The Alexandria Herald

For the Herald.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION...No. 3.

MR. EDITOR--In pursuing this subject a little farther, I cannot but express my sincere regret at the charge of its having excited sectional feeling in advocating a southern or western man in preference to Mr. Adams, for that high, dignified and responsible office. But this sectional or local feeling is, I am confident, confined more to the accusers than the accused, for we see some of our most enlightened men openly and boldly advocating the one who is termed the northern candidate. It cannot be denied that it may in one or two instances have happened that an opinion of sectional feeling has been advanced, but the load of it, the burden or it, is happily confined to that part of the country from which the accusations of this nature flow.

It is firmly believed, that a great portion of the people of this part of the country advocate the election of Mr. Adams, notwithstanding his undisguised federalism in 1800, and his sudden, unaccountable, unconditional, unexplained, change to republicanism in the winter of 1800-7. There is no doubt of the people of the southern states being ready and willing to support a candidate from the north, if there could be found an individual, who combined with the talents requisite for the office, the firm and undeviating principles of the old school of republicanism.

It is but justice to admit that Mr. Adams possesses the most superior abilities, which render him a first rate politician and statesman, and intimately acquainted with the affairs of our nation; but we are ignorant where we shall find in him that firmness of resolution in his political character, which it is necessary should rest in the head and the heart of the man who is to preside over the destinies of this great and flourishing republic. I again ask, what are now the political principles of Mr. Adams? for the people are ignorant of them, even at this day; we all know they were once federal; we have all seen him one day violently assailing the republican ranks in the most violent of all federal parties; and again we have seen him supporting the republican ranks and venting the same abuse upon the federal party how was this change effected? When was it effected? The people of the south require some information on this subject; it is the bounden duty of his friends to give it. Why such a mysterious change? Was there any open and avowed conversion? No: the answer is plain, he left his party because they could no longer confer offices of honor and trust. On this particular part of the life of Mr. A. the people are desirous of information, they do not want mere assertion.

When, therefore, a northern man is brought forward, whom the people can rely on, he will be supported by the south; but it must be one, in whom they can place the most unlimited confidence. Mr. A. is not the man: for in his own strong hold ("the universal yankee nation") his opposers are not very few, nor wanting in influence. Can it then be supposed that the people of the south will unite with the north, in supporting this candidate, it cannot, we have already too many great men on the carpet, to even glance at Mr. A. We are not yet driven to the dire necessity of taking this man, with all these imperfections upon his head, because, as some of their editors say, it is high time we should have a president from the north: you have already given us them for thirty-two years, and now give us a chance. It is true, it would be allaying the northern sectional feeling, but I hope, before we are constrained to put an end to it, by sacrificing our rights that we may give them presidents for the same length of time. They must, therefore, rest satisfied, until they can produce a candidate whose principles are more in unison with those of the people.

Let us then look up to the one who is, emphatically speaking, the man of the people; let us only respect him whose whole life of moral and political conduct inclines us to that respect; let us, if we wish to revive the glorious administration of Washington and of Jefferson, if we wish to preserve the nation pure and uncorrupt, if we desire the government, mildly, yet firmly administered--let us look to the sheet anchor of our hopes, William Henry Crawford.

PAUSANIAS.