, 1840-07-25

other candidates of the same party; and in
q little while il will be deemed impairment
in the people to make any inquiry into the
political sentiments of candidates. Mr.. Van
Buren, answers every material inquiry that
is addressed to him. Acting upon the Dem
ocratic principles of responsibility, he freely
declares his opinions upon the great questions
of Abolitionism, suppression of slavery IN
the District of Columbia, establishment OF a
national bank, the revival Of the internal i'm
provement system, the protective tariff, &c,
&c. Although pressed with public business
in his arduous and responsible station, he
finds time to answers all material inquiries. The
Democratic convention which nominated
him at Baltimore, made a full declaration oil
the principles of the party. Neither this
convention. nor its candidate had any thing
to conceal; and they conceal nothing
Not so with the Opposition. They preserve
the silence of the tomb IN the questions N
which the people have a right to explicit an
swers. The Harrisburg convention. and its
candidate, refuse to speak out. They refuse
10 answer vital questions. respectfully pro-
pounded, and essentially necessary to the
proper exercise of the elective franchise. In
stead of answering and declaring their prin-
ciples, they seem to make a burlesque Of the
election. and build cabins in cities, pull ca
noes about on dry ground, exhibit gourds and
coon skins. sing-songs. and drink cider, hard
enough to excite and inf1ame the spirits.
and 10 drown reason and judgment. This
is precisely as General Hamilton intended,
when he spoke Of the turbulent spirit Of
democracy going like wild-fre. 1t is all an
insult to our form of government, and to the
intelligence and patriotism Of the voters, and
we trust will be viewed and treated accor-
dinghy.
The example now set BY the Federal par
ty in refusing to make a declaration Of prin-
ciples, and by their candidate in refusing TO
answer important political and constitutional!
questions, respectfully addressed TO him. are
the first instances OF the kind in the fourteen
elections which ffly-two years of our polit-
ical existence have presented TO US; that
these ~refusals are ominous for the elective
franchise; that they are in keeping with the
disbelief in the capacity of the people for
selEgovernment which Gen Hamilton ex-
pressed in the convention of 1897; and that,
if tolerated now, the privilege Of voting
becomes an empty farce. And here let US
examine this point, and see what was the
of the refusal of the Harrisburg con-
to make a declaration Of p incipIes.
That re Ison is found in the mixed compost
ton Of the convention itself: A~liolitinnists-
Federalits of the Hamiltonian school-de-
serters from Observation-Disclosures, these
composed the covention; and in such an as
semblage no declaration of principles could
have been made without dissolving the hete-
mass which agrees in nothing ex-
in love of office and hatred Of the Demo-
Of these four parties c~ongregated
at Harrisburg, the AdOlitionisfs were pre-
dominant, and carried the nomination of
their favorite: the Federalists were the nexl
strongest. and cordially acted with them
And now it is rs clear as the noon day sun,
if these parties succeeded in the cleo
lion (of which we could not feel a fear with.
out distrusting the capacity of the people for
selfgorernmenI) the succeeding Administra-
ton will be ruled and conducted by the Fed
~eralisls and Abolitionists. The effect Of
such an administration upon the form of our
the liberty and happiness of the
the stability Of the Union, and the
Of our posterity, must be too melan-
to be contemplated; and we consider
ourselves as discharging a sacred duty to our
constituents in making this candid and re-
communication to them. This is
the first time that your delegation has felt it
to be a duty to make II joint communication
TO you on the public affairs. We do it now
under an imperious sense of duty. from a
regard for the Democratic cause, and in the
hope that it may save some of our fellow
citizens from the receptions and impositions
to be practised upon them.
Placed here by your confidence, and bound
by duty as well as inclination to make ON
cause with you in defending democracy,
md in resisting the motley combination now
,rrayed against it, we take a pride and pleas.
ire in communicating thus freely to you, and
N expressing our full confidence that we
triumph in this contest as we have done
n many others; and that the result will give
to the public prosperity, security to
he Constitution, and permanency to the
Union.
Many local measures for the benefit Of
'ur State, or its citizens, have been delayed
md jeoparded by the extraordinary events
'f the present session; among others the