The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-02-03
MIR. CALHOUN'S LETTER.
His Withdrawal from the next Presi
Dental Contest.
Room OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, }
Iannnrtr 1914

i ROOM OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
January 3, 1874.
To THE EprroRs OF THE MERCURY
We inclose to you for publication letter to us,
and an address from the Hon. J. C. Calhoun TO his
friends and supporters, giving his for with
holding his name as candidate for the Presi-
dency, from the Convention which is to assemble
In Baltimore on the fourth Monday in May next.
1npiacing this document In your hands Tor publ
cation, II proper TO state, that although transmit
ted to this committee, to be through them submit
ted to the public, the absence of many of its
beers prevented the assembling of a quorum until
this day, when its publication was directed in ac-
cordance with the wishes of Mr.. Calhoun.
FORT HILL, Dec. 81, l843.
i GENTLEMEN IL herewith enclose you, as the
organ of those who have nominated me for the
Presidency in this State, subject to convention
fairly constituted, address TO my political friends
and supporters, assigning my reasons for not per-
uniting my name TO 60 before the proposed con-
ventlon to be held in Baltimore in May next
transmit IT to You, because deem it respectful and
proper to make il known to those to whom it is
addressed through you, and in order to afford you
an opportunity to take such in relation to
i as you may deem proper, il indeed, you should
that disqualification should not be unnecessarily de,
layed. With great respect, am, &c &c.
Hon JAcoB BOND pov, and other members members of
| the Committee.
The Address OF mr.. Calhoun to his Political
Friends and supporters.
Ihave left it to YOU my friends and supporters through
has been to the people Of the United States for
the Office of Chief Magistrate conduct the
such principles and IN such manner as you might think
mime, my individual responsibility, what my
duty might compel me to pursue ultimately have I
1t Affords me pleasure to be enabled to say that all
concusred with you in the grounds You took and esps
clay In those relating to the mode In which the Dele
should be appointed, and how they should vote You
have. III my opinion, conclusively shown, that they
should be appointed by Districts and vote per capita but
your reasons conclusive they have proved in
van Already New York and other States have ap-
pointed Delegates mase by State Conventions and one
State Vrgna) has resolved that the votes of her Dale.
gates should be given by the majority and be counted
capita Their course would necessarily override that
which you have ably supported, should you go into
Convention and would leave you alternative, but to
yield and adopt theirs however much you may be
opposed to it principle to meet them the most
| ted forces.
The question then is what course under such circum.
stances should be adopted And that question: you will
be compelled speedily to decide The approach Of
the time for meeting of the proposed Convention will not
admit of much longer delay But your may de-
pend in degree that which have decided ake
deem it due to the relation subsistng between us, to
make mine known to you without further delay
l. them after the careful and deliberate of
the whole ground have decided that permit my
name to 90 before the proposed Convention constituted
must now be- consistently with the principles which
have guided my public conduct My objections are
nsuperable As it be constituted tits repugnant to
al the principles on which in my opinion such Con;
shall now proceed briefly TO state
hold then. with you, that the Convention should be
Soa as to ,sss sa the voice
holders and office seekers and for that purpose hold it
Indispensable that the delegates should be appointed di
recy by the people, or to the language Cen Jack
son, should be fresh from the people" also hold that
the only possible mode to effect this is for the people to
choose the delegates by DISTRICTS and that they should
/ mere O
controlled by political machinery and place the APP
pontments in the hands of the few who work it.
object then, 10 the proposed Convention because it
will not be constituted in conformity with this funamen.
tai article of the Republican creed The Delegates to it
will be appointed from of the States not by the peo-
pie in Districts but has been stated by State Conv
tons mdsse composed Of Delegates, appointed in all
as far n as am O County Go
again composed of Delegates appointed by still smaller
divisions, few interested individuals Instead them
Of being directly fresh from the people, the Delegates
to the Baltimore Convention will be the Delegates of Del
egates and OF course in all least three
the voice of the people viii less full and
distinct until at last will be faint and imperfect,
not to be audible To drop metaphor hold impossible
to form scheme perfectly calculated to annihilate
the control OF the people the Presidential election,
and vest in those who make politics trade and who
| live expect to live the Government
In this connection object not less strongly TO the
mode in which Virginia has resolved her Delegates shall
vote; With all due respect, must say, can imagine
federal system OF government or use broader
PRESTON the principles which all conederaed
mites have been united hazard nothing in saying
that there is not an instance in political history from
the meeting of the first Revolutionary Congress to the
day the Delegates of any State voting by mao
rity and counting per capita do believe instance
kind can be found in the history of any conederaed
community There is indeed something monstrous in the
idea of giving the majority the right OF mpressing the
vote Of the minority into its SERVICE and counting them
its The plain ruethat which has prevailed,
and which conforms to the dictates OF sense is
that where a State votes State, by majority Of its
Delegates the votes count one be they few many
the state large or small On the contrary where the
ally and Independently, each for himself counting
And 1t is to be noted that wherever this latter mode OF
voting exists among confedcraed States 1t in all cases
founded compact to which the consent OF each State
required. In the absence Of compact the invarabe
mode of voting in such States all cases. by the
ority, their vote counting The which Vir-
gna has resolvedto take in violation Of this Plain and
fundamental rule and il should become settled prac-
ce would be destructive of the foundation which the
whole structure Of the State Right doctrine IL reared
hold in the next place. to be indispensable princl
ple that the Convention should be constituted TO
give to each State in tho nomination of candidate the
relative weight which the Constitution to it
the election Of the President making due allowance for
its rel stvc party strength. By the election, the
wholehe eventual choice when 1t goes into the house
ofRepresentatives, as well as the primary vote in the
ton the other. The two make the whole. The adop
ton of the one, in the Convention which framed the Con
stution depended the adoption of the other. Neither
could possibly be adopted alone The two were the result
between the larger and smaller States after
long and doubtful struggle which threatened the loss Of
smaller equality with the larger in the eventual
choice by the House, to countepose the preponder
Of the larger in the electoral college, Without this
the smaller would have voted against the whole provision
and rejection would have been the consequence Even
IL stands Delaware voted against IT, In confirm alton
Of what state refer to Mr. Madisons report on the
ceedhgs Of the Convention
Having stated what by the election, ii viii
quebut few words to explain my for the prin
ciples have laid down. They are few and simple
and rest on the ground that the nomination is in reality
the election concurred in far the party is concern
an tpfon IaIf IN hp Thn
for making it, is to prevent division oil the party and
thereby prevent the election from going nto the House,
where the smaller States would have the advantage in
tended be secured to them by the Constitution, by
being placed OH equality with the larger.
Such being the intended object and effect now submit
10 every candid mind whether tho Convention ought not
to be constituted to compensate in the nomination
for the important advantage in the election which the
smaller States surrender by going into Convention
Woudt not be unfaira palpabe want of good faith and
snbvcrsive Of the compromise Of the Constitution to with
hold III Or f demanded would be short Of an insult TO
fhou0lf smaller