Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-02-10


Bot. in so doing, did not waive my nigh
, TO determine on my individual response
I biitv, what course my duty might compe
me 10 pursue ultimately, nor have | Ieel
an inattentive observer of the canvass AM
the course you have taken.
1t affords me pleasure to be enabled II
say, that on all leading questions, grow
ing out OF the canvass, heartily concur
red with you, in the grounds you took
and especially those relating to the nod
in which the delegates TO the proposed
Convention to be held in Baltimore shoui,
be appointed, AM how they should vote
You have, in my opinion, cpnclusively
shown that they should be appointed by
districts and vote per capita, but your rea
sons, as conclusive as they are, have pro-
we'd in vain. Already New York anc
some other States have appointed dele
gates en- masse by State Conventions, and
one State {Virginia) has resolved that the
votes OF her delegates shall be settlea! by
the majority and be counted per capita. -
Their course would necessarily override
that, which you have so ably supported,
should you go into Convention and would
leave you no alternative, but TO yield yours
and adopt theirs, however much you may
be opposed 10 it on principle, Or to meet
them on the most unequal terms, with d.
vided, against united and concentrated
forces.
The question is then, what course I'M
der such circumstances should be adoptedl
And that question, you will be compelled
speedily 10 decide. The near approach oil
the time for meeting of the proposed con.
vention will not admit of much longer de.
lay. But as your course lay depend in
some degree on that which have decided
to take, | deem it due to the relati n sub.
sisling between us, to make mine known
to you without further delay. then, af.
ter the most careful and deliberate survey
of the ground, have decided that | cannot
permit my name TO go before the proposed
Convention, constituted as it must now be,
consistently with the principles, which
have ever guided my public conduct. NY
objections are insuperable. As it must
must be constituted, it is repagaant TO all
the principles, on which, in my opinion,
such Convention should be formed -
What those principles are, shall now
proceed briefly 10 stale. hold then, with
you, that The Convention should be so con-
stituted, as to utter fully and clearly the
voice of the people, and not that of polti-
cal managers, or Office holders and Office
seekers; and for that purpose, hold il in.
dispensable, that the delegates should be
appointed directly by the people, or to use
the language of Gen. jackson, should be
"ircsh from the people," also hold, that
The only possible mode to effect this is for
the people to choose the deleg ties by dis.
tricis, and that they should vote per capita.
Every other mole of appointing would be
controlled by political machinery, and
place The appointments in the hands of
the few who work it. object then, to the
proposed Conv ention, because il will not
lie constituted in conformity with MS fnn.
damcntll article of the Republican creed.
The delegates 10 it will be appointed from
some OF the States, MT by the people in
di,uict., but, as has been stated, by Stat,
conventions en- masse, composed Of dele
gates appointed in all cases, rs far as am
informed, by county or district conventions
and in some cases, if not misiniormed,
these again composed of delegates appoint
ed by still smaller divisions, or a lew in
terested individuals. Instead then of be.
ing directly, or fresh from the people the
delegates to the Baltimore convention will
be the delegates of delegates; and of
course removed, in all cases, at least thrco
ii not four degrees from the people. At
each successive remove, the voice of the
people will become less full and distinct,
until at last it will be so faint and mper-
feet, as not to be audible. To drop met
aphor, | hold it impossible to form ascheme
more perfectly calculated to annihiate the
control of the people over the Presidential
election, and vest it on those who make
politics trade, and who live, or expect to
live on the Government.
In this connection, | object rot less
strongly 10 the mode in which Virginia has
resolved her delegates shall ven With
all due respect, | must say, | can 'imagine
nothing more directly IN conflict with the
principles of our federal system ofgovern-
ment, or to use broader express IN, the
principles on which all confederate com.
munijies have ever been united. | haz-
ard nothing in saying, that there is not an
instance in our political history. fIom the
meeting of the first Revolutionary Con-
gress TO the present day, of the delegates
of any State voting by majority, and count
ing per capita; nor do l believe an in
stance of the kind can be found in the his
tory of any cOnfederated community. There
is, indeed, something mopstrous in the
idea of giving the majority the right of i'm.
pressing the vote of the minority into its
service, and counting them as its oWn-