Glass E^iSH. 
 
 Book jnZ2, 
 
ADDRSSS 
 
 or TRB 
 
 KEFUISIilCAM YOUi^G SEEW 
 
 OJ 
 
 THE TOWN OF GALWAY, 
 
 COrXTY OF SARATOGA, 
 
 TO THEIR 
 
 FBZiZiQ-W CXTIZaiffS. 
 
 BAIiljSTON 8PA : 
 
 PRINTBD BY 3. COMSTOCK. 
 
 isai. 
 

 
 
 Mr a Meeting of the Republican Young Men of 
 !lio tn',vn o^ G-^lwnv, friendly^to the present Ad- 
 .it ihe l:-i'.se of Jotsse II 
 ./. i,<e Glhof Sept. 1828— 
 :'.l Alli.'-^ Was. culled to the Chair, and 
 v^iJAOiAH Platt chosen Secretary. 
 The following Address was read and unans- 
 Biously adopted. 
 
To the Electors of the County of Saratoga i 
 
 The uiuleisigned are a coininiitee, seleuieJ by ilie Young 
 Men of Giilway, to address you upon the subject of llie ap- 
 proacliing Presidential election, lii the present contest i'or a 
 Chiof [Magistrate, unlike the last, we are limited in our choice 
 to the two candidates now before the public — John Qjincy Ad- 
 ams and Andrew Jacl.son. It is inbe'idfof Mr. Adams that 
 ne cheerfully and confidently address you ; and in doing it we 
 shall not repeat the praise so justly his due, and so liberally be- 
 stowed upon him fom one end of the Union to the other. He. 
 has been tried to the utmost and found to be able and faitliful in 
 the discharge of his duties. Washington, JcfTorson, ftladison 
 and Monroe, have all honored him wiili their confidence and the 
 first offices in the Union, and but six years ago it would Iiava 
 been thought atrocious calumny if any one had called in ques- 
 tion his republicanism and integrity. What then shall we think 
 of those men who liave formerly acted with him — who have 
 known the secrets of his conduct, and who have united their voi- 
 ces with the rest of the nation, to praise and to honor him ; and 
 now forsooth, because he will not sloop to reward them with offi- 
 ces and salaries, have abandoned hiiu and the republican party, 
 and united to abuse both .'' 
 
 No falsehoods have been so mean and despicable — no artificee 
 »o weak and contemptible, but they were graspeil at by his ene- 
 mies and used with the utmost address to ruin him. What ban 
 been the result ? Every falsehood has been expos«'d — every 
 artifice detected, and every charge triumphantly refuted. Mr. 
 Adams' cliaracter has coine out brighter for the abuse that lias 
 been heaped upon him : His enemies have only showed in more 
 glowing colors iiis intfgrily, worth and talents. 
 
 But what has been their conduct respecting Gen. Jackson ? 
 They complain bitterly of the calumnies that have been heaped 
 upon him ! And why has so much been said against him ? Be- 
 cause by presenting him as a candidate for the Presidency, ihey 
 have by their conduct (tliough carefully avoiding it by their 
 words,) challenged a scrutiny into his character : And if we taku 
 their own words lur our authoriiy, no man was ever presented to 
 the public so destitute of qualifi(;ations for office, and so worthy 
 of re))roaches from a virtuous comniunity. Conscious of this, 
 the)' are unwilling to allow the least investigation of his charac- 
 ter — with regard to him they are unwilling the pressshoiild speak 
 the trutli, aiul the voice of the people they feijn would siiflrt in 
 jiubiie and in private. Tenderly alive to his rfpuratioi): (fov - 
 
 /' 
 
 / 
 
iht'it own is involved with it,) the least discussion of his merits i» 
 BMwered wiili the cry of slander, abuse and ingratitude. 
 
 We /)i<y their situation. VVe will grant their request and our- 
 selves say nothing of his unfitness for office — of his foibles and vi- 
 ces. We own that a proper regard for the honor of our country — 
 that duty to ourselves and to the nation seem to demand a dif- 
 ferent course. But we refrain from the humbling aiui morti/yitig 
 task, out of compassion to them, and we are thankful we can do 
 BO with safety to the republic. We are not necessitated to do 
 otherwise, becau.se they f;ave done it for us. We will therefore 
 present you with only the words of his own friends, respecting 
 hi'i moral and political character. We take this course to stop 
 the mouths of liis friends ; to prevent thein from saying wc have 
 raised our voices to slander him. What thei/ have said we can- 
 not help, and hovsever repugnant it may be to their fesliiigs, they 
 cannot with any propriety object to our laying before you their 
 own declarations, that you may judge of his fitness for the office 
 of President. 
 
 ■ At the close of Mr. Monroe's administration, there were four 
 candidates for the Presidency — Messrs. Adams, Clay, Crawford 
 end Jackson. It must be well retnembered by all, that most of 
 those in tliis State who are nnw in favor of Gen. Jackson, were 
 then supporting Wm. H. Crawford. Of course they were as 
 much at enmity with Gen. Jackson as they were with Mr. Ad- 
 ams. What they then said of his political character, you shall 
 see by extracts from their own papers. Of John C. Calhoun, 
 (whom they have associated with Gen. Jjickson, as a candidate 
 for the office of Vice President,) Mr. Noah, one of their advocates 
 in this State, has said that" they make a positive charge of coa- 
 lition, bargain and sale. His whole course in his brief but fatal 
 race for the Presidency, lias been distinguished for traffics — the 
 erection of presses — the division of the republican part 1/ — the en- 
 couragement of faction, and drawing around him a set of men of 
 broken fortunes and reputation ; of, in short, introducing more 
 distraction and mischief in this country, rtian have ever before 
 been known." Yet this is the man they recommend to you, 
 now, as a pure and spotless republican. 
 
 Their other papers of the same date speak as foUows of Gen. 
 Jackson : 
 
 " We do not quarrel with Mr. Jackson for his belief of the dis- 
 solution of the democratic party. But we object to Ins claims as 
 the democratic candidate ; and to the claims which have been set 
 np by his friends, in defiance of all fact, as the supporter of the 
 interest of the republican party. Let him stand upon his own 
 declaratioijs, ai the disclaimer of all party stjpport, and let rcpub- 
 
licanj rt'iri ember, that the «a/por«o/ Ai/rt 13 tlie ahandormtnl of 
 themselves." 
 
 The well known oracia of the Jackson party — the A'.bmy Ar- 
 gus, in 1S24, says furtlier, that 
 
 " The/ac<ts c/cnr that Mr. Jackson has not a swiKie feeling 
 in common with therepiihlicnn party. Tim reverse of tliat — he 
 desires, and makes a merit of desirinsf the total czlinclinn of it." 
 
 " It is an idlr thing in this State, however it nriy be in otiie/.i, 
 to strive cvan for a moderate support of Mr. Jackson. He is 
 wholhj out of the. question as hr as tlie votes of Xrw- Vurk are in 
 it. Indfpenilently of the disclosures of liis political opinion!!, he 
 could not he the republican r.ar.iidatc. He is respected as a gal- 
 lant soWi'er, but he stands, in the minds ol' the people of this 
 state, at nn immcasurahlc distance from the Executive chair." 
 
 " His habits, aside from his^oWtcs, are quite too su-mmamt 
 for that." 
 
 " The course adopted by Mr. Jackson is food and rnimpv.t to 
 the federalisss -.MnVno party men. It is pleasant to ail who .strive 
 for tiie destruction of tiie democratic party. The;/ will every 
 where applaud, as they have preached it, and will macnifv the 
 AUTftoii of doctrines which are so well intended Foii their 
 
 SEIIVICE." 
 
 " The political notions of Mr. Jackson cannot be mistaken. — 
 Under the artful disguise of elevatini; men most conspicuous for 
 their probity, virtue, &c. he is bent vpnn the destruction of the 
 republican par:y." 
 
 These, we c()nf;>s, are heavy charges aijainst Gen. Jackson'* 
 political principles. Dut thos-e who are his fiieniis now, wero 
 well apprised that they had the best of authority ftr so prorlaiiii- 
 inc; them to the public. His ccuuiuct " hile a iiicinberol tiielloti- 
 ventiou that framed the Cxinstitution of Tennessee, fully warratlt- 
 ed them in making these assertions. 
 
 The provisions v.'hich he sough.t to have engrafted in that Con- 
 stitution were lliosa : 
 
 1. No man should he q salified for a member of the Legisla- 
 tor?, unless iie posoessed a freehold of two hundred acrt-i of 
 land. 
 
 '2. That no man should hold the office of Governor, unless h« 
 possessed a freehold of 000 acres of laud. 
 
 3;l. That no man should vote, unless he possessed a freehold — 
 and 
 
 4'.h. If a man possessed a freehold in one counts', he jiiould be 
 entitled to one vote, if he possessed a freehold in two Cuunlies, 
 ho should be entitled to two votes ; and if he possessed a Ap«l"d(i 
 in three countiSF, he should bs entitled to three. vut(*i,— an;! so 
 
•«, s» that a rieh man could giva.a namher o^ votes, while a jBa#r 
 man could not rote at alL His argameius and votes in favor of 
 tliese aristocratic and anti-republicaii principles, are recoided in 
 the journali of the convention, and speak the principles of the 
 man. 
 
 Another as well antlienticatct] fact, is his unrelentintr animosi- 
 ty to the fatlier cf our country. When General Washington re- 
 tired from office. General Jackson was a member of Congress 
 from Tennessee. 
 
 That body voted an address of thanks to the veteran and a- 
 postle of liberty, bur to th: disgrace of our republic, there were 
 men determined to withhold that consolation from his grey hairs. 
 General Jackson was one of them. We blush to own his vole is 
 so recorded in opposition to the best, most wise, and most patri- 
 otic of men. We agree with his supporters, now, though so late- 
 ly hi« honest opponents, that we have no confidence in his polit- 
 ical principles. We agree with them that '.hey had cogent rea- 
 sons for prociniming iiis anti-republican principles, and we wiU 
 continue on their authoriti/ and on the auikorily of the public I'cc- 
 t>r(/s to warn the honcit yeomanry of the state, against the dan- 
 ger of elevating him to the Presidency. But for some marvellous 
 leason, best known to the actors, the pulltical scene is strangely 
 thified. Either General Jackson has renounced his anti-repulili. 
 can and aristocratic principles, and joined the republican party, 
 or his present supporters have abandoned that party and joined 
 him. They have abandoned it in the support of bini, or they nev- 
 er belonged to it, and if we judge riglu of tlie political complex- 
 ion of their leaders, we should say they never belonged to it. 
 
 Among them we see but few old republicans, and we recognize 
 many who were stigmatized as the agents of the enemies of our 
 country in distracting her councils, and par.ilysing her efforts for 
 independence. Cut v.'e will not quarrel witii his present support- 
 ers about i/ieiV republicanism, if thej' will show us his, and if they 
 will point us to the time of his remarkable somerset iu favor of re- 
 publicanism, we will grant him full absolution for bis political sins. 
 fFftcn was it during the past four years that he took this turn ?— 
 Is fouryt'ars so long that they have forgotten the dai/ of liis po- 
 litical regeneration ? Or has it not yet passed ? If it has passed 
 at all. it is not long since, for if we believe their own words, lie 
 was/owe years ago, an enemy to the republican party, and "hciit 
 vpoii ill destructi<jn." - 
 
 We ask again — ichen was it within the past four years, that he 
 joined the republican standard ? By what act are we apprised of 
 his conviction ? We confess wo know not the time, and we see 
 'Bot t!ic ticfj that bids u3 i;rcci him as a meuibcr of tlie rrptibhcwB 
 
party. Hii fricudu In iliis state, shut him out four yftartago, and 
 hig friends at the South, iisve not strcngtliened his rlaiuis up- 
 on our coiifit'ence. Tliey profess to be, and tliey wouici luive us 
 think they are, the only repubhcan* of the naiioii, yet ihcy refuse 
 ubedience to alaw passed by the representatives of tlie people, 
 arid one in whicli they had more than a proportioned representa- 
 tion. We thouErlit tlio motto "the majority siiould rule" was the 
 watch-word of Republicans. Ho'.v admirably is it exemplified by 
 tlie Jacksosiians of the South L Sure it must be the very sidvit of 
 Republicaiiifm, that prompts liicm to rebel against the will of the 
 innjority of the nation. They profess to be patriots — zealous fof 
 the hoiror and ii\terests ^i ihe union — y©t because a law supposed 
 to he at variance with tk;-ir interest — though of acknowledged u- 
 tilily to ihe \vho!e — be enacted, they thiftaten disunion and civil 
 war. Their governouis boldly defy the national government, 
 which they have sworn to support, and to secure a change in the 
 administration, threaten us with the interference of England in 
 their behalf. Fellow citizens, these things are so. VVe see an 
 unwillingness prevails to believe them. It is natural. And it ix 
 the policy of General Jackson's friends in this state, to conceal it 
 from you. They deny it in the face of all fact. VVe do not ask 
 you to take our statements, or the statements of any administration 
 paper, but we wish, and we ask you to read for yourselves, the 
 Jacksonian papers of the South, and then judge of their claims to 
 be the only republicans and patriots of the nation. They tell a 
 tale we ourselves can hardly believe — they publish their own dis- 
 grace, and warn us to be vigilant, if we would preserve the peace 
 and happiness of the Union. 
 
 Of General Jackson's mor«? character, we will present you a- 
 gain with tlieir own picture,-and we will give you the grounds 
 from which they have sket(;K^d it.. Preparatory to the last pres- 
 idential election, there was a legislative caucus held in Columbia, 
 for the purpose of nominating John C. Calhoun, for the presiden- 
 ey. After the speeches in favor of Mr. Calhoun were made, And 
 tiie motion to nomitiale moved, Gen. Glasscock, of Edgefield dis- 
 trict, moved to amend the motion, hy striking out John C. Cal- 
 houn, and inserting Andrew Jackson. This motion was second- 
 «d. There was considerable excitement, on account of this mo- 
 tion to amend, to allay which Mr. Pinckney, editor of tlip Chsries- 
 «on Mercury, and now a warm and prominent iu^porterof Geneiii 
 Jackson, made the following speech : 
 
 "Mr. Chairman — I am astonished that any man sho^dd l\v\-b 
 • ppeared here to night, to mar our proceedings, when, ii is welt 
 fojBwn, that the object of our meeting was to nominate John C. 
 6tilhoun, for the presidency. But, whea we are in»ulted with tha 
 
8 
 
 Komiaotion of the moit perfect tyrant upm earth, the ifiao wh* 
 sets laws at dtfianre ; wlio is stoiiied wiih vices of iha deepest 
 DVE ; and v/ho'ic iri It alone \i\ni rule of conduct, whose life has 
 been cliiefly tlistiiigiiislied by brutal violations of private right, 
 my asioiiisluneiit ran lifirdly be expressed, 1 had rather see tlie 
 arch imrigtier Crawford, the plodding systematic yankee, ^c/aOT», 
 or ti)e unprincipled Clay ; nay, any citizen, liowever high, oi 
 however low, nmde president, than this MILITARY DESPOT. 
 1 liope you will take tlie vote upon my motion, and settle the 
 question at once." 
 
 Hire, you have the honest opinions of tliose wiio are noto Gen. 
 Jackson's fi iends, respecting his moral character, and we would 
 liav<; you remember, that even in that hour of excitement, they 
 gave Mr. Adams no character of which lie need be ashamed. — 
 It is not to be presumed that even now, zealous as they are in tha 
 support of Gen. Jackson, llipy will deny themselves and say that 
 ti)ey iheii made unjust charges against his character. They 
 take a difierent course. They will not — they cannot be/brccrf to 
 saj' one wold lespecting the charges they then preferred against 
 liiin ; biit they continue to repeat, over and over again, his praise, 
 until it has become stale and fulsome : making a mockery of 
 the lives of such men as Jefferson and Madison. We have quo- 
 ted only one of their expressions, because our limits would not 
 allow us to quote more ; and we have selected it, because it ix 
 a pitiiy suia.uing up of the whole. Indeed it is a serious 
 charge. 
 
 " Vices of the deepest dye !" 
 These, if we mistake noi, include assassination and murder, and 
 we will see upon what authority they dared to make this 
 charge. 'V 
 
 Doubtless one authority was his shooting Mr. Dickinson. They 
 quarrelled about a /to;'se race, and the Hero op Nkvt Orleans 
 wsii pleased to show his bravery and sense of honor, in a person- 
 al conflict with Mr. Dickinson. They fought. Gen. Jackson's 
 j)istol snapped. Mr. Dickinson's fire was ineffectual, but he 
 stood firm and silent. Was there no appeal to the General's gen- 
 erosity for a defencel-ts man ? No ! Sure of his victi}n — he cock- 
 ed his pistol — took deliberate aim and shot hiuidead. We would 
 not rob him of lUe glo7-y that he won, or envy the complacency 
 of his temper. The deed was his, and let iiim enjoy all its re- 
 wards, and ail its honors. Another ground for the charge of mur- 
 der, was his execution of Arbuthnot and Ambrister. 
 
 By the common law, as laid down by Sir Edward Coke, (3d 
 inst. 52) " ]f a Lieutenant or other that hath commission of mili- 
 tary authority, deth in time of peace, hako, or otkerteisc execute 
 
an^ nan, b^ color of Martial iUie, thin ii Muiujbr." The 5ili 
 ;iriicle to the adiendmeiiis of tlic constitution, prohibits capital 
 punishments, unless nn indictment, except " in tinie of tear ot 
 public (ianges- :" find (lie OStii article of " Rules, &c." requires 
 the proceedings in omj case extending to loss of life, in time of 
 peace, to be laid beCuie the President, &l\ Now, that we were 
 at peace, we will give you Gen. Jackson's own testimony ; for 
 on the very day that he put these criminals upon their trial, he 
 wrote to the Secretary of War in the following words : 
 
 " The Indian forces have been divided and scattered — cut off 
 from all communication with the unprincipled agents of foreign 
 nations, who have deluded them to their ruin ; they have not the 
 POWKii, if the will remain, of a^ain annoying our frontier." 
 
 Ytit, in defiance of the constitution, he put these men upon 
 their trial, in which their lives were involved. And this is not all. 
 In ilefiaMce of the scntcnca of Iiis own Court Martial, he ordered 
 them both executed, when he knew at the same time, that one 
 onlj' wiis sentenced to death, and the other sentenced to impris- 
 onment. These facts are proved by public documents — by the 
 records of the Court Martial that tried the convicts, and b)' the 
 General's order for their e.Kscution. If in your opinion he is e.x- 
 cused for puttinc; them on their trial, in violaiion of the constitu- 
 tion, by the " necessity of the times," (the never failing plea of 
 tyrants) how was he justified for putting Arbuthnot to death, when 
 he was only sentenced to imprisonment ? In this, if in nothing 
 else, he is a murderer. And it was a murder committed under the 
 most aggravating circumstances. We will lay aside the fact of 
 their both being tried unconstitutionally, and take this act alone. 
 If we had room to lay before you,8 true account of the evidence 
 produced against Arbuthnot, you would all concede, that he was 
 entitled to much clemency from the court, if not to an acquittal. 
 As a prisoner, he was entitled to all due clemency from the court 
 and from the General, and as a man, he was certainly entitled to 
 the j3co/ec?»o» of tlie laws. If he was not entitled to their pro- 
 tection, it is clear that he was not subject to them. If he was 
 subject to the jurisdiction of the court, no man, however high iu 
 authority, had a legal or moral right, to inflict a greater punish- 
 ment tlian what the court judged proper to award. And further, 
 |f Gen. Jackson had a right to put him to death, after his trial, in 
 violation of the sentence of the court, he had a right to put him 
 to death before. If he had that right — if the victim waa doomed 
 before trial to suffer death, let the sentence of his judges be what 
 It would, then why did Gen. Jackson go through with the mock- 
 ery of a trial. If he had not, it would have been better for his 
 reputation. For in (hat «aie, tha record end tba judginont of 
 
 ti 
 
10 
 
 the court would never liave been left lo reveal tlie secret, that 
 the prisoner only merited imprisonment at most. In Ireland, ju- 
 ries have been packed, wiinessess have heen bribed, and every 
 means have heen made use of to procure n sentence of deatli a- 
 gaiiist unfortunate rebels. But even in that land of tyranny, the 
 sentence of those courts has been observed, let them he wtiat 
 they would. But ihe English government is no longer supreme 
 in sin. It is left for America — free, enlightened America — the 
 boasted land of equal justice, liberty and laws, to exhibit the 
 monstrous inconsistency of a constitution violated, of laws disre- 
 garded, and of the merciful sentences of her courts being but the 
 prelude to arbitrary, wicked and atrocious murders. Gen. Jack- 
 so?i"s political friends, now seek to connect this case of Arbuth- 
 not'a, with that of Ambrister, and to excuse the execution of 
 both, on the plea that it was an act of retaliation. But General 
 Jackson never made this plea himself, for the very good reason 
 that he had no right to claim it. Tlie Court Martial, of which 
 Gen. Scott was president, has decided that " Acts of retaliation 
 on the part of a nation prnml of its rights, and conscious of the 
 power nf enforcing them, should be reluctantly resorted to, and 
 only by instrl'ctioks from the highest aotkobity." 
 
 Where, we ask, were Gen. Jackson's instructions f The fact is 
 he had none. He took it upon himself, regardless of consequen- 
 ces, to make his own tcill his rule of conduct. 
 
 Another ground, for their accusing him of" Vices nf the dee- 
 pest DYE," was his attempted assassination of Senator Benton. 
 This happened in tlie year 1813. ' We prefer giving you Col. 
 Benton's own account of it, both because his name and charac- 
 ter is sufficient authority for the truth of it, and because not a 
 particle of that account has been gaiiisayed or denied, by Gen. 
 Jackson or any of his friends, although it has been frequently 
 published in every part of the Union.' 
 
 Franklin, (Tenn.) Sept. 10, 1813. 
 " A difference which had been some months brewing between 
 Gen. Jackson and myself, produced, on Saturday the 4th inst. in 
 the town of Nashville, ihe most outrageous AFFRAY ever wit- 
 nessed in a civilized country. In communicating this affair to 
 my friends and fellow citizens, I limit myself to the statement of 
 a few leading FACTS, the truth of which I am ready to estab- 
 lish by judicial proofs. 
 
 "1, That myself and ray brother Jesse Benton, arrived in 
 Nashville on the morning of the affray, and knowing of General 
 Jackson's threats, went and took our lodgings in a different hotise 
 from the one in which ha ittayad, on purpo«« to avoid him. 
 
11 
 
 "2. Tlint the Oci'.ei'Bl and boidb of Ins fiieiidj earns to th« 
 house where we liad put up, co'nmciited an ailack fty LliVEL- 
 LING A PISTOL AT Mli, when 1 had no wenpon drawn, and 
 advancing upon me at quick pace, without giving mo time to 
 draw one. 
 
 "3. Seeing this, my brother fired upon Gen. Jackson, whan 
 he had got within eight or ten leet of me. 
 
 "4. That four otlier pistols were (ired in quick succession ; one 
 by Clen. Jackson at me, two by me at the (.ieneral, and one by 
 (Jol. Coffee at me. In tiie course oftiiis firing, Cuu. Juckaoii 
 was brought to the ground, but I received no luirt. 
 
 '■5. Tliat daggers were then drawn. Gohjnel Coffee and Mr. 
 Alex. Donaldson made at me and gave me five slight wounds.— 
 Capt. Hammond and nir. i^IL'^ely Hays, engaged my brother, 
 who being still weak from the etTccK« ..I „ "^?ie wound he lately 
 received, was not able to resist two men. They go? imiII ^own, 
 and while Capt. Hammond beat him on the head, to i!."ike hiiii 
 lay still, Mr. Hays attempted to STAB hiio, and wounded him 
 in both arms as he lay on his hack, parrying his thrusts with his 
 naked hands. From this situation, a generous hearted citizen of 
 Nashville, Mr. Summer, relieved him. Before he came to tlifi 
 ground, my brother clapped a loaded pistol to Mr. Hays' bieast, 
 to blow him through, but it missed £re. 
 
 "6. My own and my brother's pistols carried two balls eat! _: 
 for it was our intention, if driven to arms, to have no child's pi».v. 
 The pistols fired at me, were so near, that the blaze of tne nuijz; 
 zlcofoneof them burnt the sleeve of my coat, and the other 
 aimed at my head, at little more than arms length distance 
 from it. 
 
 "7- Capt. Carroll was to have taken part in the affray, but wiis 
 absent by the permission of Gen. Jackson, as he has since proved 
 by the General's certificate, which reflects less honor, 1 know iiu' 
 whether upon the General, or upon the Captain. 
 
 "8. That this attack was made upon me in the house » I 
 the Judge of the district, Mr. Searcy, had his lodgings ! So hiii..- 
 are the laws and its ministers respected ! Nor lias the civil au- 
 ihorilv yet taken cognizance of this horrible outrage. 
 
 THOMAS HART BENTON, 
 Lieut. Col. 39th Infantry." 
 
 What Gen. Jackson's provocations were for this attempt to kiU 
 Mr. Benton, we cauiiol say. But we can fancy none whirl; couiti 
 justify Gen. Jackson in thus breaking the jaws of both God and 
 man. U'e leave this transaction to speiik for itself. We leave it 
 for you to deLide upon the propnclv o; elevating to the liigheit 
 
12 
 
 oKe« HI ths Bation, tlie man, wlio, ifliabad perpetrated his 
 crimes in this State, or in any other State, wlieia tiie laws are en- 
 forced, would have been doomed to expiate them in a punishment 
 errtainiy not less than imprisonment. Who, among tliose we 
 now address, would have escaped a just punishment for sucli 
 crimes ? How admirahly must his mind be prepared to execute 
 the laws with vigilance and impartiality — laws which he has so 
 often and so openly violated. With what confidence eould we 
 look up to him as the father of our country — as the protector of 
 our liberties, and the preserver of our institutions ? We confess 
 our apprehensions. VVe agree with Gen. Jackson's friends, that his 
 ^nomination is an insult to the community, and we cannot but re- 
 gret that they who were so lately proclaiming these truths from 
 their public oracles, should now embrace him, and connect their 
 fortunes witii his. It is no flattering cor--;'!iment to tiie moral sense 
 and intelligence of Americiins. It verifies the ancif.nt maxim, 
 that "X^»s ave iike cobwebs — great flies break through them, 
 wbile little one's on'y are caught." And we are willing also, to 
 leave the question for republicans to determine, whether they will 
 elevate to the presidency, a man whom his friends say, and whom 
 ublic documents prove, to be anti-republican and aristocratic in 
 lis piinciples, and who, according to their language, is " the most 
 perfect tyrant upon earth — the man who sets laws at defiance — 
 who is stained with vices of the deepest dye — and whose will a- 
 lone is his rule of conduct, whoso life is chiefly distinguished by 
 brutal violations of private right." 
 
 No matter, if they now deny the depravity of his character. — 
 They liave again and again proclaimed it in living colors, and 
 from the best of evidence. That evidei^ce still exists and his 
 .character is still the same. We have now, nothing but the inter- 
 ested assertions of his supporters, to strengthen our confidence 
 in the value of his moral and political character. And if what 
 they assert now, is true, what they asserted four years ago was 
 false — if what they asserted four years ago was faUe, we leave it 
 for oil tojudge of the credit to xvhich they now are entitled. For 
 ourselves we unhesitatingly give our support to Mr. Adams. Mr. 
 Jefl*erson, who was well acquainted with his talents and integrity 
 recommended him to the notice af Gen. Washington, by whom 
 he was selected as a minister resident to the Netherlands. Since 
 that period he has enjoyed the utmost confidence of Washington, 
 Jefl'erson, Madison and Monroe, and has been continued by them 
 in office wi;h the approbation of the republican party, and of the 
 nation at large, liut there were other candidates for the presi- 
 dency at the last election, and it is the disappointed pariizans of 
 all these, that have no* uuited to oppose him- If, however, they 
 
 I 
 
15 
 
 svoulJ dt'ntroy ilie conRileiiM which all true republicans repose in 
 him, they niust show that iie has abamloneil that party and the 
 principles it supports. Have they done so ? And if they would 
 destroy the contidence which tiie nation generally repose in him, 
 they must point us to some act of his, calculated to weaken tliat 
 confidence. Have threy done so ? We kr.ow they have not. — 
 They have attempicd it, hut failed. 
 
 Oi' General Jackson, all know we have only repeated what his 
 friends themselves have said. Award that the contradictions in 
 ilieir conduct, oiiL;ln to destroy all confidence in their assertions, 
 we have given the proofs which warranted them in making those 
 charges upon his ciiaracter. Most of their proofs are publie doc- 
 uments, which originated with himself. They disclose facts 
 wiiich if he or his friends dare deny, the denial would only add 
 another proof of their disregard for truth, and for their own char- 
 acters. Other charges have been preferred against Gen. Jackson 
 — which we shall udt poa- discuss ; not b'.'cause they are unjustly 
 made, and he successfaUy defended from them, but because they 
 are unimportant in comparison with those we liave examined. — 
 If irus, they cannot add a deeper slain to his character, and if it 
 were passible for his friends to prove them false, their success 
 could not free him from other "cruisis of the deepest dye." 
 
 But we disclaim all iuteniion of endeavoring unjustly to excite 
 prejudice against him. We are not und^r the necessity of ma- 
 king false charges or unfair insinuations, while these charges — so 
 true, and so well supported by facts, have heretofore been urged 
 against him by his present supporters. Nor will the peculiar turpi- 
 tude of his crimes, be urged with an unnecessary severity. We 
 will nut descend to scandalize him, as his friends have done before 
 lis — but we let facts speak for themselves — let a just sense of the 
 crimes be has committed have only its proper influence upon the 
 public mind, and the result is not to be feared. If they do not im- 
 press upon all, the conviction of his entire unfitness to be our 
 chief magistrate, no crimes will — no character can be too black 
 for our support. How admirably must his mind be prepared to 
 execute the laws he has so ofien and openly violated ! With what 
 confidence can the nation look up to him as ihe guardian and pro- 
 tector of the constitution, who has so frequendy violated its pro- 
 visions ? It is to the candid and intelligent of all parties, that this 
 paper is addressed — to those who have the independence to look, 
 and who can see for themselves, that we make this appeal. Tlie 
 question is not merely, whether we will have a republican, or a 
 federalist, for a president — but whether we will have a good or a 
 bad man to fill that office — whether we will have otvo who is an 
 lienor and a treasure to his country, or ens who is a murderer, and 
 
14 
 
 a disgrace to it — whether we will retain Iiim to govern us, froiij 
 whom we have every thing to hope, or whether we will call him 
 to be our ruler, from whom we have every thing to fear ? These 
 are the questions yoii are to decide — and we leave tlie subject 
 for your serious consideration, believing you will bastow upon it 
 all the attention its importance requires. The citizens of New- 
 Orleans, have declared their determination by an overwhelming 
 majority. It was over them that Gen. Jackson ruled with such 
 despotic sway. It was over them that he displayed his tyranny. 
 If any people can appreciate his civil qualifications, his worth, or 
 his talents, <Aej/ ca?t ; and if any people can judge correctly of 
 his unfitness for office, surely it is the citizens of New Orleans. — 
 They have decided. If he rules again, it is not by their votes. — 
 Their election has passed, and the republicans of Louisiana ad- 
 here still to the honor and interest of thoir country— —Go ye 
 and do likewise.