Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-04-01
To fhe Democratic Electors of the fifth
Congressional District.


two years of personally meeting any considerable
portion Of you, indicating my desire to- serve
you again in Congress, and having been informed by
common rumor. well as by letters and messages
from numerous friends throughout the district, thai
very systematic plan Of operations had been adopted
and carried by aspirant the position have
recently occupied, having for its object nomination
TO Congress; and it having been represented to me
from many quarters that owed it to my friends to
adopt some mode of indicating to you my desire for
denomination and election accordingly published,
SOON after my return from Washington, a circular,
expressing hat desire, and assigning my for
not taking tour through the district TO see my
friends.
In the last semi-wceky Sentinel see, over the
signature of Judge Peaslee, address TO you pur-
porting 10 be a response TO my circular; or two
sentences Of which call for reply
The Judge, IN the second sentence OF his address,
says substance that if had been willing rely upon
your action and the action of your delegates alone,
without endeayoring TO impress 1t upon your minds
that II was highly improper on his part to seek the
nomination before resgniDg the Office which he now
holds he would have been content to leave this mat
ter altogether open for your decision.
| My answer 10 this is, that although | disapprove
Of any one, Judge no Judge, seeking nominal
ton by any means other than by making known his
willingness to accept it, and although am Informed
that Judge p. has, for more than two years past made
II nconsiderabe portion of his business, at the
courts OF those counties within this Congressional
district, at which he has presided, to SEEK through
friends interviews with the active politicians of the
several townships in those countless for the purpose
Of promoting such measures and arrangements as
would be best calculated the attendance and
action OF his friends at the respective meetings. for
the selection of delegates and although such course
is one which experience has shown is calculated to
give rise TO discomfort among the people, and in the
end, to produce party divisions and factions in its
anIa lf urh fha MIN nm
honest conviction of its fatal tendencies. have
puousy avoided it myself and have frequently raised
my voice against il, and shall continue to do yet
had the Judge stopped after resort to these means.
not only would have remained at home, and kept
my tongue still, but my circular would never have
appeared.
But when rumor from every quarter, and direct in
formation from many, presented the Judge and his
special friends indusriously giving currency
To the idea that was opposed TO raising the pay OF
the volunteers and perslstng in urging that against
me after all excuse for such allegation was taken
away and after IT made clear TO every one, hav-
ing of information, and possessed of candor,
that the effect OF my vote on the point named was to
the volunteers quarter section OF land in
addition to the few dollars proposed to be granted by
the measure against whlc NY vote Was recorded. |
say when these things my ear, felt it to be
my personal privilege and my duty 10 my friends to
avail myself of the facility afforded by the press to
uITOW DelOIS YOU Suggestions CVLldlHeu III ny
circular.
The Judge, in his address, seems to understand me
/ Directing alone to seeking nomination to
one Office while he holds another. He does un-
derstand me. The force of my objection is against
any seeking nomination by personal soliciia-
tloEs, long conversations with individuals, brought
up to him by convenient friend or sought out for
that purpose Experience has shown that the tolera-
ton and success OF such measures are fatal To po
cal parties. Such management Is precisely what
had in my mind when used the phrase 40 pull
ing in my circular. In such case the Office seeker
is tie "puer ~ the persons used to bring up point
out active political men to be talked to, are the
"WireS, and are generally very poor concerns, who
are induced to serve in servile, humilating bus-
ness by the promise of office, and very thor
oughy despsed by their employers and the honest gen.
tlemen who are brought up sought out 10 be talked
to, frequently induced to feel much fattered by
such marks of attention. They sometimes fail to
the selfshness which beges the condescenson. Some
times they bright enough to through the mat
ter, and are not enlisted-much.
The Judge seeks to show you that on two former
occasions placed myself in the category which,
in my circular, is condemned This is not candid.
In my circular express the opinion in these words,
viz Nor indeed do think that gentleman hold
ing office ought 10 be permitted to seek nomina-
tion for another office until he shall first resign that
tchich he holds, ercePt an a rery peculiar case"
Now on neither of the two occasions named by the
Judge did ask a nomination from my party while
holding another Office, the hazard of producing d.
visions therein.
And each of those occurrences present what in the
language of my circular, was ga peculiar case"
There was no nomination in either On the
contrary, so far as then knew, or now know, one
was mentioned seriously, candidate against Mr..
Herod the wing candidate, except myself.
Again On the first occasion, Col. Kinnard our
representative in Congress, departed this life The
/ ms intin ola
ton in about twenty days, prescribed by law Two
weeks of those twenty days spent in holding courts
in Hamilton and Boone counties-the last courts, I
believe, in the circuit This did partly because of
the difficulty of having successor appointed hastily
Being defeated, continued on the Bench.
On the second occasion, | did not +" seek nominal
tion" for none was made | the democratic
candidate, by common consent. Judge Morrison, by
general consent, agreed upon as my successor to
the Bench Immediately my becoming candidate
He concerned as attorney in nearly every chan
Gerry suit pending in the Marion circuit court of which
there great many. | made known my resolu-
ton to resign At the earnest request of the parties
those chancery suits and their attorneys, and to
avoid the expense and difficulty to the parties which
must grow out of transfer of those chancery cases.
i'm which Judge Morrison incapactated to pre-
side, agreed to and did make my resignation SO that
it took effect at future day. before the election and
continued hold the Marion circuit court until those
chancery cases all decided. To this end the
attorneys brought their 10 issue, took deposit
tions, &C., by consent. to bring them to hear
ing at the then term of court, and in this way i'm
mense expense and inconvenience to the parties were
avoided
Now suppose a Judge acting in his own case, and
his peculiar friends, will nothing peculiar in these
cases. And suppose all others will see very DIFF
ferently.
So also, suppose democrats will see some differ
ence between Judge being candidate against whg