Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-04-11
From the Spirit of re.
INSTRUCTIONS
10 REPRESENTA- IIVES.


The question " whether represents
tves are bound by the instructions IF
their electors is brought before TIE
public, by the opinion in the neg iti,e
OF several Senators ofthe II. S. and tie
more respectable these gentlemen are,
the more important il becomes to dis.
cuss II. Mankind in general & maic.
titles In particular, are so extremely att
to imbibe new opinions from powe,,
that IT any which are pernicious shoun
be suffered TO escape without correc.
ton, mass is soon formed OF the mos
fatal @ndency against free governments
WitRp4t being qualified to perceive the
exteW ~ which a subve SION of The
right OF instruction may go shall ha.
zard few observations upon the sub
Ject, with an intention of drawing O.
theirs into its con liberation, who NAV
understand it better.
The ground taken by the gentlemen,
as Understand 1t, is - that the rights
OF ection and OF instruction are dis
unNeI by our republican form of
:" government, because elections are
made by sections, and the person e.
J" lected Is to be considered as the re-
preventative OF the whole nation."-
It's not yet asserted, that the represen-
tative can correctly disobey an instruc-
ton from the whole nation, but only
that he can correctly disobey the in
structlon OF that portion of it, appoint
ed by the constitution to elect or COM
mission him.
Ii this distinction is correct. an i'm
possibility of instructine public SER
wants las we have enormously called
thSm) results from the extent of the
NATIONAL territories, and the right de-
ponds not upon reason, but upon ge-
ontetry. n small extent of country
preserves It to a nation great 'ex-
tent, destroys it; for right incapable
OF being used, & no right at all, are the
same IN substance. However proper
therefore the phrase &" public servants"
may be IN small republic, it must of
course be committed for public mas.
ters" IN large one, if one can instruct,
but not the other.
This ingenious mode of destroying
the right Of instruction, applies with
equal force to destroy the right of e.
lection, as exercised by small sections
OF great nation; for what right have
these uncomfortable sections to invest
an individual with power to legisIate
Tor great nation though he gets in
to power under an authority, which he
Pronounces to be an usurper if it at
temP's to instruct him, this usurpatioa
with which he charges it, eviuces its
usurPation also in his election. He is
then an usurper himself, and possesses
at the rights Of that character.
This ingenious node of evading the
obligation TO obey an instruction, is.
founded upon the doctrine of virtual
representation. g am elected by
small section, but the instant am so,
become the virtual representative of
a gEeat nation and therefore my OBJ
hg1Rons TO my actual, are swallowed
up nAthy duty 20 my virtual constitu-
ents." Mr.. Adams in his Defence Of
the American Constitutions has carri-
ed the same idea a step farther. He
has insisted that hereditary kings and
mobiles are representatives Of natio7A
it being equally impossible l6r the pei
pie of the United States under this hy-
pothesis OF virtual constituents, to co.
cree Their representatives. by instruc-
tons, as for the virtual constituents of 4
these royal md noble representative
TO do IT, the only remedy in both cas-
is civil war.
But, aays the device for eludinc
instruction which can be given, Ind