The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-09-30
TO CE0HGE Hay, ESQ.
CHAIRMAN or THE MONROE coRREspoN-
DING coM1tIrrEE

dress, which has just burat upoh our aston
isie. vi,ion.
agree with yon, SIR, that &" the sftndt;on
OF this ccurti% is At th'Stire IN the highest
degree critical and rn,borrGsSri - Aud that
am Dg ne questions v h;cn ii5vc been pre-
scented tn the lsDiC view, there is none
VI ich has |rcitsa more al:entirn than that
which reletcS to the next hrrMdensial eifc-
tan Bat sir, ] draw very different mo-
raj from this e critical and emoarrasscd''
situation. Il is my docHiac, TO promote the
union at the real friends OF Gy country to
rally around the mca sures cf tho ad,uinistra-
ton; to collect al the republican strength
i'll opposition r. or enemies both 7wshout and
sDiihiU; not IS yen seem inclined t. do, to
dispirit the minds Of thc ne0ple by casting
insnua,ions "gaiIst the measures Of the adj
ministrntion, and 10 divide the repub leans
about the next presidential election.-When
Won must perceive, that Mr. Monroe has not
the remotest chauce Of obtaining single
vote in Virginia. s tha, his pre- ensions are
completely thrown ont of view in our sister
states, it is impossible 10 conceive h9rv the
cor>e" You are pursuing {" leads in auy
degree 4" % tn promotion of the best infe-
reSi& Of the y S.'-lfat this momentous cri-
sis, dipiSion of the republicans is better
calculated TO promote these interests than
firm and adanRn1ine Unicn, YOU have GER
tainly htupon ihc very best eXpedient for
this purpose ne very first paragraph of
Your address therefore, contains. in NV OBI
Mon, satisfactory sct-cE to all the ar
gumonts which you have sub equently adj
vac But let us attend TO these state
mGI.s
l. seems, sir, that YOU were opposed to
" the recommendation of the Caucus at
Washington" on two grounds, The first
wax that 1 did o&4'
proof of the real scntmcn,.. Of the nation :"
x q time has evince,! the accuracy of this o.
pln!on, In the recen changes whoa have
accrued in Massachusetts and the other ca
stern states -You mast ne blind, sir. not 10
perceive the tsvo fal acics, which pervade
this statement Even If the eastern states
have no9o adopted new sentiments. does this
furnish any proof OF their opposition to Nv.
Madison at the tinic of Inc recommendation :?
And even admitting thi@ position, does this
furnish any proof of the supposition that
Mr. Madison is nor even now the choice of
the nation? Every just calculation mat car
be made proves that h. i=.-But sir, ycu
have very ingen ously sub, ituted tho choice
or thc ration i'll . ace of the majority of the
ReflnbHcans We understand you. You are
for consulting the ieieralists about The choice
OF ne next President. You are for feeling
their incIina,ions, and appealing to their
pIncIpes >lhis was the very doctrine which
i1or1cnsiuS preached up. You are welcome
TO s2ch alnes. The republicans viii, attempt
10 d. without them. They conteuied during
the last winter. that Mr.. Madison was the
favori.e Of decided majority of the Rcpub-
hcans. they cannot perceive hozv 'time
has disproved the accurac5 oftheir opinion
And though the majoritieS Of the Eastern
States may have flown off from the admins
Atsr at, - .. Il
their Candidate has ceased 20 beconc The ia
vorire Of their Eastern Brethren Still less
can they perceive the hopes or the consoati-
on which these Changes present to Nv. Mon.
roe --f1e has not ga ned what Madison has
foSt. 1t is Mr.. Piuckney or Mr.. Clinton a
lone, who will reap new woes from these
new revolutions.
2. htt It nov seems to you that the recon
McHda'1on Of the caucus was a virtual vio-
latIon ot the provisions OF the cUnsiitUtion,
and an encroachment on tire rights Of the
people Il shall not travel owe" the ground
sir, "hich has been trod SO much of late.
Shall not repeat the clear and conclusive ar
glments which have besl urged IN this sub
ject by one # the Pr,hLe | Shall not ask
you, TDheH your newborn convictions ON this
point were Tirst ushered into 'ight--nor shall
l dem md tie reason, why you, who are now
j.,
shou nave seen it completely violated du-
ng the two las elections, without raising a
solitary whisper in its defence But let me
ask YOU, sir, iii what way has this Constitu-
ton been vioiatedf Does it forbid the mem
hers OF Congress from assembling peacea-
by and harmoDiously together, and select
ing some candidate for The Cdair Of the uni
on ! Can this recommendation to their fell
ioW-ctizens be construed into any thing like
AN 0ftioints'ent or Uote ? What binding
force has this recommendation? You, sir,
snail furnish me with a" anger In the fine
aud luminous letters which YOU addressed to
tile people of Virginia, in Vindication of
the General Ticket Law, passed by the le-
gisiatu1c of Virginia, on the 18th day of ia
nuary, 1900" you speak thus hghtiy of the
force OF this recommendation - fer the
law was passed, every man in the commupf
~ stood on equal ground, and though21 per
sons h.Uc bcCn recommended Co the people,
yet the rights " cUery tndiUidH0k remain as
hry 7cere. Any citizen, or number Of citi-
zenS dissatisfied with The ticket already pub
Ilshed, may recommend to thc hc0hie other
persons OF the same or Of differeat priuci-
pies MI recommendation will be OF eguQl
authority, Or ya'her ofn9 authority. and the
difference between them where any exists.
must be looked for, not in the law itself, but
IN the parties nominated, or the persons by
whom they are recon Fneaded." page IL. The
persons who recommended them, were
members of the general Assembly conveu-
ed together in their frip0te cEur0efcr8'-