Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-10-06

eTaiions, the W hlgs OF the Union looked
With an interest the more intense than Il
was the grand rally OF their party. In
the language Of the eloquent BARBOUR,
on taking the Chair, il was an assemblsge
Of ''the grey heads Of the land, most OF
whom might Justly be called the con.
script fathers OF the Republc-a title won
by long and illustrious services, alike in
the State aud Federal councils" 1t was
by mrn such as these, that the leaders OF
the Wing party were to be appointed
forces arshaIed-and all its energies
concentrated for great contest Of prInci.
pie, and of principle alone. And TO the
duty they had undertaken, they addressed
themselves, with a solicitude and solem-
ni:y. becoming the men and the occasion
which called them together. A II minor
innuence-al selfish views were merged
in the great object of National regenera.
ton.
In this Convention the undersigned met
John Tyler, Wing delegate from the
Commonwealth of Virginia. 1t was not
for them to question the title of any &C.
credited member of that body, TO the name
and the character of true Wing. They
could not doubt his sincerity, by the same
rule that they would not permit others to
doub, their own. The history of the
man however was not unknown TO them.
He had been honered by his own dsiin-
gushed State with the office OF her Gov
ernor, and was subsequently, elected by
the Wings Of Virginia, as represented in
her Legislature, to the Senate of The
United States. They could not fail 10
remember that in December, 1885, he
had been nominated by Maryland Wing
Convention, or the Office Of Vice Presl-
dent Of the United States, which nominal
ton was confirmed by the Legislature in
March 1897, and the same ratified by
the people of Maryland in November OF
the same year, by clear majority of
three thousand six hundred votes.
That MIR. Tyler could have supposed,
that in rendering himself for admission in
TO this Convention, he was giving his as.
sent TO principles which he had not well
considered !; or 10 which the Wbig par
" could IN any event be Indifferent or
that in relation to these doctrines and
principles which constituted the political
creed oithe Wing party, there could be
any doubt or uncertainty or that the
Wings of the Union were then organizing
themselves, TO spend their strength in a
great contest for the mere present ad.
yancement of any man, much less John
Tyler of Charles City County in the Com
monweath Of Virginia, is what no ration.
al mind can believe Tor moment. E.
quaIy impossible was il that any honor.
BILE man could accept the nomination OF
such party, in pursuit Of objects SO vi
tally important in their estimation, and
So fully known to him, under any reser.
vatlan as to his own opinions, or disguise
of his real principles. Reservation or
disguise in such a case, imply a fraud OF
so base character, that an honorable
mind would shrink from It's contemplation
with instructive horror.
la the concerns of the world, even the
institutions ofposl,lve law are less bind
ing than the implied pledges Of honor, and
wing TO vast extent the peace and well
being of society, must be taken practical
! " upon trust. 1t is one Of the conditions
Of the exis,e nee of Government amongst
men, that reliance must be placed upon the
good faith Of those who are called to ad.
minister 1.-THE necessity ofthis reliance,
and the imposslbllty OF avoiding II, un.
der any form of civil policy ever yet de.
Wis d, is confessed by the trainers Of the
constitution in the fact that, they have
provided, as they could provide, no rem
edy for misrepresentation by the public
agent, of the public will. He is bound
to carry cut the wishes of those who elect
him, by the pledges Of honor-by the OBJ
| legations that compel man 20 perform
his promises, and if he prove lnsers'ble To
these, the people are without redress. -
Hence the bond of fidelity implied in the
mere acceptance of office, and the more
especially when that acceptance is for
II known and well understood object, is
the more sacred, that it is the only guar
aztec upon which the electors have to
depend. Destroy this guarantee, and the
great principle Of representation and even
OF republican government itself, become
an idle dream.
When, therefore, the name of John Ty
Ter was proposed to the Convention as the
candidate Of the Wing party foy the office
ofVice President; the undersigned ask cd
no questions--ihey required no explana-
tions-they demanded no pledges. |,
was enough for them that they found him
in their own camp-behlnd the entrench-
ments-in possession Of the counter. sign
wearing the uniform, and bearing the
shield and the shippoleth of the cause they
espoused. They relied upon his position
and the associations in which they found
him. as the surety of his fidelity, believing
that if he proved unmindful of the obliga-
,ons implied in these, all the express
promises and pledges he might make
would be as Intellectual to bind him as the
lightest cobweb.
The undersigned would here close this
exposition if it were designed as vlndi'
cation of themselves, and nothing more.
So far as they were instrumental in bring
Jog upon the country the distress and ru.
in which now pervades it, they are content
! 81, nj, nj n