The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-08
THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURES

adjourned on Thuridav, after an active and ,ve
may add an ahortive ftlliou.
we fPeak the language of truth, when we
declare that it opened under circumstances of
peculiar diitruit and agitation. Some incidents
winch had preceded and }Come which had oc.
cured anout the commencement of the fefIion.
'eeneo TO forebode that the republican party
waa o'V'''''g among themfelves; and the fede-
raiiits eg N to conceive the higheft homes of
forming ne allies and enioyi, 20 new triumphs
me p'ogrefs of the fe hon has difappointed
!heir expectations; and the afIembly has adj
Journed IN the mott complete tranquility.
me dIl1entinns of Pennsylvania had excited
our deepet attention and regret; but we feared
that the meeting Of the Legislature would olive
riie 10 icenes though not equal in their degree.
yer hmil"r IN their tendency. Some difference
OF opinion had exifted during the laft winter in
This city, rejecting the principles and condue
OF lone d'telnguiihed republicans; we feared
that the pretent winter would revive and r;nen
the dfpute. Some fllades of difference h,I
appeared during the fame period, and efpecial.
" N M public caucus held in the CAPITOL. re-
ipect'ng the proportion Of official influence to
ee granted to the federalits, particularly in the
management OF the bank; we could not but
rear that ne" circumstances would give additi
onai lmpnlie TO this contrariety of opinion. II
was impoiiible, therefore, to look forward to
the opening OF the FELTON, without con(iderabI.
anxiety, and Tome alarm. When two republi-
Can Candidates were brought forward for the
governor char, when we obferved the mem
oers OF the Legislature not only dividing among
tbemfelves, but fiently though AS vet 0iphtIv
fuipeefins tie principles if not of ali. At
leait OF few who Imported differ
emf Candidates; when we obfer,ed about 5-6ths
OF the federalifs of the houfe attached to one
OF the candidates; and the whole body of the
party afterwards manifening their joy on his e.
lection, we could not but look upon the fcene
which Virginia exhibited without greater nor
ton OF alarm. We believed, however, as we
believed at irf, that thefe difIentions wonld
be confined in fnall degree to ra,a BODY
OF the Virginians attended in Richmond: we
oeueVed that the great MATS of the people were
either ignorant OF the caufes of the difference,
or intereited only in fmaIl degree by their com.
tsrativs in6gnificance we iaw that repub-
iican governor was elected by the Legislature.
though not perhaps by republican majority
and we waited with confident hope tooueh not
without fome anxiety for the appearance of
new indications.
Meanwhile the federalihs of the north caught
the found of difcord they exuItinely proclaim
ed that the ftaunch " old dominion" was about
to divide and weaken its frength they called
upon their friends not to defpair What now
IS the ituation of parties among US? Our lit
tie diiientions have gradually died away during
the winter; more istereaing concerns have
taken the place of the appointment Of govern
or; the refolution about expecting their conf
dence in the wifdom, virtue and frmnefs of the
Prehdent, was adopted in the Houfc of Dele
gates by Isl votes to So, whilft in the
Senate It had but one diilentient vote on the
queftion about calling a convention, in which
many general principles were brought into
view, members were divided without any re-
gard to their former differences of opinion /:
icsrce ientence Of profcrption was uttered
after the elections were over, and the feiIion
cIoied IN the mott perfed political harmony
Let then the federalifts of this fate and of the
north difmifs their exultation Virginia nil
prefents finn and undivided phalanx at all
times ready to fuppota republican admininra.
ton, and to defeat the hopes and deligns of its
enemies.
So far as refpeds the exerciCe of their Ie.
giilatiye powers, the biRory of the prefent az
fembly is nothing more in fsa than the " hifto