DO
you entertain this Apprehension.
You have been placed in high and re-
sponsible Office by Kentucky; you know
that ifyour constituents are warmly attach
ed to the Union, and to our present Repub
lican institutions; and it is your duty, as a
faithful servant to the People, to warn them
publicly of their danger, ifyOu have ascer-
tanned that they are really approaching so
fightfll a precipice, as a dissolution Of
their present National Government 1t
seems tome that you cannot. without pal
pable derelicton of duty, withhold from
your constituents the grounds for your be-
lief that, fla majority of the People arc in
favor of John q. Adams, the minority will
not submit peaceably to their decision, but
will endeavor TO dissolve this COntederacy.
There are plausible circumstances tending
to Justify such a suspicion Of the leaders
Of your party; which renders It the more
important that you should give us a can
did statement of your information, or Of
the grounds of your fears on this subject.
| will notice some of these cIrcUmstan-
ces. Some prominent men of your party
both in Congress and out oft, have express
sed opinions tothis effect-that the present
Administration is grossly cOrrRPt-and
that, when the civil functionaries in a Re
public have become corrupt, and the PEG
pie have not virtue enough to apply the pro
per corrective, it IS better to reform the
Government by the sword, or submit to a
Military Dictator, than to live patiently
under such corrupt Civil Government
The inference from these opinions Is too
plain to be mstakcn-it Is, that. the at
tempt, which your party assumes that It Is
now making TO put down corruption, should
not be successful, itwould then be patriotic
and right to revoluhonlze the Government
by force-and this inference corresponds
with your avowal, that in the event ofyour
defeat, the next Congress would be the last
in the l. States.
There is another strong ground for sus
pic'on. The Southern politician officially,
and in solemn Legislative acts, have de-
cldrcd sentiments leading to a dissolution
Of the Union, rather than submit TO the IL
majcaa System. tits needless to recount
the many acts and declarations to this eff
feet. which have been witnessed in that
quarter The present Administration has
nailed its flag to the American System
hence the probability, that the violent par
tsans of the Opposition in the South may
have determined, ifthey be defeated in the
Presidential Election, TO raise the military
standard in the South for a separate en-
pre--and your knowledge ofthis fact may
be your ground for experimenting, that, if
your party be found in the minority, it will
subyert the present Constitution.
/ have also been automatically informed,
that the subject of dissolving the Union
was canyassed eriouslyamong the leaders
Of your party at the last session of Con
gress. It's not probable that the project
has been concealed from you: and ! would
now ask you, whether, as a Senator ofken-
lucky, you can Justify to your conscience,
to your country, and to your God, the con-
ccalmcnt of such reasonable sentiments
and designsl Your opposition, on princi-
pie, TO the American System and the pre-
sent Administration, and your desire to
place General Jackson in the Presidency,
will not Justify you in conniying at the
reasonable views Of those, who cooperate
with YOU in pursuing these objects.
You know the temper and views of the
leaders of the Opposition, and in them you
must have grounds for the apprehension
YOU have expressed. Let us have them:
YOU have already gone too far TO rehact.
There can be no possible ground for ap.
that mere ciriHias, put in Of
flee By the People, would attempt to destroy
a government, which they are supported
by the majority IN administering. Such
fear would be ridiculous. You do not en-
tertain it. So far as you assigned to a
reason Of your opinion, It was the dissatis-
faction which could be produced in the
country by the reelection ofMr. Adams
that Is. The dissdtisfacfign 0f The D7i1or;f,,