The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-10-21

tavoytc system to one of the i:lost CHASTITY evils
WHICH could present itself to your imagina-
ton; when the next thing we expect is, that
you are preparing tn prove, that this " only
e3ect" is really Il very tritling evil, and that
| it forms no serious objection TO your favorite
system of division you suddenly AZ off to
some other disquisition.-Wh gentlemen,
did You shrink from the Contemplation of
this " effect" which You mbdestly avow, is
e the only effect" likely to accrue from your
schisuis and secessionss Why did YOU not
pause upon the consequence which YOU had
thus started, and depict it To the eyes of the
people in ell those dark h,es and gloomy
terrors, in which it must hav. presented it
self to your Own imaginations! Permit me
TO say, you dared not. You we're conscious,
sirs, that if even this one, po,r, solitary eff
feet had been described with those cn,bel-
lishments only, which ruth and erherfcnce
would have given TO it, Ills picture alone
would have excited the most serious obiec-
tions to your system.-You would have been
Iobliged TO have shown MS, gentlemen, that "A
congressional election by statesentircly pros
trates that favoi'ite principle If the 7uiH of
the majority, of which you have spoken so
much. You must have s6ownIus. that the
election is then made by a maisritv of states,
and not majority of the hcohh /; that 1.-THE
decision is made without the smallest refer
ence 70 Numbers Is that the comparative
size and population Of the large states are
completely done away and that the state
of Virginia is sunk to the samelevei of i'm
portauce with the state of Delaware. You
would have been led to have pourtrayed the
same scene of intrigue the same, chaffering
and alteration, the same disregard of priu-
ciple and bind,pursuit of interest, the same
daring spirit of eHcroachment upon the con-
;I,5., pei maps riic Nsau,c attempt TO
introduce state of interregntm, and Chief
Magistrate, not the choice Of the people, as
agitated the public mind during the porten-
tous contest of 1S01.-You would have been
oblisedto have confessed, as YOU, Mr.. Chair
man of the committee, have done Athat syou
have no guish to see another of thSse electi-
ons.''t Rather than risk an evil Of this des-
cription, who wouldnot discard all sthisms &
divisions ? What patriot would lbt rather
wish to proceed in harmonious confrt with
his brethren, than that each mar should
strike out his own path WHO wpuld not
rather make magnanmcus sacrihte of his
| private wishes, than be s'weak enough to
| be more solicitors about men thar princi-
lple ? Who would not rather even aoqui-
esce in the nomination of the caucus at Wash
ington, where some show of respect is paid
to the will of the majority, and the votes of
each state are i'll some frohortion to the
| HHHSOcf vi ilS representatives!
| But, Gentlemen, your imaginations must
be dull indeed. if they do not pourtrav other
Effects and other eUiis, which may grow out
of this schism.- it no coil, THAT at crisis
| like the present, when our flag and our trade
are the objects of incessant insult and en-
enactment, when "the great high way of
the nations of the Earth is beset by un :
principled plundercrs, when the wise rnea-
sures pursued by the administration to coun-
teract these aggressions are opposed by an
outrageous party in our own bosom, when
not man can be spared from the support
of the rights of his country-is it no evil, at
| such a time, to break down the unity, and
! strength, and solidity of the republican par
| ty by intestine divisions?
Is it no evik, that some of this party, in
stead of rallying around the administration
with greater force and fire thanevcr, should
be unwarily tempted by the sedcrions of an
eleCtioneering scuffle to concliate rather
than Counterfeit the federalsts'
/ Is it nothing, that these politicians, instead
of bending all their force to support the mea-
sures of the administration and the rights of
the country, should be unwariy tempted to
bark in with the opposition, and resist the
cause of the administration on Fed. grounds ;
SO true isit, Gentlemen, as you have as
serted, "that the yUhole force of the repub-
lican party has been "employed in support
of the republican cause"
"Is it nothing, that schisnls are produced
which are calculated under certain circum-
stances to lead to abuse, recrimination and
! prose 'iptions Yet, you, Gentlemen, have
been the most eager in your remonstrances
on this head. You cast the frebrand into
your dwelling, and then complain Of the FIJI
! ry of the flames.
Is it no eUii, Gentlemen, for you to take
an honest and excellent man for the subject
of your experiments, treat his character
like 60 mice in an air-pump," first bring him
forward for an exalted Office, e then place his
pretensions on such grounds, as are not only
calculated to persuade his political oppo-
nents, that '"his course of proceeding will lie
more agreeable to their sentiments" but to
expose him to the sustiicion and DISTRICT of
the pcople9
| Would it be MO eUff, Gentlemen, to sub-
ject this man and his principal supporters to
all the consequences of diSabfointnaent ?
| The sound sense of James Monroe may defy
the demons of disappointment, resentment
and pique. But will the election of James
Madison suffice to soothe the passions, excl
ted during the coiirse of this contest, in the
bosoms of Sonte of his supporters From being
the heated opponents of his election, will
not some of them become the warm and
. systematic opponents ofhis administration 2
You have insinuated, Gentlemen, that an
has ne ,trood IL, ,n,tt ror,,l,,.t