Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-09-29

cheering, anlrnating all, backed Dy
the public treasures ofland and money,
which it is made a merit to squander,
have been and are straining every
nerve Of open and secret influence 10
induce you to confirm the choice.
Fellow citizens, is this dictatlon, or
is it not 7 Is this leaving the elective
franchise free, and excluding the inter.
ference Of Federal officers thereifom
Is there man Of you, who does MOI
see. and feel, and know, that II he de-
| s;res TO elect any other than Van Bu-
rem 10 the Presidency, he will have to
struggle againstthe whole strength and
influence Of the Government excrted
10 the utmost? We trust you are not
so far sunk in apathy or serviiity as
not to heed this planned and deliberate
scheme 10 forestal, and bind and defeat
the freedom Of your choice; or, heed
ing it, not to rise indignant and spurn
the impudent attempt.
You arc not to be hood winked--no
man who docs not wish to deceive him.
self, is to be deluded for an instant, by
the shallow plot at Baltimore, TO con-
vert the dictation of the President into
recommendation Of the people. The
origin and history Of that Convention
are well known to you. Itself q
mockcry, it is fit only for the derision
and contempt which has every where
overwhelmed it. You know well that
it was not you, that il was not the PEG.
pie, who devised or pcrpetrated it,
They were guiltless of all share in the
grave and impotent delusion. A con-
vention Of delegates without constitu-
ents, got up by oflice.holders and de-
mngogucs to anoint the favoriie ofthe
President, as the chosen one of the
people it can be compared to nothing
but the troops ofthe palace, confirming
in the name of the people the Empe-
ror's designation of his successor
Aud while we hope that its effect will
be TO disgust many of those who incon-
sidcrotely lent their countenance to H.,
we shall be content if the Candidate
there nominated shall receive only the
votes who were there represented
More cannot with any show OF decen-
cy be claimed.
Fellow citizens, the character of q
Government depends not more, nay
less--infnitely less-upon the forms OF
its constitution, than upon the practice
under lt-upon the manner in which it
is actually carried on. The forms Of
Roman Repubicanism were with scru-
pulous care observed in the worst ages
of Roman Despotism. During the first
FIVE administrations Of your govern.
ment, it was an established practice,
recommended by the most obvious and
urgent reasons, for the President to
abstain from all participation in the
choice of his successor, and not only
to withhold the use Of his power and
patronage in favor Of any candidate,
but to suppress the utterance of any
of his own private wishes and opinions.
That practice, violated in some ipstan-
ce. by the younger Adams, you deter
mined to restore. You elected Gen.
Jackson to restore it, and he pledged
himselfto do SO. If you permit the
present effort to be successful, Of WELD
ing all the great influence Of his per-
sonal favor, and the immense resour
ces of his office, 10 secure the appoint
ment Of his favorite to the succession,
what will you do but utterly abrogate
the old practice and adopt the new p
Phat done, what is there to hinder
new President from serving a third,
fourth, or any number of terms 3
There is nothing but practice of the
Government. The Constitution does
not forbid it, and practices you change
at pleasure. 1t will be absurd to per-
nit him to choose for you, who is not
most worthy to be himself chosen and
the subject of your highest confidence
will soon find himself the object of his
own preference, and next to himself he
will find his offspring nearest to his
love, and therefore worthiest of yours.
1t is not necessary to pursue these re-
Elections. Your own minds will sug-
gest their results. Power begets the
love of power. General Jackson even,
elected expressly and avowedly for
one term only, could not resist the
temptation Of second. Nay, power
begets power. Every gain is the
means of a new acquisition every ac-
quiescence of the people is precedent
for new submission. 1t is thus that
all Republics have persisted. The
price of liberty is perpetual vigilance
and resistance-and if you now slum.
Der and resist not +; if you now concede
that which is now demanded of you by
the Government, it is easy to predict
that the time is not very remote when
you will either lack nothing of monar-
chy but the name Of King, Or be driven
to seek freedom in revolution.
If the argument addressed to you on
the other side, that Mr.. Van Buren, is