The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-10-29

! They cannot expect tis 70 believe that III y
were unacquainted with tile pretended secrets Of
Stevenson, and yet do they fepcl the informer'
DO they take fire at the insult Of being applied
| to sell their influence, their recommendation to
office, in return for the accusation of their fellow
citizens? Can il be that the frequent prostitu-
| ton of that ma ience, the habit OF rewarding
party services with the spoils of office, had dead
ened the sense of insult at being applied to for
such purpose? Certain it is, that the man,
coming an intoImer, asking to be suborned,
was not neglected.
| The powers of persuasion of Mr.. Butler were,
as he saws, used to rcpcl the idea of an official
! reward and on him the whole of this service APP
pears to have devolved. But did it not occur to
those men, at that interview, that the very pro
posal made to them, showed that they must be
dealing, if their own statement be trne, with
one who was unworthy of belief, and an unfit
| associate; that their duty to their neighbours
good name, as well as truth and honor, required
| them to have no communication with what must
have seemed to them so polluted a sources But
they held on to the man: tried to persuade him
| to their service; and, finding themselves unable,
they fell back upon the retailed hearsay of the
original Stevenson.
This it is which they have spread abroad in
| order to divert from public questions the atten-
ton of intelligent and honest people; to divert
from official misconduct and bad government,
Upon this plot, base in all its aspects, and up
on its authors, l invoke your just sentence.
Shall this abortive tampering ripen into a sue
cessful frauds This question, my fellow citi-
zens, is for you to decide.
The extent to which dependents upon the
public treasury have interfered with elections
is already as shameless in its character as it is
dangerous in its tendency. Their interference to
its present extent in our electiens is most for
midable evil, always operating to shelter official
misconduct and to oppose salutary reforms. OPP
position to this system is one of the principles
of the party with which l act.
But how is this danger increased when the
officers of the Federal Government convene as
body of inquisitors, and seek to procure from
a man appearing before them, as they themselves
say, without any credibility, and with the avow-
ed purpose of being suborned, charges Of fraud
upon their fellow citizens2 Charges against
men whom they assail for opposing their opin-
ions and jeoparding their offices. My fellow
citizens, it is for YOU to say whether such a
system shall receive your sanction.
To me, personally, your service in Congress
now will be most costly sacrifice OF time, OF
private interest and domestic comfort. But |
know that in offering to sacrifice them, do but
discharge duty both to you and to myself; to
you, as presenting the questi IN not merely whe-
Their you sanction the general measures of the
present Administration, but whether you will
permit the offices, which are wholly your gift,
to be thus prostituted and abused; duty to my
self, as throwing myself upon your sense of jus
tice, as well as your hatred Of fraud and trick,
for a triumph over such combination
My fellow citizens, those who are the actors
in this attempt at operating upon your election
of a chief magistrate, have shown how unscru-
pulous they are of public wrong and private in
jury. 1t will be most extraordinary il, with the
stake before them, they shall omit any effort
which may promise success SANDER and false
hood they really weld; that they are not shock
ed with subornation, their tampering with Client
worth fully shows. That they will attempt to
cover me with ISLANDERS, that they will, in some
other mode, seek to impose other falsehoods, at
time too late for contradiction, am not to
doubt; fearlessly encounter them all.
l bare myself to their attacks. Upon your
intelligence, your aversion to such principles of
management, upon your fixed determination for
reform, | rely for your suffrages. Upon your
care for your own honor, your sentiments as
honest men, and your general intelligence,
rely for protection of my good name against
persecution and calumny.
MOSES GRINNRLL.
New York, October &c, 1S40