The republic., 1851-09-05
To the voters or the First Congregational
Dlxfrlct.

FELLOW. CITIZENS; When the Bladensburg Con-
venton broke up their meeting on the 10th of Au-
gust, without being able, by of their dis
tracted counsels, to make any nomination for Com
gress, | considered their functions at an end, and
accordingly determined that my name should not
be again presented to the same body OF men, il
they should undertake TO reassemble themselves.
In the mean time took every occasion, both pub
licy and in private conversation with my friends,
TO declare that should not consider myself bound
by any subsequent action OF that body, and II
thought proper to do, should feel myself at lib
erty to be independent candidate for Con-
gress. With this view ! took an early oppor-
tunity Of informing such of the delegates from
my own county of my determination, and author
lied my friend, Samuel H Berry, esq the only de-
legate had an opportunity of seeing, personally;
to withdraw my name from the convention as soon
as II should meet and not TO permit it again to be
presented for a nomination. Ii Mr.. Berry thought
proper to disregard my instructions, and did offer
my name as a candidate, he did SO on his own
sponsbility. have no doubt such responsibility
was assumed from the best and purest of motives,
as we'll Of personal friendship for me as from
desire to produce harmony and reconciliation in
the Whig party; but certainly am in way
whatever accountable for it, II the convention had
made nomination on the 10th of August, as had
agreed to go into that convention, should have
felt myself bound by it's action. provided it had
been in all other respects conducted with fairness,
and had legtimately reflected the wishes of the
Wing party, but know OF nopowerwhi that con-
vention had to break up, without coming to some
determination, by making nomin%ion. This
was the very purpose, and the only purpose for
which they had assembled. They possessed
other powers than such necessary to exc
cute this purpose The Wing party had confded
to them no other power, and OF courGe they could
rightfully exercise no other power II they found
themselves, in fact they did, unable to agree
upon choice their plain and simple duty was to
return TO their constituents and report to them the
reasons of their failure to discharge the specific
duties assigned to them, 80 that their constituents
might have an opportunity, ifthey thought proper
so to do to make other selections who might prove
more harmonious. But the convention having
failed to make nomination that day, had
no hesitation i'll declaring, to every person met
with, that felt no difficulty in being candi-
date for Congress, on the score of propriety. if
should make up my mind to allow my friends to
use my name for that purpose | do not mean to-
contend that the convention bad no power to ad-
journ. The power to adjourn il an inherent, ne
ccssary power, belonging to all deiberative bodies
whether political or otherwise II is the only way
in which they can terminate their existence, and
therefore, a necessary power So, also, they have
the power to adjourn from day to day, until the
business is done for which they have assembled.
This 49, ALEC, necessary power, and for this
son only is, or can, be exercised by them But
the power to adjourn over to distant and remote
period, or to postpone their deliberations to dis
tan day, ia altogether another question This is not
an inherent necessary power, and therefore Is not
possessed by any collective body of men with dele
gated powers. Before such power be exer-
cised by any such body Of men, it must be
found to exist as one of the enumerated powers
claim to exercise their authority. No such power
was ever delegated by the Wing party of this dis
trict. No such power was expected to be
clsed, and its actual exercise by the convention
was nothing more or less than clear of usur-
patton of power, and therefore does not command
the obedience OF any portion of the Wings of the
district. This was the view taken by two of the
delegates in the convention from Prince Georges,
who, in consequence of feeling convinced that their
powers were at an end on the 10th, refused to at
tend the reassembling of the convention on the
In, ..,fls,
were right. 1t is power that has never been
claimed by conventions before, and that has
never been exercised, and is therefore altogether
novel and without precedent to sustain it. 1t
Is, moreover, dangerous power, and may lead to
great and alarming abuses If a political conven
tion has the power to postpone the discharge ofits
duties for a fortnight, they would have also the
same power to postpone to much longer time-to
an indefinite period-and even to day beyond the
time OF election and thus Illustrate the wishes and
PROSTATE the political success of their party Such
power, If possessed at all, in the hands of artful
and designing men might be used to the utter
ruin of any party. There should be some limita-
ton TO the powers of these conventions pc
riod at which their powers should cease to ex-
ist II they be allowed TO retain their powers be-
yond the day on which they were appointed to exer-
else them, at what time, ask, could those powers be
Withdrawn from them, and who would have the au-
thority to revoke them2 The powers of all such
bodies must necessarily cease at the expiration of
the time when they were required to exercise them
or else they become permanent powers afterwards
and forever irrevocable, which would be condi-
ton OF things too monstrous to be tolerated for
moment Besides all this, the postponement, for
such length of time would be favorable to the per-
petration of frauds upon the political rights of the
people, and might conduce to the formation Of
combinations and conspiracies against the rights
OF others And thus, instead of answering the pur-
poses for which conventions were originally de-
signed, that of producing union and harmony
among the various portions of party, promoting
it's general good and the of its principles,
they would be converted into theatres for the dis
play OF corruption and intrigue, and mere brothels
OF political charlatanry; The honor, the interest,
qure that they should frown down all such usurpa-
tions Of power by any and all conventions that pro-
fess to be the legitimate exponents of their prnci
pies.
have subjoined TO this address, sufficiently speaks
for itself to exonerae me from all imputations of
violation OF the rules of proprety of good faith
in the position have thought proper toassume,
of an independent candidate for Congress. The
argument have submitted the usurped power
OF this convention in nominating candidate for
Congress on the 30th instant, am willing to con-
hde to the intelligence of discerning public, and
challenge its successful refutaton by any and all
my opponents. am not, then, fellow citizens, in
opposition to the legitimate nominee of legitimate
convention, as my enemies would have you to be-
lieve, but simply in the exercise of constitu-
tional political right, which every citizen in the
land enjoys, and which | never will consent to
abandon but with my life. do not feel myself
iooscu ny thc dCtiOu vi property COH5ttubou
and organized Whig convention, but in the alb
senoe OF all such proper and legitimate action, by
any organ Of the Wing party, which has right to
claim my allegiance, have avaed myself Of my
undoubted right to declare myself candidate for
Congress In doing this beg to assure you, fell
low-citizens, that am volunteer; / but
yielding to the urgent solicitations of the Wings of
my own county, and of large portion of them in
other counties of this Congressional district ! do
not feel at liberty to oppose their wishes. They
have hitherto extended to me generous and be-
raj support and feel should be wanting in graft
tude to them if should refuse to obey their
summons shall not do So even at the hazard Of
defeat.
The limits of this address, fellow citizens will
not allow me to go into detailed statement of the
course shall pursue ifelected to Congress. In the
present excited condition of the country, growing
out of the question of the constitutional rights of
the southern States in regard to slavery, and the
recapture fugitive slaves oil the old party issues
which formerly divided the Whig and Democratic
parties seem to have been laid aside for a while,
or to have run down TO a common point. Indeed,
1t is undoubtedly true, that in no State south of
Maryland are the two parties arrayed against each
9TH ~ btov l. Il