The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-19
VAR. FkendalPs Address TO the People Of the
United states.

| NARTlN vi. MACK, secretary.
NAr. Fkendalrs Address TO the People Of tn,
United States.
Our country presents a new spectacle
Tor the contemplation of mankind.
A candidate for the Presidency is ask
ing the suflrages of our people, and at the
same time refuses to answer the questions
they put to him for the purpose of salty.
ing themselves as to the principles ant
policy by which he will be governed, il
elected. With his own consent, a com
mittee is interposed between him and his
countrymen, not to aid him in giving frank
replies TO their reasonable inquiries, bu
to cut off direct communication, and keep
his opinions from the public. A free and
intelligent people, whose precious right
it is to ask and obtain the views of every
man who seeks their suffragcs, upon ev-
cry topic appertaining to their govern
ment, are blunty told that they shall not
enjoy this right, but shall take candi-
date for the Presidency upon trust. They
are asked TO relax that eternal vigilance,
which is truly "the price of liberty" and
blindly submit themselves, if not to a
"king who can do no wrong" to Chief
Magistrate who assumes the attitude OF
responsibility and surrounds himself
with ministers, even before the crown OF
power has been placed on his head!
This candidate was nominated by a
convention, not because they considered
him the ablest man of their party, or at
all qualified for the station, but merely
because he had once been a General.
Having seen the people place the heroic
Jackson in the chair of state, notwithstan-
ding their unceasing denunciations of mil
itary chieftains,' they weakly expect to
avail themselves, in their stuggle for pow
or, of the same devotion and enthusiasm,
by presenting the name of another who
worn the uniform of his county, and
attained to the same rank. They did not
accord to the people sense enough to dis
between the weak and inefi-
cient chieftain. who, after series of mil
ltary plumbers, fortunately for mis- country
resigned his commission in the midst of
the war, and the real hero who took it
up and closed that war in a blaze of glory
at New Orleans.
Under this fatal error, the convention,
instead of presenting in an address
Or resolutions the principles which would
the administration of their candi-
date, if elected, concerted general move
ment throughout the Union to give celia.
to their nomination by simultaneous
shout TO the military glories, which, after
an oblivion of twenty-five years, are now
Tor the first time discovered to be worthy
OF commemoration in feasts and in song.
We have accordingly seen vast assemble
ges collected together, at great labor and
cost, not to respond to any principle or
listen to any argument, but to drown the
voice OF reason in the shouts OF revelrv.
and lead captive the feelings of the people
IN senseless excitement. Huzzas for
he newly-found hero, annunciations of
lis poverty, of his residence in log
;aoln, and love of hard cider; the hauling
d miniature log-cabins, and canoes, and
;ider barrels through the streets; the roll.
ng OF balls, and the display of banners
win unmeanlng mottos; doggered rhymes
md vulgar pictures; the drinking of cider,
he mumbing of gingerbread, and imita.
ing the cries of birds and beasts, with 9TH
II mlmery and mockcry, as disgraceful
o the country as it is insulting to the peo-
Die, are the new means Of eIectioneernc,
~ which 1t is vainly expected to induce
he community to surrender itself, like the
harmed bird, to the jaws of the willy ser
)cnt which stands ready to devour il. Bv
arguments like these, it is expected to per-
uade the freemen Of America to surren-
Ter their right to know the political opin-
ons Of the candidates, and take him. for
'e'ter or for worse, gagged and guarded
IS he is.
TO these means OF influence are added
money without stint, abuse of official sta
ion and privilege without restraint and
relation Of the laws without reserve. The
Harrison rarty in Congress are leaaued.