The Arkansas banner., 1844-02-27


 would not long lie dormant What may be done by combination, where the temptation is great, will be sure, ere long, to be done. To combine and con quer IS not less true as maxim, where power IS concerned, than 10 ssDivide and conquer" Noth- Sing is better established than that the desire for pow can bring together and unite the most dscordant materials.
 But the tendency to centralization will not stop there. The appointment of delegates en masse by State Convention, would tend at the same time and with greater force to centraze this control in the hands of the few, who make politics trade.- The farther the Convention is removed from the people, the more certainly the control 1t viii be placed in the hands of the interested few, and when removed three or four degrees, it has been shown 1t will be- where the appointment is by State Conventions, the power of the people will cease, and the seekers of Executive favor will become preme. At that stage, an active, trained and com bned corps will be formed in the party, whose whole time and attention will be directed to politics It will be their sole business Into their hands the ap- pontment of delegates in all the stages will fall and they will take special that none but themselves or their humble but immediate dependents shall be appointed. The Central and State Conventions will be filled by the most experienced and cunning, and after nominating the President, they will take good care to divide the patronage and ofces both of the General and State Governments among themselves and their dependents. But why say aciA Is it not ai1eddy He case? Have there not been many in stances ot State Conventions being filled by office seekers, who. after making the nomination, have d- y1dCd fee6 tke State among themselves and their partisans, and joined in recommending to the candidate whom they have just nominated, to ap- point them to the offices to which they have been respectively allotted. If such be the case in the in fancy of the system, 1t must end, if such Conven- tions should become the established usage, in the President nominating his successor. Whenit comes to that, it will not be long before the sword will take the place of the Constitution.
 Such are my objections to the mode in which thp proposed Convention is to be constituted, and my reasons for entertaining them They are such, that l cannot refuse to obey them without renouncing the principles which have often avowed in public and private, and which have guided me through the whole course of my public life.
 In coming to this conclusion, have not passed over without careful examination the reasons as signed by its advocates for constituting the Conven ton as they propose They have not diminished the force of my objections I propose to notice the most prominent.
 That which they have urged with the greatest confidence is, that each State has right to appoint delegates as she pleases. I meet it, by utterly de- nyng that there is any such right. That each State
 has the right to act it peases, in whatever relates to itself exclusively, no one will deny but 1t is perfectly novel doctrine that any State has such right, when she to act in concert with others n reference to what concerns the whole. In such cases 1t is the planest dictate o common sense that whatever should be regulated by the mutual consent oi dil, anu Df uSCTetiOU or edCl. nat Ile appointments of Delegates to the proposed Conven- ton is of this description, trust have con clusively shown. have, also trust, shown more ; that the supposed right is perfectly deceptive, for while 1t claims for each State the right to appoint delegates 1t peases 1t in reality leaves the larger States to dictate how the others shall appoint I for example, the Empire State as 1t is caed adopts the mode ofapF ointing( she has (which will concentrate her whole strength what discretion would she leave to the others, they go into Convention, but to ap point as she has appointed, be ruled by her. It is then, neither more nor less than claim to die tate, under the garb of right and such its exercise has proved in the present case. It has left no op ton, but to conform to her course or refuse to go into the Convention.
 regret this, because I sincerely desire to pre- serve the harmony of the party. l had strong hope that the rally after the defeat of IS40 would be ex- clusively on the principles. This hope was greatly strengthened by the truly republican and noble stand taken at the extra session. During that period of rigid adherence to principle, perfect harmony per vaded tic ranks of tle party. 1 behed it with joy. believed the moment highly favorable for the thor ough reformation of the Government and the resto- ration ot the Constitution. 10 the Republican par ty, looked for the accomplishment of this great work; and accordingly felt the deepest solictude that the stand taken, and the harmony which existed should be preserved. In order thatft should made up my mind to waive the objection, which have long entertained to any intermediate body unknown 10 the Constitution between the people and the cleo '1on o the President in the hope that the proposed Convention would be so constituted that I might consistently with my principles give it my support. In this I have been disappointed and being so. I am compelled to decide as have done The same motives which impelled me to separate from tha ad- mnstration of General Jackson, in the plenitude of its power and 10 come to the rescue of Mr. Van Buren's at it's greatest depression, compes me now to withhold my name from the proposed Conven- ton.
 Having now assigned my reasons for refusing to permit my name to go before the Baltimore Conven- ton, it rests with you who have placed it before the people and assented to abide by Convention fair ly constituted, to determine what course you will pursue.
 Be your decision what it may, I shall be content But regard 1t as due to the occasion, to you, and myself to declare that under no circumstances what ever shall support any candidate, who is opposed to Free trade, and in favor of the protective policy or whose prominent and influential friends and sup- porters are. hold the policy to be another name for system of monopoly and plunder, and to be thoroughly anti-republcan and federal in its char acter. l also hold that so long as the duties are so laid as so be in fact bountes to one portion of the community, while they operate as oppressive taxes on the other there can be no hope that the Govern ment can be reformed, that it's expenditure will be reduced to the proper standard.
 Were I, with the evidences before me, to say otb erwise ofmy course, 1t would be practically to de- clare that regard the protective policy to be an open question so far as the party is concerned -l which would consider on my part, virtual aban- donment of the cause of free trade That can never be. have done and suffered too much for it. when its friends were few and feeble to abandon it now now, when the auspices everywhere on this and the otherside of the Atlantic, proclaim the downfall of protection and the permanent triumph of free trade l, who upheld it against monopoly and plunder in the worst of times and braved the menaees of Ad- ministration and Opposition, when backed but by single State-will not-cannot abandon the glorious cause now, when its banner waves in proud triumph over the metropolis of the commercial world No. shall maintain immoveably the ground have so long occnped, until have witnessed it's great and final victory, if it shall please the Dsposer of Events to spare my life so long It will be indeed ricfo r2--1ha hamburger of and brighter and higher civilization.
 Much less, still can I give my support to any candidate, who shall give his aid or countenance to the agitation of abolition in Congress or elsewhere or whose prominent and influential friends and sup- portcrs shall I doubt the sincerity of any man. i who declares he is aboltionist whilst at the same time, he aids or countenances the agitation of the question, be his pretext what 1t may. If we have right to our slaves, have the right to hold them in peace and quiet If the Constitution guarantees