The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-03-19

1T.
Ills theory of binding up individual will,
and !omeiimes the will of whole party, nv
hat OF Il tmail fraction OF offering up our h, Il
rights ON the altar of iuicide, is fuceptble ofin
Vulnerable applications. Theft Caucufes NAV
appear under thoufand forms; and each of
theie, befdes producing the general effec?s al
ready delineated, may lead to more fpecial con-
| ftIuences.
Even under lis very bef form, when the ma.
ioriiy Of the electors belonging to any party,
have attended ON iome public theatre for fomc
public purpote fuch an honorable collection
even as this, is productive of PATTON and corfn-
ion. Other bodies of 4 regular organization,
have particular forms TO regulate their proceed
ngs. The chairman vgilantly watches the
progreis of the patiions, and reduces the difo-
bedient members to order. There is we'll
defined line OF determination bet cen every
man, who has the privilege of fpeakng, and
thOie to whom this power is denied. But fich
is not the contribution OF Caucus. Individual
paihon has here an unreltrietcd theatre and it
operates here with greater force, becaufe the
men who dliierin their wifhes, are not difcrim-
mated 10y any great principles of action, which
throw dignity over their feelings and lull
their paliions into repofe, by calling forth in
their vlndication the faculty of the underitand-
ing but they are men who differ from each o.
ther becauie they animated by different
friendihIPS and different intereds, and who like
the members of the fame family or the parties
in civil war, derive new aniiroiity from the
previous hmilarlty of their fentiments.
The unfortunate minority come at I'm into
the dilemma, which has already been mentions
ed: they mutt either abandon their pliglted
faith, land niamy be on the head of that man,
vino on ordinary ocCaiions can mediate the
act y or they muft defert the candidate and
meafure which they have approved; and they
mutt tupport the one which had excited their
oppolition. Thus are they reduced 20 the
az kard ftuaton of oppoiing that which they
approved, to fnpport that which perchance
could never have obtained their appreciation.
Nor even here does their duty terminate. Trey
pledge themielveS to fnpport the caufe by e7,.,y
bononra6le effort. They are not to be the mere
pafive converts of the crofs, which they have
placed upon their ne ks. They are not to
ttand like faues in the ranks, and merely fwell
the catalogue OF its importers by their name
and their prtience. But they are to pref5 for
ward, whilf honour beckons on their creit, and
they NUT attempt to fir up within their vens
the reluctant current of enthuiiafn.
What now is to be faid of that lels open and
dignihcd form ola Caucus, which without any
public notification, retire, from the view of the
people, into iecret concave Into thefe Eleu-
hnian mytterles no man enters, who has not
given fome itcret pledge or exhibited deter
minedrsioution to fupport fome favored pro-
ject.
Such is the theory of Caucus flch are
iome of the consequences ffome of It's foras.
From this view, it will follow that the end
mu!t he valuable indeed, which can iuftify fuch
an expedent. Perhaps fach an obi, & did lately
exit in this city.