The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-12-23

ness and prosperity, and subyersive of the princip
OF our Republican system Of Government
mus admitting that only few short months since
ne was me enemy OF popular rights II he has now
oecome the friend OF popular rights, so much tbs
oeieri but pure and patriotic as he now pretends 10
pc mere are those who still distrus the sincerity Of
In the district represented BY me there ARE ,hir.
hye counties sixteen only Of which were represent
ed IN The convention, and Of those sixteen il NAV ba
safely averred, that not one-wen,eth part Of the
people participated in the election OF the dipnaarex
| that formed that convention. How then could This
body OF men have claimed 10 represent The great
mass OF the democratic party, in fact of any party
| except few loco-focos
have said that the ayowed and ostensibe object
/ Tor which this convention assembled was the nomi
| nation Of a candidate for Congress. No other pur
pose was ever alleged, or thought of, even By The
very limited number of the people that attended the
| primary meetings. But how did this body of usur
| pers act when assembled Did they proceed 10 the
! performance Of the duty for which they were pre-.
| tended to be chosen No The very first act after
their organization, was the exercise OF unwaranl.
able assumption of power never conferred nor in.
tended to be conferred upon them, by the people
| would respectfully ask the people Of my district
whether they give their sanction and approval
10 the following resolution adopted by the convea.
| ton
Resolrcd, That the Hon William L. May, mem.
Der OF Congress from this district has diSregarded
and forfeited the pledges given TO his constituents
before his election TO the Office which he now occu.
pies, and that he be respectfully requested to resign
his seat in Congress in consideration of his opposi-
tento the party and principles which elevated him
This resolution bears upon its face the most papa-
BILE fsehood, and every man in the Convention who
voted for its adoption, gave his sanction and appro-
val 10 charges which he must have known 10 be
false. What pledge made by me 10 my constituents
| has ever been forfeited None; and ! challenge
the utmost scrutiny OF my enemies TO show that, in a
solitary instance, have not redeemed every pledge
| made by me. Did pledge myself to the support Of
i hi not. fnrp
friend of the Administration, as have shown in my
| late Circular, with one exception, repudiated this
very measure in 1885 and | but maintain the same
| position now that occupied then The fault is not
/ that have changed my ground, but that have re-
| fused 10 change, and support measure which re-
| ceiyed the unqualified condemnation Of Gen. Jack .
son, during his Administration and which was pro
nounced, on all hands, as revolutionary and dsor-
] ganizng, and tending more than any thing tina, had
ever been proposed, to consolidation. There needs
but the union of the moneyed power of this govern
| ment with the power of the Executive already too
overgrown, by reason of the immense patronage at
tached to the Office TO render the President more po
tent than any sovereign OF Europe and is strange
passing strange, that these watchfu guardians Of the
| peoples rights, those pure and exclusive PATROLS
| who can discover so much danger in bank OF the
United States, unable to perceive the slightest
cause of alarm in making the Executive the great
| national banker and thus uniting, in their
phrase the aristocracy of wealth" with the patron
age of the government against the democracy Of
| numbers" OF so fearful a nature do regard the
union Of the purse with the government that would
suffer maryrdom sooner than lend il the least sup
| port
| The legislature may instruct me to do So and will
| with pleasure resign my seat to make place for
more obedient to Executive authority, and more viii
ling 10 sacrifice his country in his blind gal and
bigotted devotion to party but will nerer, neter,
abae one jot or title in my opposition TO scheme
fraught with much danger to the Liberties Of the
people.
| Icannot believe that my constituents at the time
they elevated me to my present station regarded me
as mere machine, TO be propelled or acted upon,
only by the will of the Executive; that they ex-
pected me TO support every measure that might be re-
commended by that officer whether my Judgment
approved it or not. If they did, they have grossly
mistaken my character; for would scorn to pur
chase their favor by such vile suhserviency or hold
| Office by tenure SO disgraceful. Whenever the
| representatives of the people are required TO yield
| implicit obedience to Executive recommendation,
then, the Congress is useless and unnecessary ap
pendage of government, and the President alone BE-
| comes the law-making power 10 public opinion,
when properly expressed / shall always yield due
difference and implicit submission but have too
much respect for the intelligence and virtue Of the
people, to regard the acts ofthe Peoria Convention
as emanations of popular sentiment think have
i shown that in voting against the ub-Treasury
scheme have violated no pledge, and had the Con
vention specified the particular instance in which
had done so, ii would have saved me the trouble OF
preparing this defence of my votes.
Did violate any pledge given, in voting against
the issue of Treasury notes Certainly not for
no one apprehended that the government would be
driven to the necessity Of resorting that measure
measure which General Jackson in one of his let
| ters to the Globe, declared to be unconstitutional
Did violate any given pledge in voting against the
| postponement of the payment of the fourth install
| ment, due the States under the Deposite act 1t
cannot be pretended, for recourse TO this like the
last mentioned measure, was never anticipated? The
truth is have violated no pledge and appeal
| from the decision OF packed and corrupt Conven-
ton, and throw myself upon the country at large for
| trial But this august body Of men, after having
charged me with violation of pledges given res
| pectfully request me 10 resign my seat | know OF
no better method than to treat this request with silent
| and sovereign contempt. willnow close this commu
| nicaon by noticing one other act OF the Convention,
embraced in the following resolution
" Resolred, That in the opinion OF this Convention,
the appointment of H. b. TTuett 10 the office
of register OF the land office at Gaena, was not in
accordance with The wishes and feelings Of the demo
cratic party in this district and that his standing IS
such as to require Of recommendation to the Pre-
sdent for his immediate removal"
The President is here requested to remove from
office man who has scarcely entered upon the dis
charge of his official duties; and against whom not
the slightest complaint has been alleged
1t is not pretended that he is no, honest-that he is
not compeient-that he is not, in point of standing, at
least the equal of any one Of the respectable dele
gates Of the Convention, nor is it even asserted PoN-
tireiy, that he is not acceptable TO majority OF ne
great body of the people. Nor can il be pretended
that he is at all deficient in that indispensable requI
site and universal passport to Executive tavor-deNo
ton TO the Administration For he has been, and i'll
is a warm supporter of Gen. jackson as well as Of
Mr.. Van Buren,. But the five loaves and two small
fishes are desired by certain followers Of the camp,
whose Impotence and ravenous desire to feed a. the
public expense, cannot longer be restrained have
always supposed that the people ie no other interest
in having an Office filed, than that the incumbent
should discharge its duties with fidelity to the go
vernment and acceptably TO themselves, and when
Mr. Tfuett ceases TO do the other, ii will then
be time TO take the necessary steps 10 effect his reno
val This resolution than any thing else, Dis
closes the feelings and objects the Convention really
had in view. Under the cloak Of patriotism, and q