The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-02
vice to himself. but toinsict tho severess ca

! vice to himself, but to insifct tho severest Gu
a.1.ities upon cur country.
I Some objections hsye been made to tho
Recommendations of the caucus at Washing
ton, and some efforts have been made TO dc
! tract from the weight of that mea. are. i be-
ieve, TOR my own part, that this system is
not absolutely destitute of objections but the
only reasonable question is, where is there a
better plans The members of Congress
have just as much right Gas citizens) to recon-
mend President and Vice-President, as
the republican delegates of Virginia have TO
frame an electoral ticket There must be
some plan to produce a concert and harmony
OF operations between men of the same party,
or else their influence will be lost 6y diyisi-
on, and their enemies will conquer by supe-
rior prudence.
The Representatives of the people may
be presumed to carry with them the wishes
OF the different quarters of the union
They express this collective result not in
their legislative character but in the unas-
Stunning capacity of simple citizens In what
better way can this nomination be accom-
Plishcd? fit be devolved on every individu-
al OF the country ,Ethea the inhabitants of
each state would be divided about their ia
Vorite candidate. If it was referred to the
members of the state legislatures, then diff
ferent states acting independently and with
out concent would have their different cam
dldates. No candidate wouls ever obtain a
majority of the electoral votes, at least in
nmes like the present, when no one cand-
Gate stands proudly conspicuous and unri-
vailed. The probability then is that the Stofe.
themselves would have in all cases the cleo
ton OF the President. Now, what obiecti-
ons can be made against an original recon-
mendationby the individual members of con-
gress, which may not be urged with ten fold
force against the dernier election bv Con-
gress in its electoral character. But there
is this lamentable diferc- &c between the two
cases; that in the former Virginia cnioys
its full weight of influence and mum
bers; whereas in the latter, she sinks to the
same level with the little state of Delaware.
In the former case her influence is as "a to
l76; In the latter as to II.
but ,exen it it had been proper to have re-
served this nomination to the state lecisla-
ture, would it have been proper for the iegis-
iature OF Virginia to have nominated can
dldatc, without having consulted the wishes
o. her sister statesI Would it have been de-
cent, would 1t have been compatible with
the respect which she owes to her sister,
states, tohave brought forward candidate
i'll opposition to their wishes? If after having
given President 16 out of 20 wears, she
still discovers that they are willing to sclet
another President from her sons, would if
nave been sisterly in her to have disregarded
their wishes IN making this nomination 4, II
the caucus at The Bell Tavern did proceed to
make nomination before the caucus at
Washington was held, was thei not an i'm
preston derived from indsputable sources,
that the man whom they preferred was like
wise the tavorite Of the other states? And
mas not the caucus at Washington realized
these expectations in a very strong degree ,
And now that this nomination has been
made, shall we disregard the wishes of our
sister states? Shall we not only desire to see
Virginian in the chair, but Shall we also
insist upon making the selection. In one
word; shall the republican supporters of Col
Munroe persevere in an opposition which is
useless to himself, and pernicious to our party
and our Country which is calculated to de.
vide the republicans and to infuse new hopes
into our political enemies, by setting I'D new
standard around which every opponent of the
present administration may dare to rallvs
p believe that James Munroe, would be
the last man in the world, 10 countenance OF
desire such an event; but inevitable circurn-
stances would produce it-In spite of all
his wishes, the enemies of the administra-
ton would cling around him.-Diuide et i'm.
fera, is the! motto of their party
! We must throw ourselves in one respect
on the Indulgence of our correspondents AS
some of the gentlemen who have been named
on the county committees BY the friends al