Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-05-16
THURSDAY MORNING. MAY 1e, 1889.

/ by the prac,ised, artful -slsctloneerer, a
tricks to catch the ignorant, The unwary,
the wavsring and they serve as an ex-
cuse for those, who are, at heart, against
their party, but ashamed, openly to own
ii, because restrained, perhaps. by a mar
row, selfish policy.
make no pledges to the Wings to draw
upon me their votes. could not carry
out their wishes and principles. leave
time-scrving to others. Nor shall ! speak
about its being no matter what a mans
individual sentiments are, if he is honest
and will pledge himselfto carry out our
| principles and wishes" 1t 10 not to be
believed that a representative has no con-
science of his own, no principles of his
own, and no constitutional opinions OF his
own. am not made of such stuff, and |
thank God | am not. | could not think
of taking a seat in Congress and swearing
to support the Constitution, after ! had
been pledged to do the will Of federalism.
If pretended | could, | say that no man
ought to vote for me, or rely upon any
pledges | might make to that effect.
ask, if at all to be selected, to be elected
as a Democrat, dyed in the wool rs a
| Democrat who can honestly and jealous
ly carry out Democratic principles. You
may put a horse or an accommodating
politician, who belongs to any and every
standard that pays best, in the tread mill,
for such animals have nothing to do but
go round, and will work ifyou are always
present to watch and crack the whip.
But | have yet to become a convert to
the policy Of selecting Democrats to rep
resent Federal Districts, or Federal Wings
to represent Democratic Districts, relying
on mere words, or ink shed IN pledges,
that they will faithfully represent their con.
stituents in all things, when you know,
at the same time, they cannot do SO hon.
estly, We have too many ~admonishing
examples on this head. Nine times out
of ten, we have seen, that wheE the work
of party came to be done, these pledged
gentlemen forgot or disregarded their
| pledges. The great test question then
after all is-not who will pledge himself,
| but who is the man, who Is already pied
| ged by his %well-known principles to carry
out his and your principles.
! confess, and even my political ene-
mics will admit, that | am truly OF the
| Democratic Republican party, and one
who never lost the faith-one who never
apostatised. And | will add, | never
sought office, and am in my present posi-
| ton without my own solicitation. That |
never yet bolted--have stood firm in eve.
nv conflict in my County and District, IN
the thickest Of the battle, going the whole
for principle, union and victory, no mat.
ter who was 10 the field, or chosen TO bear
the party standard and though proud of
the commission confided to me now, and
grateful for the honor, | feel p~rouder still
10 know, | have no sacrifice Of principle to
make. Personally, | care little for defeat
or victory. | can say, at least, and
claim credence with those who know me
best, that self is but a secondary conslde-
ration. My greatest solicitude arises from
the reflection, that as the chosen candi-
date of my party, if am defeated, so is
the cause. We must "sink or swim" to-
gether.
Passing on then, point to the crisis,
anG appeal to Republicans to look TO it.
The cause, the whole cause, in Virginia
and throughout the Union, is staked and
in danger. The struggle is for power
minor questions are nothing.
The choice ofPresident may be thrown
upon the House of Representatives, and
the present election, in this single District,
for aught we know, may settle, whether
Van Buren, or Clay shall be elected; that
is, whether the Republican or Federal
Wing party shall rule the country.
view, therefore, the election in this
District, as connected, necessarily, with
the great question, who shall be The next
President, and that as involving all other
questions, which have ever divided, and
still do divide, the two great parties, and
of course as involving all our principles.
The present parties, | do consider the
same, now, in principle, as they have al-
ways been, though one has changed its
lame.
1.-THE Wing party succeed, while 1t
will come in under its present cognomen,
II Will come III WIN is olu Sucioi Pi''Si'
pies unchanged. Its new-fangled DOC
trines but float at the surface. Without
laying any claim to the gift Of prophecy,
if such a disaster befall our cause, ven.
ture to predict a sure and certain fall to
this Republic.
That party does not admit, and may
n O be expected to regard in practice, the
-
wise and necessary limitations of power.
1t is latitudinarian in its construction OF
our great chart-our Federal Constitution.
1t claims, and implies, powers not confer
red by its wise and immortal trainers, but
denied and withheld, and some of them,
expressly, as in their opinion, dangerous
to liberty.
Whatever I may think Of the honesty
ri. Whios I rnust he so hold ne 10 ga ".