JVb. 83.
THE "FREE PRESS,"
By George Howard.
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The following is an ADDRESS ex
pressive of the sense of a Demo
cratic Republican meeting of the
citizens of Fayette and Greene
counties, Pa. friendly to the no
mination of W.H.CRAWFORD
for President, and A. GALL -TIN
for V ice-President, held on
the 26th June 1824.
Fellow Citizens: Deeply
impressed with the importance
of the Presidential election, wc
sincerely regret to be compelled
to differ from our friends and
brother republicans who met in
convention at Harrisburg.
The violence of party spirit
may, for a time, be allayed.
Men, Ions: opposed to the re
publicans, may find itconven-l
lent to drop their name. But
the difference cf political opin
ion which distinguishes the two
great parties of the United
States, is founded in nature, and
continues to exist. We deem it
essential to preserve the ascen
dancy of the Republican partr.
not from personal attachment!
to any individual, but in order
to maintain those principles of
constitutional liberty, of respect;
for state rights, of wise econo-j
my, and of impartiality towards
all foreign nations, on which:
that party was founded, and
which it has uniformly sup
ported. The choice of a President, of !
similar opinions, is of primary
importance to attain that object.
Such a man will administer gov -crnment
in conformity with the
principles we profess, and, for
that purpose, will select men en
tertaining the same views for
his confidential advisers, and
to fill the principal offices. A
President, or, indeed, a head of
department, holding different
opinions, must administer gov
ernment contrary either to the
principles of the republican par
ty, or to his own.
It appears impossible to us that
the election of a republican Pre-i
Mdent can be secured, or that
the republican party can be
maintained, without union with
republicans in other states, as
has always heretofore been
done and with success. The
state democratic conventions
nrc useful, & can be binding only
lor state purposes, but, if used
for the Presidential election, in
opposition to the republicans
of the other states, thev must
necessarily defeat every hope of
general concert, and annihilate
the republican party of the Uni-
A - 1 Cl . "
ieu states.
The immediate result, if there
is no general concert, will be to
throw the election into the
House of Reprcsentati ves,where
Pensylvania, and the other larce
states, or, to speak more proper-
') , wnere the people will lose
mineir weight, where an am
pie field will be opened for bar
gains and corruption, and where
HALIFAX,
jjiiiisa 2 jl.
Members of Congress, whom
you blame lor having only pro
posed, will have the power to
appoint the President. Wo
have ho doubt of the purity of
me rcpuoncan members who
absented themselves from the
meeting where nominations
were made for - President nnH
Vice President, but we mav he
permiueu 10 assert, that if those
who attended, had
by corrupt motives, thp.v wnnM
1 ... , 7 .J
ave useu every endeavor to
produce a result which offered
an opportunity to barter their
votes tor offices. Was it not
patriotic in them to pursue a
different course? Can any other
mode be devised, has any other
oeen suggested, to preserve the
republican party entire, and to
prevent the danger of an elec
tion by the House of Represen
tatives, than what has been call
ed a Congressional caucus? Has
not this been uniformly resorted
to, And placed at the head of the
nation not only eminent and a
ble patriots, but men who were
emphatically the choice of the
people? How can it be then as
serted that it has a tendency to
deprive them of their rights?
And is there not some reason to
suspect that this new clamor a
gainst Congressional nomina
tions, originating, in the first in
stance, in exclusive and too per
tinacious attachment to mcn-has
been eagerlyand too successfully!
encouraged by the political op-j
poncnts 01 the republican party.
Nominations, either by Re
publican members of Congress.
Delegates in State Conventions,!
or meetings of citizens any I
wnere, are only nominations!
submitted to the people, and not'
binding on them. All have a!
right thus to nominate, and none
to dictate. Congressional nomi
nations have beenheretofore suc
cessful, by submitting to the
people the man who enjoyed,not
in any particular District, but
thro'out the United States, the
greatest share of public confi
dence? and by inducing the o
ther candidates of the Republi
can party to withdraw their pre
tensions. That this was the ru
ling principle of the late nomin
ation at Washington, we have
no reason to doubt? but, since
we have two distinct nomina
tions, it is the duty and the
right of the people to examine
the cpualifications, of the citizens
proposed, and to decide accor
dingly. The selection at Harrisbunr
of a person for Vice President,
who a few days before was
warmly supported for the office
r n r.ii. ti-. t 1
oi .rresiuum ugauiM uen. JacK-
son, is as extraordinary as it
was unexpected. The object of
that sudden change of position
was not certainly to promote
Gen. Jackson's election, but ul
timately to elevate another man
to the Presidential chair. And
in the meanwhile, from the
manner in which the proceed
ings were conducted, and the
electoral ticket was formed, the
real friends of the General will
be compelled to give their vote
for the office of Vice President,
to a person who probably would
not have been the object of their
choice.
None have valued the mili
tarv services of Gen. Jackson
more highly? and none have
felt more gratitude towards him
for his glorious victory at New
jr.. C. FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1824.
urieans, than, we have. His
name has been .nlivnvs fronts
by us with that sincere respect
wciciiiur mmrinis ieelin"-in
his favor, although in our opin
ion, uauieu 10 a dangerous ex
cess was natural and honorable
to. the people: and it is a mat
ter of much regret to us that he
has been placed in a situation,
which now forces us to canvass
opinions of his, which we would
otherwise have willingly cover
ed with the veil of oblivion.
The opinions of Gen. .Tarlr-
son, on the formation of a cab
inet without regard to party,
would not only tend to thp py.
tinction of the Republican par
ty, or, in other words in thn
annihilation of those principles
on which it is founded? but it
appears to us, in fact, a declara
tion that political nrincinlns nrr.
of no importance in the adminis
tration ot government a doc
trine contradicted by the general
sense of mankind, as well as by
the universal feelinsrs and nrnr-
tice of the citizens of the United
Mates? and which, if admitted.
would substitute most danc-'
rous sectional division?, most
corrupt personal factions, tind
most scandalous coalitions, to
party distinctions, founded on
honest differences of nolitiml
opinion. But it was unnecessary I
iu uweii on tnis topic. The
Harrisburg Delegates were, it is
said, all Kepubhcans: the Fed-!
eralists were, in most districts,
avowedly excluded from any
share in the election. The con
vention was presumed to be,and
called itself, a Democratic con
vention, recognizing in its form
ation, and by its name, the ex
istence of the party and the ne
cessity of maintaining it. It is
impossible, for a moment, to sup
pose that they should, notwith
standing his great personal mer
its, have nominated Gen. Jack
son for President, had they
known it to be his opinion that
the first magistrate ought to ap
point his cabinet, or in other
words to administer govern
ment, without regard to party,
We have seen in Gen. Jackson's
former conduct, sufficient evi
dence that his great energy of
character, so highly serviceable
in the field, had, in many in
stances, led him to acts which
we could not approve. In his
repeated collisions with the Ju
diciary authority in his assum
ing, by the occupation of Pen
sacola, and by his contingent
orders to occupy St. Augustine,
the power of making war, which
was not, and could not be del
egated to him since, by the con
stitution, it belongs exclusively
to Congress a dangerous dis
position was made apparent, to
transcend the powers vested in
him, and to pay little regard to
the laws, or to the constitution,
whenever they stood in the way
of what the public good, in his
opinion, required. But his a
vowal that he would, as Gener
al, have punished, by a court
martial, men presumed to be
guilty of treasonable practices,
whom it was not deemed proper
or practicable to prosecute be
fore the ordinary tribunals, and
who, not acting in a military
capacity, were however culpa
ble,entitled at all events to a triai
by jury,is subversive of the fun
damental principles of our con
stitution, of civil liberty, and in
, deed of any government cf laws.
The tried patriotism of Gen.
Jackson, his sincerity, the puri
ty of his motives, perhaps his
military habits, mav be an nnr.l.
ogy for many of his acts, and
for the opinions he professes
but would not render those less
dangerous in a civil officer.
They appear indeed not to have
been formed hastilv. but tn hp
generally the result of dnli
ate reflection and of perfect con
viction, liis contingent order:
to seize St. Augustine were -is.
sued after he had left the field?
and his determinntinn tn h
tried, if in command, tho Thi
ers of the Hartford Convention
uy a court-martial was expres
sed two years alter the forts tn
which it refers had taken place.
We consider, therefore. th
opinions and avowed principles
in uren. Jackson, as incompati
ble with the nualificati ons rp-
quired in the first magistrate of
a iree people, m an officer,
whose primary duty it is to sun.
port the constitution and those
fundamental principles of civil
and political liberty, which are
its basis, and to nrovide fnr tho
strict and faithful execution of
the laws.
We have been comnelled
with reluctance to say so much
of this distinguished citizen, hp-
cause he was nominated by the
Democratic convention of this
State. We have not the same
motive for comparing together
the merits of the other candid
ates, and neither of them re
quires, in order to be extolled.
uiai nis competitors should be
depreciated. We can only re
peat the expression of our regret
the Republican interest should
. j w...vi.ii.iwii :
tween men whose nolitieal n-!
DC ulvinPfl hv n pnmnntifinn K
pinions do not materially dif-
- , . 1 .
ier. we see no better mode of
avoiding that evil than by sup
porting the nomination made at
Washington: and we do it
cheerfully, because in that nom
ination we see nothing: to obiect
and much to approve.
10 long experience, undoubt
ed talents, inflexible intporitv.
firmness and vigor of character,
iVIr. CiiAwronn nnitpc on un
shaken attachment to the Re
publican cause and nrincinles.
and in an eminent degree that
most valuable of all qualifica
tions in a President, a most
sound and correct iudsrment.
He grave a decisive nroof nf his
uisintcrcsted patriotism, when
yielding to the older and longer
services of Mr. Monroe, and
withdrawing from all competi
tion lor the omce ot President
rather than to divide the Repub
lican party. He has manatrpri
with as much skill as integrity
uiu nnanciai concerns ot the na
tion, having:, amidst manv oh
stacles, notwithsandmsr thp
great pressure of the times, and
wunoutany increase oi taxation.
lessened the public debt near
tnirty millions ot dollars. His
opposition to unnecessary ex
penses, & abuses of any kind, has
enlisted against him the whole
nost 01 intriguers and omce hun
ters. For that same opposition
which had uniformly character
ized the Republican party, he
and his friends have been desig
nated by the supposed contempt
uous name of Radicals? an ap
pellation which we are willing
to accept, if our political oppo
nents think that it will promote
their views, to .'rive it to us, and
to assume our colors and name.
Because he was the best hope of
the Republican party, he has
lately been assailed by charges
nor, iess mvoious than unfund
ed? charges which have been
repelled and disproved in the
most triumphant manner, and
for which there was no color,
but his having tried, at the same
time, to collect the public dues,
and to save the Western people
from utter ruin, by affording
them, as far as was consistent
with law and duty, the facilities
indispensable to enable ihr, t
pay for their purchases of pub
lic lands. A disciple and a
friend of Jefferson and of Madi
son, he will, if elected, adminis
ter government in conformity
with those same Drincinles hv
which they were actuated.
uur leiiow-citizeh, Albert
Gallatin, is so well known tn
the people of Pennsylvania, that
we do not think it necessarv for
us to remind you of his long
services and political principles.
lou ivnow that the .Electors
nominated bv the Ha rnsh tiro-
Convention are bound to vote
for another candidate.
Fellow-citizens, the deni.ci'nn
rests with you. Remember
that the People of the United
States are the example and the
hope of mankind? that tn thpm.
a kind Providence has entrusted
thesajcred duty of preserving,in
yiolatethat liberty, which alone
in the world,they are permitted
to enjoy in its fullest extent.
Let it not be said, that they,
above all that the Democratic ci
tizens of Pennsylvania have, like
so many now enslaved nations,
sacrificed their principles and
their rigrhts at the shri nn nf mili
tary glory, and abandoned their
political faith for the worship of
TA . . .. .
man. 170 not persist 111 a deter
mination which you must now
know to be founded in error.
Do not desert the good old Re
publican cause? rally once more
around its well-known banners,
and once more it will triumph.
Acting with concert, you will
avert the danger of a military
administration, prevent the elec
tion devolving on Congress,
and defeat the expectations of
the perpetual enemies of the
rights of man, and of the gov
ernment of the people, of those
whose only hopes rest on your
divisions, and on a temporary
delusion.
m The trial of all crimes, except
in cases of impeachment, shall be
by jury. No person shall be held
to answer for a capital or otherwise
infamous crime, unless on a pre
sentment, or indictment of a Grand
Jury, except in cases arising in thti
land or naval forces or in the mili
tia, when in actual service, in time
of war or public danger.
In all criminal prosecutions, tha
accused shall enjoy the right to a
speedy and public trial by an im
partial jury. Constitution U. &
Tennessee. Go v. Can-nil 1,
issued his proclamation. rnllJn
an extra session of the legisla
ture of Tennessee, at Murirees
borough, on the third Monday
in September next, for the pur
pose of providing for the elec
tion of Electors of President
and Vice-President of the Uni
ted States, the legislature, at its
last session, having, thro mis
take, fixed on a day for said
election, different from that de
signated by the Constitution cf
the United Slates.