Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-03-22

apply as well to other countles 40 eiaihe.
IErom tie Spirit Of JegsrsOa.
Observing, in the Spirit Of Jefferson, tn
proceedings Of meeting held at your Court
House, to get up Convention for the noml
nation Of Sheriff, feel inclined to call your
attention and to solicit your reflection to thi'
caucus system by whatever party i may b.
used. Both use it, aud there are strenuous
advocates for it 10 both parties-and let me
add, with few exceptions among those who
not content With their own votes, wish also to
dictate and govern the votes ofothers And
! Why?
They will tell you fer the good Of the party.
But, look, beseech you, little closely TO
the chief movers and instigators Of these meet
ings-scan their aspirations and motives
and, venture to say you will find, nine times
ten, they aim at Cancellation, and union,
aud harmony, and concentration for some
selfish, and, for 20 public purpose whatever
THE, You will see, is admitted in paragraph
Of the preamble Of these very proceedings, and
/ quote it as authority for the opinion Just
expressed. it says, after referring to the diff
fculties among candidates who cannot, sup
pose. .n honor prefer one snothcr:
"a convention is proposed. buss tear 'ime :
honored system of cur party has Ussen ~
abused that itbas almost fallen into disrep ute
the manner in which they Conventions
have been usually gotten up and conducted
has justly excited opposition-they seldom
express or represent popular feeling or senti.
ment; many good and true Democrats stand
aloof from them; their action is not consid-
cred binding and 10 many cases open warfare
is waged against them, &c."
1t is here then admitted, ana in strong
terms too, that Conventions have been usual
ly improperly conducted, and of course by
improper persons aud for improper objects.
Now, my design is to show to you that the
caucus system is itself improper and corrupt
: that it is an "unclean thing" and, we have
the warrant of Scripture that no one can bring
''clean thing ont of an uuclean thing; no
not one % The movers in this meeting, the
chiefmovers, may try it as often as they please,
and they will find an eternal tendency in it
to become the ''unclean thing" they describe
it to be. 1t will become so in their own
hands. They are bnt men and. in the hands
Of men according to their own account o. it,
it s'has been so abused that it has almost fall
len into disrs pute-the manner in which they
(caucusses) have been usually gotten up and
conducted has justly excited opposition they
seldom express or represent popular feeling
or sentiment" All this is true to the letter,
and concur in tie opinion and history gifts
operation But l say it results from the in-
trinsic nature Of the system itself. For it was
Conceived in sin and brought forth in iniqui
ty." OF this there can be no doubt, as Mar
tin Van Buren, begot and sired it,
see nothing new IN the proposition of the
committee to split and multiply the system
into precinct caucusses All this has beer
done before indeed has been and is the US
ual practice and still the results have fol-
lowed as portrayed in the preamble. And
necessarily too because it is the same caucus
system, and at different precincts will be
welded by fen men, who are connected and
confederated with felc men at each precinct,
to effect some selfish purpose, and, to use
their whole party, under patriotic pretexts,
for their own ends aud the division of spells.
This is say its nature, and in the hands
ofeither party, Wing or Democratic. Indeed
its vile purposes can be carried out more re-
moved from the public eye at precincts than
in crowded Court House. Proceedings at
the Court House are generally on public days,
many of the people of both parties are pres
ent, but precinct meetings are almost always
thinly attended. and generally, by those who
come for the nonce. They are indeed secret
couclaves. The people of both parties, know
this. and, hence the system has fallen, in the
true language of committee, "into disrepute.
How, then, can the committe promise them
selves, or the people. to cleanse and purify
this dirty and disreputable thing? How will
they make straight its crookedness and de-
formitios or be doctor its ulcers aud Inherent
gangrcnes? The very prescription they pro-
pose of precinct meetings has been tried over
aud over 1t isno new remedy.
Bat have said the system is corrupt and
vicious, Its direct effect is to create an oil.
garchy of political sharpers. and to place in
their hands the power that belongs to the peo-
pie alone, believe Republican government
is better than any other but if there is, in re-
atty, any thing in it that is valuable aud dis
eliminates it from other forms, it consists in
the influence ofindipidual judgement in cleo
tons and all public affairs. If the great mass
Of the people refrain to exercise this Judge.
ment, man by man. and voter by voter, and
l..