The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-03-09
MaTYoMaL REPUBLICAN, CONVENTION

IL was voted unanimously, that his Excellency
LEVi LINCOLN, and his Honor, THOMAS L
WIN 1ttOP, be recommended to the electors o.
massachusetts, candidates for reelection to the
ohces OF Governor and Lieut.. Governor for the
ensuing political year; and committee was ap-
, pointed to wait on His Excelency, the Governor
, aud Ills Honor, the, Lieut.. Governor, and request
their consent as candidates
1t was also voted 0aaniraousl,, that Hon HEN.
RY CLAY Of Kentucky, be nominated by the Con
/, vehuon, as candidate for the Presidency Of the
C'stteo STATES tor the ensuing national election ;
ana committee was appointed to prepare an ad
uress ana accompanying resolutions and to report
the same at an adjourned meeting The neetino
was then adjourned to Thursday evening. Path tlt
, when the committee appointed to wait upon His
EXeenency, the Governor, and His Honor the Lieut.
Governor, reported that they had attended to that
duty, and that the gentlemen nominated had sew.
orally signifed their acceptance.
Arrangements were made for the appointnolrt of
delegates TO National Convention preparatory to
the next Residential Election, should such Con
vention be'held
The committee appointed to prepare an address
and resolutions reported the following
ADDRESS
! To the Electors Of Massachusetts.
Fellow Citizens 1t is a matter of much cencrat-
ulation to US that in acquittng ourselves ola duty
winch has deVolVed by usage upon the Legislative
Convention we have only, as far as the State Gov
eminent lsconcerned, to perform the agreeable
task OF recommending anew to your suffrares as
candidates for the Offices ofGoyernor and Lieutep
ant Governor the same distinguished citizens who
nave already occupied them several years The
great prosperity which the Commonwealth has en-
loyed under their adminlstraton-the iudicions and
impartial manner in which the appointing nover
mas been exercised, especially in some remarkable
instances during the last year-are the hest owl
oenees we could have of their qualifications for
pubIe employment; and it is therefore with nerfaet
commence that
reelection, " ~" Aoh
1t is much to be regretted that the political af.
fairs of the Union are in less satisfactory stata
than those of our own Commonwealth and we
Moulu giaoiy spare ourselves and you the pain of
recurring to them. But the time has now arrived
when 1t has become necessary for the peonle tn
look forward to the next election of a Chief Nag;s
trate for this great Republic and to make nm tbeir
minds respecting the direction they will give their
woes ana influence on that important occasion A
deliberate review of the course of the present ad.
mnlstration has satisfied US that the people of Mss
sachusetts cannot with proprety aid in re-electiro
the present President, should he even consent.ss
as he can hardly do with decent regard to common
i sonslstency-to be considered a candidate-and
we have deemed it our duty to Law before von tba
views that have led US to this conclusion
NO President ever entered on the duties of bs
Hgh station under circumstances more favorable
to successful discharge Of them than General
Jackson The country, thanks to Providence and
"biiiby WHICH tHe puDile affairs had banp
administered by the preceding administration. was
IN high and palmy state of prosperity. We had
nothing better to wish hope than that we miobt
remain politically precisely as we we've The
PRESIDENT himself, was invested with personal
popularity which concealed anv want of can.cit,,
for the office. that might have been suspected from
some parts OF his previous conduct and conciliat-
ed the general favor before hand to all his meas
ures. There was no disposition, at least in tbis
quarter OF the country, to commence premature
or isctlous opposition to his administration and
there can be little doubt, that had he conducted
himself with tolerable prudence and discretion. he
might have secured his reelection had he desired
1t, by nearly unanimous vote. Even as long as a
year alter his Induction into Office the last Legis
lative convention which preceded us in this place
declined to express any decided dsapprobaton of
his general policy and contented themselves with
declaring thair wish and hope, that the grave or
rors which had marked tho commencement of his
official career, might still be redeemed by the wis.,
dom of its and close.
1t was, however, but too apparent even then that
such result was rather to be hoped than exnect-
ed. The very first official publication of the Pres
dent, his Inaugural address, had included an inde-
cate tenuneiation of his predecessors statesman.
to whom. Independently of his high claims on eve
~ account to respect General Jackson was him
self under the strongest personal obligations that
one man could possibly owe to another. 1t is dill
hcult TO say whether the sweeping charge of cor.
ruption which the President thought proper to
make upon that occasion, against the admnistra-
ton OF his illustriops competitor more at va.
Renee with TRUTH decorum, the natural eelinps
Of generous and an honorable man. Ii awakened
IN the minds OF every friend of the country painful
ore5odngs OF the nature of the consequences that
were to follow upon such commencement.
These forebodngs we're too soon realized The
next act of the administration was general remov
al of all the public agents high and low who we're
not recommended by attachment to the person or
party of the President The extent to which this
system was carried is evinced by the single fact
that within month after the Inauguration of Gen
f sral jackson more persons were removed from of
hce than during the whole forty years that had
elapsed since the adoption of the present Censttu-
ton. The foreign ministers recalled at a
large expense to the country and in cases with
out the observance of the common forms of civil-
tY towards them the Governments near which
: they were accredited Among the victims of pro-
scription at home some of the most respeeta-
Bile and interesting persons in the country-veter-
ans who after fighting the battles of the war OF In
, dependence had been placed by the Justice of the
: Government IN the offices they held and were now
fudely thrust out of them to endure at an advapc-
ed age the miseres of actual want as reward for
the devotion of their whole lives to the service OF
the country. This was not all. Not only were the
most meritorous and valuable public agents Iindis
J criminately removed from office, but an atterpt
was made to destroy their good name. This uni
: versal prescription taken in connection with thu
tenor OF the inaugural address amount to n charg,
ofuniversal corruption. Common justice require,
that the individuals against whom such a charge
was directed should have had the opportunity Q
defending themselves. None was given No en-
curry was ordered No specifications were made
NO examination was had. In some instances whe
an explanation was demanded it was coolly replie
that none would be given. Even this was not III
D worst. Attempts were made in more than one cas-
/ under pretence OF stricter control Of accounts
q deprive these victims of persecution of the scant
. remnant of their means OF subsistence. 1t is Ii
eral tact, that most respectable public servant
e more than eighty years of age, was not only reno,
ed and thrown upon the world. but actually ha
his furniture seized under treasury warrant ,
u distress on false preteuce of pccuaton, at tim
l. when, as appears from subsequent decree Of ii
n competent tribunal, the United States owed hi
twelve thousand dollars.
is Yhe history of the administration of civilizt
governments presents no parallel to this scene.-
After while, the charge Of corruption seems
have been abandoned; and in his first message
n Congress the President justified himself on Il
ii principle of rotation in office, affecting to suppo
Tvs that the Ouhlic yypuld from