fellow-citizens, and prove by your votes, that you make all private considerations subservient to the public good.

B. F. H. WITHERELL, Secretary.

Detroit, August 24, 1823.

JOHN HUNT, Chairman.

VOICE OF THE FRENCH CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY OF MONROE.

At a large and respectable meeting of the inhabitants of Frenchtown, in the county of Monroe, holden at the house of François Lasalle, Esq., on the 27th day of June, A. D. 1831, John B't. Cicotte, Esq., was called to the chair, and François Lasselle and John B't. Besseau, Esqrs., were appointed secretaries.

The object of the meeting having been stated by the chairman, James J. Godfroy, Esq., Felix Mettez, François Mouton, and Hyacinth Beauregard, were appointed a committee for the purpose of drafting resolutions and an address to the electors on the subject of the ensuing election.

The committee retired and after a short time returned and reported to the meeting the following resolutions, with the address, which were adopted by the meeting without a dissenting voice:

Resolved unanimously, That this meeting do approve of the doings of the republican convention holden at Detroit on the 4th of March last; at which convention Austin E. Wing was nominated as a candidate for delegate.

Resolved, That we will by all fair and honorable means, endeavor to secure the election of Austin E. Wing, long known to us as a talented, industrious and honorable citizen, whose interest is identified with our country, and whose best efforts we have every reason for believing, will be exerted in favor of the Territory generally, free from sectional prejudices.

Resolved, That from a long acquaintance with the private and public character of Mr. Wing, we are well assured of his integrity, patriotism, and love of country; and we want no better evidences of these facts, than the services he has heretofore, in the capacity of delegate, rendered our citizens and our Territory.

Resolved, That we look upon Mr. Wing as a genuine republican, educated in the Jeffersonian school, belonging to the party consisting of the people, and who have the interest of the people at heart; and we look upon any attempts to deprive him of his hard earned and invaluable reputation, as a

direct insult upon the people themselves, the dernier resort of unprincipled and desperate politicians.

Resolved, That in our endeavors to promote the election of Mr. Wing, we shall be content to rely upon his own merits, upon his knowledge of our country, and the intelligence of our French brethren, that we will not exact written pledges in support of Mr. Wing; and that the friends of Gen. Williams in attempting to obtain written pledges to his support, and in appointing gentlemen on committees without their knowledge, and against their known wishes, have endeavored to degrade the character of Frenchmen, a character which we are proud to own, and determined to maintain.

Resolved, That a committee of vigilance, consisting of ten from this township, be appointed, and that Hyacinthe Bouregard, Joseph Bosome, Felix Mettez, James J. Godfroy, John B't. Besseau, John B't. Cicotte, François Lasselle, Toussant Solleau, Washington Bond, and Alexis Labadie, be that committee.

Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the chairman and secretaries, and be published in the Detroit Journal, and in handbills in the French and English languages.

JEAN B'T. BESSEAU,
FRANCOIS LASSELLE, Secretaries.

J. B'T. CICOTTE, Chairman.

ADDRESS
(Without date.)

Fellow Citizens:

By the above proceedings you will perceive that we have nominated as a candidate for delegate at the ensuing election, Austin E. Wing, a man known personally to most of you who are now residents of this district. His character needs no eulogy from us; his talents, acquirements and business habits, his long residence in our country, and the fact of his interest being identified with the interest of the country render him eminently calculated to promote your interests and the interest of the Territory generally. His acquaintance, too, with the officers at Washington city, his knowledge of business there, his acquaintance with the officers of the different departments, with the members of both houses of Congress, and his experience in legislative proceedings render him peculiarly well fitted for the office of delegate.

To you, or to our fellow citizens generally, it would be unnecessary and worse than useless to attempt any vindication of the character of Mr. Wing. The infamous stories that have been set afloat in the Free Press, and otherwise circulated by the propagators of them to destroy his election, we consider of too infamous a character, and the publishers of them too well known to you, as unprincipled demagogues and office seekers, to require from us even a passing remark; suffice it to say therefore, that they have not the semblance of truth, and have the mark of falsehood stamped upon their front. Who are they, fellow-citizens, who are actively engaged against Mr. Wing? We ask you to look about you and see who are in their front ranks. Are they not office holders and office seekers? Have they anything to lose in the matter? Are they not actuated by hopes of gain? Are their interests identified with your own? Fellow-citizens, we ask of you to pause and reflect. Are they not interlopers upon us, pensioned agents of a party? Who are the opposing candidates? Is not one a vestige of the Hartford convention, a branch of one of the most aristocratic families in Massachusetts, a trumpeter of his own democracy, a political demagogue? When have we ever heard any good as coming from him? Where are the public services, what are the claims which Samuel Dexter can urge upon us for our suffrages? Let him answer who can. And who is Gen. John R. Williams, whose name has lately been spread in large capitals before the people of this Territory? We ask you, fellow-citizens, who is he that should obtain your votes? Is he not the same brave general who abandoned his fireside, his friends, and you fellow-citizens, during the late war to get clear of the dangers and trials of that. war? When the tomahawk and scalping knife were playing about your wives and children, during the last war, was General Williams there to throw over you his protecting shield? When the British and Indians were throwing fire brands into your houses and barns and leaving desolation and death, in their progress through our country, was General Williams there to assist you in warding off the blow? In these times that tried men's souls, where was the mighty man, this hero who has filled the measure of his country's glory, this man who spoke his own mighty deeds in a hand-bill a few years since, setting forth his own qualifications? Why, fellow-citizens, you cannot have forgotten his passage through Canada, and that he finally fixed himself safely and away from the dangers of war, and the difficulties that surrounded you. in the city of Albany, where he could remain quite free from any danger, and when through the instrumentality of friends he received the appointment of captain of a company of militia, and was called upon to lead this company to New York, to assist in the defence of our sea-board, where was General

Williams then? Why, indisposed; yes fellow-citizens, indisposed, and his lieutenant bravely led on the company to the defence.

Who was it that in 1814 vilified and derided your reverend prelate, Gabriel Richard, and sowed the seeds of discord in your church, and published a handbill in French and English, containing the vilest of slanders? We ask you, was it not the same General Williams?

Fellow-citizens, We will not longer weary you by the recital of the facts respecting these men, that would make a patriot blush. These are the men that are held up before you as republicans, who have rendered services to the country, and are therefore, entitled to your support and favors. Is it so? We anticipate your answer. To the polls then, fellow-citizens, and show by your votes, for Austin E. Wing, the people's candidate, that you are republicans in deed and in fact. That you love your country and your country's friends and that you are governed by nobler principles, than the shackles of party could prescribe. Give your votes to that man who will serve you best: and if you do, we are satisfied they will be given for Austin E. Wing.

ADDRESS AND DEPOSITION

To the Public:

It is with great reluctance that I consider myself called upon, under existing circumstances, to appear individually before the public, not for the purpose of promoting the success of the party to which I belong, but simply for the purpose of repelling a most dishonest attack upon Mr. Biddle and some of his friends, respecting a certain transaction upon which to say the least, the friends of Mr. Wing ought to have remained silent.

It is pretty well known that an attempt was made a few days since to unite the friends of Mr. Biddle and those of Mr. Wing upon one of these candidates, but the particulars of that attempt at a union have not been generally known, nor would they have been exposed by myself at least, if I had not been induced by a public denial of what I had privately asserted.

Soon after it was ascertained that a union could not be effected, I heard from several quarters that some of the friends of Mr. Wing were censuring and abusing Mr. Biddle and his friends for the course which they had taken at the interview respecting the union. It was represented to me from the most respectable sources, that the friends of Mr. Biddle were charged with having taken a very high stand at that interview-that they were very desirous of a union, but that their candidate should be the man-that they would

not even listen to the pretensions and prospects of Mr. Wing, and that it was their illiberality upon that occasion which prevented a union between the two parties. Knowing that these imputations were wholly unfounded, and calculated to mislead the public respecting the sentiments and conduct of Mr. Biddle and his friends, I observed to some of my informants, that what they had heard was destitute of truth, and that the only reason why a union was not effected, was simply because such terms could not be obtained as were demanded on the part of Mr. Wing's friends.

This, it appears, gave rise to a report that Mr. Wing's friends would have united upon Mr. Biddle, in case the latter would have promised to resign the register's office and have used his influence for the appointment of Mr. Wing. Upon the strength of this report Mr. Roby inquired of Col. John Hunt, last evening in my presence, and that of several other persons, whether he, or any other of Mr. Wing's friends, had ever made such a proposition to Mr. Biddle or any of his friends, and I distinctly understood Col. Hunt to say that no such proposition had ever been made by him, or to his knowledge, by any of Mr. Wing's friends. Under these circumstances, no apology can be necessary for the publication of the facts contained in the following affidavit:

William A. Fletcher being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on the evening of the 22d ult., an interview took place between Col. John Hunt, D. C. M'Kinstry, John P. Sheldon and this deponent, for the express purpose of attempting to form a union between the friends of Mr. Biddle and those of Mr. Wing; that Col. John Hunt and Maj. M'Kinstry, on the part of Mr. Wing, avowed to Mr. Sheldon and this deponent, on the part of Mr. Biddle, that they were perfectly willing to canvass the prospects of the two candidates, and that they, the said Hunt and M'Kinstry, would cheerfully acquiesce in a union upon that candidate, which, in case of a union, would obtain the greatest number of votes; that after hearing what could be said by the friends of these several candidates, the interview concluded without coming to any result. And this deponent further saith, that the said Col. Hunt, in a conversation with this deponent on the next day after the said interview, stated that he was satisfied that Mr. Biddle, in case of a union upon him, would obtain a greater number of votes than Mr. Wing could by a union upon the latter, and that he, the said Hunt, had since the said interview, advised Mr. Wing to decline being a candidate, and the said Hunt, in