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'rExAs STATE LrnRARY
the Caucus or Committee of seven! My friends must "keep dark;" for what will become of them if they vote against the Caucus or Com- mittee of seven I The aspirants for office let them damn the truths in this address and court favor from the Caucus and Committee of seven -and probably what I lose by Independence, they may gain by ser- vility, from some future Caucus or Committee of seven. And thus, my fellow-citizens, this Caucus and Committee of seven is the only road at present, that leads to a seat in the hall of Congress. The old public high-way, through the people's approbation and voice is fenced out and abandoned, and the political traveller must now pay his toll on this new invented turnpike. I prefer travelling the old route if pos- sible, or in plain parlance, I prefer going to Congress with the free and unbiassed consent of my fellow-citizens, than to be sent there against their will, by the st~am engine of a Caucus, or the percussion power of a committee. Now the great folly and danger of all efforts at withdrawing power from the people, anq concentrating it in the hands of a few individuals, it has been my object in the foregoing observations· to expose, not for the mere sorry gratification of disturb- ing the Committee in the enjoyment of their prerogative, nor with a view of snatching from any individual, those honors that might vege- tate for him in the sunshine of their favor; but for the solitary pur- pose of jw,tifying myself against all censure and reproach for not acting with others, in the sanction and support of a dynasty, founded on such principles. If six individuals and myself making seven were to set up a government for the republican party of this State, I know not what argument we should resort to in defence of our pretensions~ except the old one, common to all such eases, that the exigency of the times required it. After seating ourselves in power, -however, there would be no difficulty of punishing with every appearance of justice, the rebellious, who not perceiving this exigency, might be disposed to throw off the government-government, it is known, necessarily im- plies the right of punishing. But, instead of playing a part in a $eptemvirate of this kind, I find myself, in common with the whole of the republican party, the subjects of one; and how this my feeble effort at emancipation will be received, whether as the emancipation will be received, whether as the zeal of a patriot, or the folly of a Quixotte, will depend upon the temper of the people, as it inclines either to freedom or to submission. In a review of the ground I have thus far travelled over, I can see no departure from the path which I first prescribed to myself. My only purpose in addr~ing the public, was the vindication of myself from all censure for not "bowing to what, in one point of view, may be called the dictation of the late Caucus.'' 'l'o do this, I have been compelled to exhibit the unsound principles upon which it was based, and the extravagant absurdity of claiming for such a tribunal, the "right of absolute rule. I do not know that I have introduced matter that is not closely allied to the subject, although if I hnd been captious and ill-natured, I mi~ht have said much more nnd much to the purpose. Cherishing 110 unpleasant scutimcnt to irny, nml asking of others noth- ing but a fair chance and even-handed justice, I consider the present contest as an honorable competition for public favor, in which prin-
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