The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-02


then, after the most careful aud deliberate snr.
vey Of the whole ground, have dec ided iha, cannot
permit my name 10 go before the proposed Conven
ton, constituted as II must now be, consistent with
the principles which have ever guided my publ,
conduct. My objections are insuperabie A, IL
must be constituted 1t repugnant 10 all The princ
plies on which, IN my opinion, such a Convention
should be formed. What those principle, are
shall now proceed briefly TO STATE
] hold then, with you, that the Convention should
be so constituted as TO utter fully and clrar, lic
voice Of the people, aud not that of political mana.
gers or cehoIders AID ofc seekers and for that
purpose hold IT ndIsPens bic that the Delegate
should be appointed directly by the people, or, 10
use The language OF General jackson, should be
" fresh from the people" | al hold that TIE only
possible mode TO effect this, is for the people TO choose
the Delegates by Districts and that they should vote
per eopia Every other mode OF appointing would
be controlled by political machinery aud place Inc
appointments ia the hands OF a few who work il
object, then, TO The proposed Convention becau.c
u viii not be const utej in conformity with this fun
damcntal article Of the Republican creed The De.
eeates TO will bc appointed from OF The Staes
not by iho people IN dstiots, but ha. been stated
by state Conventions en- mAsse composed Of Delr.
gates, appointed in all cases as far as am informed
by Comfy or Dist ict Conventions aud in srnr casts
" not mislnformed, these again composed of Dele.
gates appointed by still smaller divisions, or few
interested individuals. Instead hen Of i e direct.
y, or fresh from the peo le, the Delegates 10 tie
Baltimore Convention will be the Deliberate, Of Del,
gates and OF course removed, in all eases al lea
three, II no, four degrees from the pcopIe At rsCt
successive remove, the voice II the people will be-
come less full end distinct, until at iasi Il will be ~
faint and imperfect, as not to be audible To drop
m taphor, ho il impo sbe to form scheme more
perfectly calculated To annihilac tie control Of le
ope over the Presidential election and vest 10 rn
those who make politics trade and who live OF c>
pect to live on the Government
In this c. Rpectioa object no, 1ess sirorg, q, f
mode m which Virginia has resolved her Delcga,,.
shall vote. With all due respect must saw, / con
imagine nothing more directly IN conflict with ~.
principles Of our federal system OF government ~
use a broader expression, the principles which
concentrated communities haye ever been united. .
hazard nothing ~ saying that there Is not instance
IN our political history, from the meeting OF Jh hr.
Revolutionary Congress 10 Tie present day Of o..
Delegates OF any State voting by majority and coulf.
ing pr capita nor do believe an Instance uf Ir
kind can be found ia the history Of any cor fcd,r9iy
community. There is indeed something mons,rou,
IN the idea OF giving the majority the right 81 ir
pressing the vote Of the minority into service, OIL
counting them as i,s own The plain rule tIIft
which has ever prevailed and which conforms ~ Mo
dictates oil common sense, ~, that where . ) ste
'otes rs State, ~ majority OF iis Delegates de-
votes count one, be they few or many, or The State
large or small On the contrary where the votes o.
ell the Delegates arc counted, they vot. Individually
and Independently, each for him.elf counting one.
And u is to bs noted that Whenever this latter MODE
Of voting exists among oonfeders,ed ststs., II i'm