The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-09-19
LETTER FROM MR.. WICKLIFFE.
WAsulNeToN, august "a, l8


WAsHlNeroN, august "a, 1874.
GENTLEMEN: have the honor to acknowledge
your note Of the 9th instant in which you say the
Democracy of Madison county propose to hold a
grand mass meeting at Madison courthouse, Va, on
the 9th Of September next, with view to promote
the triumphant election of James X. Polk and George
M. Dallas, as President and Vice President, and TO
procure the Remuneration of Texas to the Union,
&C." You also add that you " are instructed by a
large meeting of the citizens Of Madison county to
solicit my presence on the occasion"
You have not, gentlemen, citizen among you
who feels more intensely anxious upon the issues IN
volved in the pending Presidential contest than do
Ever since have been made To understand the
provisions and principles of Constitution, and as
| have grown up from infancy to the verge of old
age under its influences and Witnessed its happy eff
frcts as whole alike adapted to the government
of seventeen millions Of people and twenty six
reign States, it was to three millions Of citizens
and thirteen Stats giving protection to all and dis
pensing blessings to millions, / have regarded its
authors with feeling of generation almost idola-
trous. l am opposed to all radical changes and in
novatons upon this, the great work of Washington
and his associates. We have grown under its strength
and Prosperej beyond any example in former gov
ernments, by the .vIvifying influences of its prnci
Piles. The machinery of Government and the hal
nony of States have been preserved in peace and in
war, by its partitions OF power, and by the checks
and balances established in this our charter of free
dom to the citizen and the independence Of the
States
Without any other objection to a candidate for the
Office of the Chief Magistracy il he proclaimed him.
self the leader and champion of party whose aim
and object is 10 strike from the Constitution one OF
its checks which the wisdom of a Washington, a
| Franklin, Madison, and their compeers had placed
| in it, would oppose his election.
| A service of ten years in the Congress of the
United States and close observation upon its legs-
laion since retired from 1t in 1885, have satisfied
that the liberty of the citizen the rights Of pro-
perry and the independence of the States, are better
secured by the existence Of the qualified veto power
than they would be if left at the mercy of an unre-
strained majority Of that body.
IL is the great conservative power OF the States
and Of the People, placed in the hands Of the Presi
dent Of the United States, TO be exercised by him,
for their good. 1t may be abused for time but the
ballct-box has been appointed to the abuse
Annhilate this power, and the Federal Government
will sooner or later, overthrow the independence of
the States, and 10 the name Of liberty trample upon
individual rights. regard the eflrt now making 10
destroy this feature of the Constitution, as bold
stride to consolidation, and the building up Of great
central power in Congress, which in time is to know
or acknowledge no rule or limit of action bu, the
will of partisan majority Of its members
You have gentlemen, in your letter, been pleased
to aude to the remuneration of Texas to the United
States. hope may be excused for obtrudng upon
you some observations upon that subject
With you, was and am for the " re-snnex alton of
Texas at the earliest practicable period
| have ever viewed the treaty Of 1919, by which
that territory was ceded to Spain by the United
States, as most unwse and there were those at the
time, who spared no pains to impress upon the public
mind IN the southwest, that it brought about BY
the then Secretary ofStste under the influence Of the
same hostile feelings towards the South and b. West,
which had been attributed to him in the negotiation,
at Ghent BE that as II may, it was wrongful ces
sion of the territory and citizens of the Unied
States in violation ofibe Constitution and the solemn
treaty stipulation with France by which that terrific
~ and the people thereof were to become part and
parcel Of the Federal Government Of the United
States upon equal footing with the citizens of the
other States Of the Confederscy
| hailed, in common with every other Western man
the erly and promp, effort Of Mr.. Clay when secre-
tsry Of State to regain Texas by treaty with Mexico
the then sovereign power over Texas. No man
denounced this effort as dnhonorabIe to The nd
minisratin Of Mr. Adams, as disgrooerul 10
the country, violation of national honor or Of ou,
treaty sirulations with Spain, with whom Merieo
was At war Spain had then army well appointed
10 Me1c' proclsining her purpose and object TO re
conquer and re'uhjugate her revolving province.
Did Mr.. Clay ak III can.ep, Of Spain before he
Instructed our Minister, MI. Poin.e,t to nego,,a,s
'reoy Tor the re annexation Of re1asl Did he ,iop
To inquire what His Britsonic Majesty. Government
would think ofitl Did be first consult C,ng,,.. q,
a respectable portion Of the Confeder,ev" b,for,
he ordered his Minister 10 negotiate the rres,,
and fix the sun to be paid wbo CHARGED him
or Mr.. John Quincy Adams with a conspi,aev
against the Union, for this effort to reo.in
what had been, to say the least of II, ;n,r,,dso,.
ly oedcd by the tresty Of 1872 No one wbo
charged their sdminisration with design TO involve
the United States 10 war with Spain, by treating
with Mexico, her rcvol,ed province, wb.r. MR..
the snsrEes Of these doctors Of international ,.v
Whsrs their ssnsbilIties for the national booo, and
national faith, that the slumben of the Republic