Delaware journal., 1828-01-29
TUESDAY, 5nmuary go, 1928.

The friends of General Jackson have confidently
held him up, as the fayorte of the People-have in
sisted that IN the last election, his plurality of votes
proved him to be the choice Of the nation-and have
bitterly complained, that that choice was improper
y disappointed by the Representatives in Congress.
Never was more direct appeal to those preju-
dces and passions. which on all occasions. the good
should disdain, and the wise should repress never
was a complaint more utterly ungrounded ; and
never one more characteristic of that disregard for
the Constitution, which has been manifested on more
occasions than one, when its provisions stood in the
wayof General Jackson's march.
| Whether General Jackson is the Peoples favorite.
| is to be tested BY the event, not assumed as the
basis of the pending election. That his plurality Of
votes proved him to be the choice of the nation at
the last election, we confidently deny. 1t may,
perhaps, be found. upon examination, that while
General Jackson had plurality Of electoral votes
Mr.. Adams had plurality of votes at the polls and
we are confident. that if Mr.. Crawford and MIR.
Clay had been withdrawn from the canvass. and the
contest had been single-handed between Gen. Jack
son and Mr.. Adams, the election would have result
ed as it has done, in the choice of Mr.. Adams.
But this is not the light in which this question de-
serves consideration. The minds of the People
ought not to be influenced by such extraneous con-
siderations and above all, the principles of our
Constitution ought not to be abused, by admitting,
|
General Jackson. should have governed the choice
OF the House OF Representatives We do not mean
to say that proper respect for the wishes of the
nation, fairly ascertaned, ought not always to be
observed by its Representatives. But we do say,
that the present Chief Magistrate holds his by
the will of the People of the United States, regular
y expressed, in the only wav in which an express
sion of that will has any authority They have will
ell. in the most solemn fDrm-in the form of Con-
stitunn, which they declared shall be the supreme
law of the and-that plurality of vo es shalt not
constitute an election that when there is such plu-
rality, the Representatives shall elect, voting by
statts-thus withdrawing from the People that
equality of influence which is given them in the
first vote, and transferring it to the States in the
second. This provision of our Constitution is in
the true spirit which pervades the whole of it, ant
which marks it the result of a conference between
States, surrenderng in part. and retaining in part
their political equality Shall this spirit be appeal
ed lrom on every occasion in which it was intended
to soothe and conciliae, and the spirit of faction
invoked, to expose magistrates to unjust preju
dice and bring our institutions into discredit. Thes
things revolutionary in their tendency, and ough
to be discouraged.
OF like character is the complaint against tn
Kentucky delegation, for disregarding the instruc
tons of their Legislature. We have too much res
pect for the Legislature of Kentucky to suppose, tina
i they meant to bind the delegation by instruction
q We only suppose that they meant to furnish tn
best information in their power, of the opinions o
i the People on question which had never been sui
{. mitted to them Such information was entitled t
"a the respect due to intelligent opinion, and more
- 1t was not the constitutional organ through whc
the will of the People to be conveyed to the RI
a preventative. The Representatives in Congres
of were directly responsible to their Constituents nj
to the Legislature. And an attempt of the Legl
70 lature to control the immediate Representatives
n. the People, would be usurpation upon the rights
,o the people-an act which. instead of deserving oh
nf dence, or even respect, required resistance ar
even reprobation. The faithful Representative vi
inf obey the instructions of his constituents whenev
~ constitutionally given. He will pay respectful a
tention to their wishes, and every evidence of the
wishes. But when not bound by instruction, he W
mo look beyond the imperfect evidences OF their WI
tho informally conveyed; he will rest upon the concl
l sions of his mind, formed from the best ligf
w. he obtain will consult his country good. a
al, firmly meet the responsibility of those acts he deer
t proper for its attainment. This we believe the Ike
J. lucky delegation did They were not instructed
~ they did not choose to shelter themselves from r.
voc possibility, under the cover of legislative reco
ot mendation; consulting their own judgments, tn
l.J preferred the man thought most capable of adv;
hnr cling the interest Of his country; and there is
w. question, that Virginia then concurred in the op
W. ion, and approved the act
,ck- This vote, which, if honestly given. is an aA
pin chiefly between the Representative and his Con
con- tuens, would not have been obtruded on your att
om- ton, had it not been connected with charge
in grave import, made upon the purity of the eect
see impeaching the integrity of the Chief Magistrate
dis. the Nation, and the first member of his Cabin
ned ih's charge, IN It's strongest lor imports 'nat'
hch the last election, the vote oi te hentucky dele
ion, ton was IN tne Market 'or the h'snest pidder
,ter it was offered to candidate, and, being refu
zea by hmwas sold to the other and that the consit
h;s alton of the vote, was the Office of Secretary of ST.
bestowed on Mr.. Clay. If this were true,
should not hesitate to affirm that il stamns infa