Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1848-06-07
TO THE PEOPLE OF IOWA.


Public Instruction on the Sd Of April,
l848, in accordance with the provisions
made by our General Assembly for the
election Of that officer, have given bond
to the Governor as required by law,
which was approved by him on the 18th
inst, and have also taken and subscribed
the necessary oath of office, which TO-
gether with the bond were filed in the Of:
flee Of the Secretary of State on the 23d
inst, upon which day ente red upon the
discharge Of may official duties. .......,
My competitor in the late contest, Mr..
James Harlan, declines yielding his pre-
tensions to the Office, claiming TO be the
legal incumben. by virtue Of an election
in April last. l iolt not little astonish-
ed when first advised Of this novel
assumption. For was led to infer from
his public declarations and sympathetic
appeals to you immediately preceding the
election-his great outcrythat no barrier
should be interpoSed 10 retard the speedy
organization Of our common schools, and
his determination to- take the question in
rozring his right to the office from the
courts, for the purpose Of referring i to
the tribunal af The a,eoa,zeJ Go'"aeclS1on, that
their verdict at the ballot box would def
nitely settle the issue between US. In
fortunately howeyer~y you saw proper TO
.decide.in myy-fayor, and therefore ysas DO
cislon is aorong. An appeal will now. be
taken, lsuppose, from your tribunal back
to the courts. Ills apology is that some
lnlormalites existed in the election, and
that some illegal votes were given in Ma
rion and other counties. OF this l have
not the slightest doubt, and do not sup
pose that an election will ever be held
where such will not be- the case. But
presume the people Of Marion county are
as competent to decide who among them
are entitled tevote as Mr.. His. And while
an eroarle examination Of illegal votes
and irregularities in the election might
reduce my vote, it is but reasonable to
conclude that full investigation would
equally reduce the vote Of my opponent
Another complaint is, that the returns
were fraudulently canrassed by the Exec.
utivc and Secretary of State This !
consider a mos. pitiful subterfuge 10 cover
the chagrin Of an unexpected defeat
Those office rs, under bond and oath, per
formed their duty strictly according to
law, and the uni forn, example of their
predecessors. / imagine that the mos,
fraudulent part of the transaction in the
estimation of my opponent is, that they
aconld not arrogate to themselves tie, pove1
togreject the returns of certain Counties
i,ohich gaze, a minority for me, for unless
they did this, he must, still be left in the
minority. This, is Gas remarked by one
Of the public prints) but "a tempest in a
teapot" and ! think it may we'll be added
that the actors in the scene are admirably
adaptedinsmental proportions to6gure in
so contracted a sphere. 1 presume that
the Executive and Secretary, or any of
my5friends, would scorn to see me ever at;
telnptlto avail myselfiof any advantage Of
my opponent the mere pretext of mis-.
.ny2.ns- inihc returns. would not hold
any Office inthe gift Of the people by so
frail d teriuIaai Mr.. Harlan is welcome
TO all the votes returned that eotn com,
lnence With tie letter II, except those Civ
en- to Prof. Howe, of Mt. Pleasant And
even then, In spite Of the misrepresenta-
tions and false issues made against me,
and the hue and cry Of sympathy raised
in behalf Of my opponent prior to the
election, have d Sciear majority Of sew
enteen' votes. 'x3liifs2 i7f 8, sEtfa (
~ / determined in the commencement Of
the contest 10 a.be either d man or q
mousse and as the former has been my
choice in every thing touching the cleo
ton to the present time, l shall not aban-
don II now. II Mr.. Harlan chooses to
personify the latter, Fam not inclined to
treaGlin his footsteps. As he Is not salts
fed with your award, it would afford me
infinite satisfaction 70 give him another
heat before you. 81 ne 3iiis 4iGiaa fisssa
Considering myself fairly and legally
elected, ! shall disregard these petty pre-
tensions, and shall continue faithfully and
pdnctual!y u dischatge ny Official du-
VI in1lla ..nl1a1f