The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-16


from the critical state of the republican par
" in the vear 300
The i,iends of this resolution were well a.
ware, thatthis declaration however solemn
lN made, e1igli, .,lt be imolici.lv received
They therefore undertake to explain how tn. j,
necessity is produced They are impressed
they say, with ga deep conviction of the i'm
por,ancc OF union among the republ can.
throughout all parts of the Uni e | States
in the present crisis of both our xterna
9 and inS-rnGi I aE,ir>' an they think their
plan 'the Rest p:acr.c mode OF consulting
| and res pectlng the interests and wishes oi
All upon subject so truly Interesting tc
the whole people OF the u. States"
l will not take mp your time in mak,pg ~
the singular phraseo'og, Of this resolution re-
marks fa7eIeVant t, the present suffice n II
WIZ stop to enquire what is the cri is il
our internal affairs, To wliChit aiiudes, and
! about which the people ut large are so ti,all
in the dark But admitting union among the
republicans tohe important, and even neces-
lsary, may be permittett ask. what is the
point on which this union is required? Does
the resolution mean union in attao hment 70
their countyI That union exists Does i,
mean, in auhering to the g'eat principles
tor which the" have commended .eainst tia,
party formerly in pow err On this subivc t
no schism is perceived Is it required tn I
the re- slicans shall be united against ira,
tors at home and enemies abroad? On THIS
point there is, there can be, bat one senti
inent. Or do the friends OF the resolution
really mean, neither mOrc nor less than This
that II is ENTERTAIN that the republicans
'honid all be united in favor OF the pres;lep-
tiai candid tie. whom thev Drefc~ ord tha.
therefore caucus was neccssC~y? Ifsuch
wa ther meaning, the premises are not a.
teG l.e.A, Il .f.1,..
duction is denied to he logical. A measure
cannot BE necessary because it is inportanl
The sSSify.ef m cas-, is the groand on
which tie vindication # the caucus il deli
berateiy and 'W t''im0lsl, y lced: and vel
this necessity, in support OF which no fac
Is asserted, is reduced by their own state
nent~to a matter cf mere policy and,.-;,5et!,
ence. This incongruity Of language. am
this confusion OF ioeas was net eXDtct from
the acute and intelligent mcn whn cSnlpos
ed that caucus. BIT in truth thev are nor to
be blamed. The fault lay in The Subject &,
after they had c9ndidiy and explicitly avov,ed
the true principle OF. which alone they were
authorised to assemble, it became im1oSsi-
bic to surmoont the difficult; which that We
| ~ principle placed directlY in their waV.
lw!il not say that caucus even lii Wash
inSton may not be necessary under 'circum
stances different from those which exjsteCl.;n
the year 1900. In the vicissiendc of human
a:iairs, cases equally urgent may occur
Bat in the present instaI,ce no facts are sta
ted which bring the principle ihto operation
/ III caucus DC necessary ROW, according to
the reasoning which it has adopted, a cane $
VIII be ALWAYS necessary. We may ,her, :
fore fairly conclude, that the real object the
senator's and Representative wnJ attend
! ed the meeting, was to eject a ,resi. ent. for
! the United , atcs, so far ar lie st as that OBJ
iJect cou be promoted OF attained by a TO-
navigation t. The people OF their sentiments
and opinl, rs. Whcthel this conduct is per
'tecuy correct, lii reference to the clause, Of
the cors ,itati II before quoted is a qucstj II
which is very slSe ctfui!v submitted to tho If
own consiCcra ion What effect it ,.alI have
masIbe LETT TO he decision OF the pc pc
The last resson assigned i'll viudicat on OF
,thcnece$Sfly # lie eaHcHs, viii net, it is
tpresamed, be strcnuously main aimed even
by those who va iced it,. 1t Occupies G
much ground II IL proves that The caucus IN
question was III cessary, 1t also proves that a
Caucus will be always Necessary and the
result obviously Is, that the very persons
VINO are constitutiona,ly and wisely forbid
den TO be electors, viii always have it il
Their power, II not 10 elect . president, al
least to create very strong currcnt in the
Ipuoiic sentiment towards The person whom
they may think proper to prefer.
1t is readily admitted that caucus OF Sc.
majors ana Representatives might be justifi-
led as necessary measure, If the real o.
lJect, was either to secure the election of a
X apubiicah Chief Magistrate, or TO prcvent
such collision as would transfer the cleo.
ton to the states in Congress assembled -
bat this object, important as it would De, i
facts presented it to our view, is not AVON co
by the meeting at Washington 1t is there
tore fairly to be presumed, that no appre
hension OF such Collision was entertained
1t such had been the case, it cannot be SUD
posed, that they would have failed to state :
consideration SO essential in their solemn apc
deliberate expedition of the motives by which
they were governed.
For these reasons object to the caucus a
Washington and for the reas0r assigned il
a former number, / object to the inferenc,
which is deduced from it, as indisputable G
violence of the sentiments Of the nation a
large.
Before conclude this preliminary disc us
sion, 1 Will devote a few moments to tn,
consideration Of two remarks which hav,
been urged against the fri, uds of M. NJ n
roe. Virginia, it has been said, discovers il
Offering two of her citizens to the choice 4
the people, haughty and arrogant sr,;rit, , f
fensive to her sister states. The remark IL
self IS not very delicate towards tn sc OF
whose account it is protested to be made 4
implies that they are actuated by a sent;
ment OF Liberal jealousy, disgracetul [,
sla..t., ell