Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-10-10
NUMBER 81.

A ARt&At<l ~
Archer, Of Ameliai Tucker, Of Bruuswick; Bon
durant, Of Buckingham: witcher. Of PitSyivshisy
Radford, Of Bedford; McCandlish, of Williams.
burg Semple, Of Essex; Carter, Of Richmohd
County; Coles, Of Albemarle Pendleton, Of Rsp-
pahaunock Henderson, Of Loudoun; Conrad, 1t
Frederick Lewis, Of Rockingham; Dormsns of
Rockbridge; johnson, Of Botetourt5 Patrick d
kanawha; Baldwin, Of augusta; Gooding, ofOhiot
Johnson, Of Richmond City; and Taylor. of Ches-
serfeld.
On motion Of Mr.. LEiuH, ii was ordered, that
when this Convention adjourn, Il will adjourn until
tomorrow morning, IL o'clock.
And then the Convention, on motion Of Mr..
WIrcmKR, I'D iourned.
THURSDAY, SRrrEMpsn rs.
orlvYn H. LOGAN, Esq, a Delegate from Tho
County Of Acconac, appeared and took hts sest.
The President announced the presence Of th6
Res. Mi. CALnooE, d minister Of the Presbyterian
persuasion, who was requested to open the meeting
with prayer, and who did 50 accordingly In most
uppropriatc md patriotic manner.
Mr.. LEIon, from the COMMITTEES d Is, reported
the following Preamble and Resolutions for ths
adoption of the Conventions
WnxRrss, ii Is the deliberate and consideration
opinion Of this Convention, that the leading meas
sores oFthe present Chief Magistrate Of the United
States, and or his immediate predecessor, and tho
| principles introduced by the one into the admini6s
trntion Of the federal government, and on which thu
other mas actcd. Is still acting, and seems indeed
under q moral necessity Of continuing 70 act, have
wrought q practical change IN the poiitcal inss'tu.
tons Of the country, most pernioious 70 itscli. snd
~frauglt (unless |, be timely counteracted) with TIM
utmost danger to The very being Of republican 81
| vesnsnent; wr, therefore, regard Il ~ . solemn dus
", imposed upon us by every confederation that
| should move republicans and patriots to e~xerti0n,
10 endeaynr, BY all fair, honorable, shd c~onstitus
iional means, TO prevent The reelection Of Martina
Van Buren, 10 the Office Of President Of the United
States, and 10 raise 10 thai high station, some ablej
honcst, and magnanimous statesman, who will bring
virtue and wisdom to our executive councils, and
conform the administration with the true ropubii-
can principles OF the constitution.
We have seen the patronage Of the executive abus
sed and perverted 10 tho nero purpose Of sustaining
thn President in the exercise Of a controlling iniit.
encc over all the other constituted authorities Of tho
! government. We have seen men appointed e oti-
cer Of trtls, and emolun,ent, without any merit. Or
pretensu IL merit, but a blind and u~ndiscriminatiuS
| supper, of lhe measures Of the administration, how
| eve, Inconsistent with the professions which recon-.
mend a he administration 10 power. We have
| Seen officers removed from place, without the iins
uutn,ion Of my fault, but occasional independence
of opinion and conduct, or want Of influence, OF @
zeal and activity ia the paItizan service exacted Of
| them; such abuses Ct the power of removal from
office. az, In the opinion OF the first Coneress, BY
| whom, IN truth, thai power whb conferred, amount
10 impeochabIe offences. We have sean ~oi6cerss
ia .everal. instances, missrplying unsccounted thou.
! sands Of public treasure 10 their private use, and
sudacioisly ~pefsisting In their refusal TO pay public
moneys iotu the treasury yet, still wiiiulty setain..
IA IN Office, In consideration Of their ability end
influence MS ~partissns to support the Adn'ihistratIoh
and its friends. We have seen officers Of govern
meut contributing ratabls proportions Of their sala-
ries TO y fund TO be employed In influencing popular
elections thus coirupiing the governments IN -
very sources, and deprnving public rnoraisl enus
though the facts have been proved to the admins.
,rn,ion md 10 the world, set, by tho wilful neglect
of The executive to remove those officers from place.
hey have been countenanced and encouraged r.
their criminal practices. We have seen men fejccs
led or discarded BY the people, from public truets
sought at their hands, Immediately indemnihed n
the executive for their disappointment, BY onices
conferred on them, Of honor, tfust, ana emoiumens.
Wa hayoFscen The executive patronage enlarged
and extended by such an eatrsvaKant and wastcloi
expenditure rs no man had imagined the possibility
Of: ard BY the corrupt and cbrrupting influence o.
that IA, ronage, we now End the executive Exalted
above the Legislature all the powers Of Sovcrhs
mcn', in effect, concentrated IN tho President, end
the just power Of Congress-of the representatives
Of the people, and especially o. the fePresonsss.ss
OF the States, reduced TO insignifcance and con-
tempt. We have seen the executive veto, destgnsd!
BY the Constitution only ~ a check upon hasty and
unadvised legislation Of Copgtess, exefcised on %
many occasions, and in 20 many forms, - would
have shaken a British Monarch from bis thronsi 70
excrcis.d, thar ii has ceased to be : passive, and bee
become an active Legislative power 20 exersssea,
IN, !, ~. become. 4 vast; various and overwhelming
braneh Of prerogaiive: 80 exercised, that the Pses
idep, Is continually defeating the will Of Cohgvese,
has, in effect constituted, hinself The suprsape iaws
giyer Of the land. We have seen tho Preeiucns
PROPOSING measures for regulating the whoIs hnsn-
cial system Of the government such measures, -
Il belongs in a peculiar manner 10 ConEress 70 -
wise and to provide. and which the resident astns
most. has onI, q right to recommend: perSisting,
for years, in pressing the adoption Of those msae-
ures upon the Legislature, in spite Of the disaPPro-