The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-05-28

VAN BUREN, CONVENTION. =
We have seen call for a Convention,
which is to be held in this place on the
9th Of June, prox. The object of call.
ing this Convention is professedly to
appoint Delegates who are to meet in
Grand Territorial Convention somewhere
and at some place not yet agreed upon,
for the purpose Of nominating party
candidate for Delegate to Congress.
81 We perceive the names OF several
office holders, and sub office holders, on
the call who are dependent on the Gov
eminent directly or indirectly for their
bread, and it is headed by one who does
not reside in the county-we allude to
A. Ladd, who has always been a favor
lite of ours, barring his politics-and who
has been living at Fort Madison ever
since he was appointed Superintendent
of the Penitentiary. We understand that
he has even declined serving on jury IN
this city on the ground that he was CT
tizen of Lee county. This was polite
move on the part of the projectors of
this call, and has doubtless enabled them
to obtain many signatures, which they
could not otherwise have obtained.
Strained efforts have apparently been
made to prevent its appearing to be,
what, in our estimation it may with
great propriety be called, "The Office
Holders Convention" AS far as we
have been able to learn the people Of this
Territory have never been anxious to
draw the party lines in this or in any
other way, and never did any Of them
give their countenance to the measure,
until they were harassed into it by the
scarecrow cry Of 1.-THE Democracy in
danger" which was urged by those who
now hold lucrative Office under govern
ment. The political existence of these
Office holders hangs, as every one knows,
on their success in these lnaneuvrings.
The people are not to be the gamers.
This specious and hypocritical cant a.
bout SAVING the democracy has more
direct tendency to crush it, than any
thing else.. One of the most glorious
privileges oftrue democracy is to permit
the people to have a free choice in all
matters of legislative policy, and may a
experimenting Providence prevent them
from ever becoming so far Hoodwinked
as to be willing to ,relinquish this privi-
lege. The people need none Of those
clothed in little brief authority to die
tate to them and urge upon them the ne
cessity of placing certain men in Office to
secure the permanoacy of the true de-
rnocratic principle. 1t will live, and grow
and flourish, better without than with the
interference of partizan office holders.
So at least thought Thomas Jefferson.
The people, ever vigilant, ever watch
full, are fully capable Of Judging for them
selves in these matters and although
the opposition party to which we belong
have often been falsely accused of be-
lieving in a different doctrine-the prac.
tical application Of this opposite doctrine
has been more extensively and mis-
chievously carried out by the leaders of,
the Van Buren, party, than by any other
set Of men in the country, and they know
it.
What has been their general action in
Conventions similar to the one proposed
to be holden in this Territory Why,
q few Of the principal leaders or office.
holders concert together in secret con-
clave-digest and mature their plans
determine who of their party shall and
who shall net be candidates then, in
open Convention. when they can succeed
IN getting one up, as if by mere acct
dent they perchance may whisper in the
ear Of some of their tools, directing them
to nominate such and such individuals.
This is done. The mass of the meeting.
not having made up their minds in rela-
ton to the candidates, and not, being pre.
pared TO offer opposition to such nomina.
tons. generally acquiesce, and it all passes
off as if these nominations were really
the public sentiment Of those present.
while in fact it is the mere dictation and
maneuyringof thesewire.pullers that have
brought about the result, they OBJ
tain their triumphs in this way. Who
will question that half the so.called demo.
cratic convention nominations are made
in this way? Is this democracy! Yes,
it is the patent democracy of the Office