The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-02-15

being IA majority of forty-six over all his
competitors put logelher; and be has ma
jority of all the individual votes of the peo-
pie OF the United States Of from ten TO twen
~ thousand. The exact number cannot be
ascertained, because in South Carolina the
people do no; vote; the Legislature appoint
the electors of President. Without this
State, Mr. Van Buren, has a majority of
about twenty-five thousand, according to
the calculation Of the opposition ncwspn-
pers themselves. But to make him on,
" ususper," n " minority President" they
count South Carolina as forty tho,isnnd-
the whole number being set duwn agninst
Mr.. Van Buren,, and none for him. Now,
the Unon party of that State compose from
n third to one half of its population, and
they are openly for him and would have so
given their votes, if permitted Ivy the Srale
Government Ia go to the polls and vote di-
rcctly for President. II, then, the State can
give forty thousand votes fifteen thousand
at least, aud perhaps twenty thousand,
would have been Ehr Mr.. Van Buren,, for
many nultiers would have voted for him,
! have no doubt, in preference To- any other
fifteen thousand, there would he majority
Of ten thousand against him in the State.
Deduct this from the twenty-five thousand
minority he has in the other States, aud he
has still II clear majority of the individual
votes Of the Union of at least twelve thou
sand
! lie is elected according to all the forms of
the constitution, and by these large Slate
electoral aud individual majoriies nnd yet
gentlemen call him 4" USURPER!" No:
he is the constitutional, lawful President;
and froiB Tie fDirth of March next all mcn
will he bound to obey him as such, within
the pale assigned to him by the institutions
of his country, .I
Suppose Mr.. Van Buren, had received one
vote less than enoguli to elect him, and the
question had come befhre this House In
that event, General Harrison, with seventy
three, or Judge White, with t~eniy-six
votes, mig Int have been elected. Such a
result was by M, means impossible. A dis
tinguished gentlemen from Kentucky (Mr
Harding stated upon this floor, in debate
which occurred here last session, thnt the
member who held the sent in The contested
election from North Carolina, might pos
slbly give the casting vote for President,
should the question come before us. In
yoiIDg by States, no one can. tell what the
result would have been. II one ofihe GEN
tlcmen named had been succcssful, and ne
had risen and denounced him as u USURP-
Err, aud declared war upon him in advance,
because he was IA minority President, what
astonishment would have been expressed by
the opposition What lectures would have
been delivered upon constitutional law aud
obligations The no,to would then have
been, Judge him by his acts" But now,
when our candidate is fairly elected by a
majority of the independent votes of the
Union, he is usURPER, because General
.jachsDn acas for him, or because The oppos-
ition do not like "Me man! ~ .
But # the war is to he commenced mn
mediately, under whose banner do gentle
men propose to fighil Who is the candl-
date of the several parties opposed la the
coming administration Is II Judge Man
rum, with The eleven votes of Soulh Carol-
ina to start upon Who ever thought Of
him for President, until tiiat Stale voted for
him the other dayl Is it Mr.. Webster, with
the fourteen votes of Massachusetts or
Judge White, with the twenty six votes of
Tennessee and Georgia Why, sir,
mean no disrespccl to either of these gentle
men but really with such capital as
either of them has, we should say IN the
Western plrase, " IL wout be rather duH
chance ~ Shall we have a distinguished
gentleman from Kentucky, ho was not a
in the late campaign We have
beaten him to or three times aIready, and
acc can do il again whenever his friends
choose TO bring him forward. Shall we
have the Hero of Tippecanoc upon the track
once more the worthy gentleman who was
at the head of the Clay electoral ticket of
Ohio in 1924, and who three years ago, iu
a public speech, declared that the surplus
revenue ought to he applied to the purcl,as.
of slaves in the Southern States, for the
purpose Of colonization lie, Of courst,
adopted the doctrines Of the great " "Ameri-
can SYSTEM" hc is politician of that
school. lie desires, to-, thai the taxes
levied upon the South over and abpve what
arc needed by the Government, shall be ex-
pended in buying up their slaves; or in oth<
er words, he pouid tar them to obtain mon
cy topay themfor their o,'n property! Will
the South support that doctrine!
What are to be the opinions and senti-
mcnts of the candidate, whoever he may be,
upon whom all the httie pa'fies can uuite :
Who are to he his supportersl They are
the nullifers: the antiniasons, the abolition
lists, the black cockade iederalists, aud their
regular SUCCESSORS who hold the same riu.
ciples; aud the hones,, but misguided de-
nocrats, who arc Acd away by the acts and
professions Of these various parties. What
u crew would tlis be 10 put on lr,ard the
old vessel of State! Suppose their Pre.;.