Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-07-18

4
'endet nniore in,Hrooabe, for any candidate Il
obtain ~ n,ajoriy az all the voting states Suppose
rom these occurrences, that election should TAX
! place unii The ~ day Of March ensuing-wha,
would he The alton al the country one
Iec tat Any or all of these very improblbI sup
p"Sit'ons iHeA are ~ least not impossible Nor 10
1 my mind ITO they appear any more ,mmoiable tbae
that men should have precisely the same number
OF VOTES the electoral ticker first, aud iia the vote
OF - House "i Representatives, IN attempting TO de-
eide the contcsf, should also he ticd ia the second
place, ana "a The third place, that this sane House
OF Representatives should have had the andac ,ty and
corruption To insist upon the equal right of these
to the presidential chaf-when the voice of The
nation had unequisocay pronounced Ills mention
that one only oi Ihese destined for the sta
uon lhree such improbable occurrences, however,
have actually And u civil war might have
heen fouth u The corruption had finally hcen
iniimdaled 10y the indignant irowns of mn insulied
nation.
caucus is expe,lient for averIing such conse-
quenccs. Their probable possible occurrence
warrants its adOption and any exception as 10 the un
constilutichaii,y of such measure is frivolous Both
| the great parties OF the United States in Il long
series OF successive precetien!s, have detcrm
upon The coBs,ilutonay of hie ieas,ire and The
nation has acquiesced III IT. What mon do I'VE require
Inc constitution is totally silent upon the subect-
Anuhe trainers OF II most probably never thought of
such an alternative. Habit has in "A great decree
maue II necessary--we must adopt II therefore nj
ms time under The combination siich Giro
" ITS 'endency should not he considered as avanta.
seouS, IN the long run OF events ;eI take it into
serious consideration ard AT the commencement of
tue next presidency, quietly call a convention and
Introduce additional clause into our constitutions
W ''fo the holding OF caucts. NJ the same lime
iet tbs adopt some better expcdient for concentrating
vic pe.'c voice upon one particular Candidate, or
| adop, the am eudn,enl of Col. John Taylor, and re.
'uIn 'he eiect'on TO the Colleges of Electors 1t at
ereatS sdre as front an election by The H. Of Il
teei unwilling, gentlemen, To close this
coHnunicdten, without remarking upon an
observation, made to me by neighbsur aud
if'epu upon my former article. My neighbour
IS q iederallst[ind protesting .Christian-and
hrmiy believe, very honest and sincere in both
MS politics and his religion. lie observed to
me that" OldbOrough" could not be friend
to his country, or he would not raise his voice
IN ia'our of the infidel Thomas Paine. AS
knew that my friend, had no suspicion of
odOorough" and myself being the same
person, made no reply at the time yet
DIS ms remark was decent and temperate,
permit me TO answer it. My neighbour was
Just, and did not CALL ME iniidel-because [
nad approved of the political spirit of Thomas
faines writings, while Pitied the unhappy
tate oil the niideL In pursuance fhis liberal
eSanple, WI not even SUSPECT my friend Of
any want ofparlotsm, for disappearing of my
own course. 1t was manifest, that he had not
read the valuable political works of Thomas
faine and from what he believed to be good
authority, lie cOnscientiously believed, that
man who had written so wrrtchedlv upon
religion, could not be good authority in mat
tiers OF politics. My friend is friend to Mr..
Adams for the presidency-and Mr. Adams
has declared that Mr.. Paine's " Rights of Man"
were worse than worthless" My neighbour
has my respect and esteem-I would wish TO
convince, but not To offend him-and while |
am sensible that his own candour, will Justly
appreciate mine he will permit me to offer
INN the authority of hlr. Adams i'm his closet,
against The authority Of Mr. dams on the pub
Tic tribunal. appeal 10 him for the defence of
my own courses IN approving the political
writings and defending 50 for the sake of mn
counfTyi-the political fame of Mr.. Paine. But
To the point In Mr.. Adams 4th Of July Ora
ton for the year 1921, which Mr.. Adams
seShs tn have intended as an address to the
American nation and To the world he COM
menees with these forcible and captivating pas
sases. Speaking of the British nation, he
says
"uoverned themselves by OF Kings, whose title
to sovereignty, had originally founded in CONQUEST;
the people of Britain through long ages Of civil wars had
e1'orted from their tyrants, not ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
but GRANTS right. They received their freedom rs
DONATION from their sOvereigns."
Now Thomas Paine, in his &" Rights of
Man, part LIST, published in the year 1891, has
the following passage
Z" In EngIand-by the CONQUEST all the rights of the
people or the nation absorbed hands of the
CoNouEROR, and who added the title of King 10 thai Of
Conqueror Those same matters which in France now
held MS rights in the people nation are held in
England as GRANTS from is called the crown The
parliament IN England in both its branches was erected
by patents from the descendants of the condneror The
house of commons did originate as matter of rich, i;
the people, to delegate elect, but As a GRANT or
BOON"
lfmy neigbbOr could pronounce the writer.
who OPENLY approved of the political works
ot Mr.. PANE, To be no patriut--what does he
think of the man. who would store his mind
IN secret with that authors ideas, for purpos
es of pOpularity--whe he publicly denoun
ces the very work he pilaged. as -. worse
than worthless?" But suppose il should an
pear, that Mr.. Adams did not plagiarlse in
this instance; but drew his ideas in common
with Mr.. Paine from those principles, which
were so powerfully illustrated by the events
Il our own revolution: how will he reconcile
1T to candour and TO magnanimty, to abuse
another for making use uf the same sacred
model, which has enlarged his own concep.
lions And how IS IT again, that others
equally or more Important principles which
were established by this same revolutionary
model, have bren cOnsecrated by the pen Of
MIR. Paine-wbIe they seem To operate like
the touch of a torpedo, upon Mr.. Adams p
During Our revolutionary struggle, as Mr.
AdaIns'5 Eth OF July Grafton most eloulentlv
proclalms to the word-the American states
could send delegates in the nature Of n con.
Ventlonal congress-tO exercise she first ac;
OF sovereignty by right tver inherent 10 the PEG
pie"-" But (adds Mr.. Adams in the same
oration) NEVER 10 be resor!ed 10, sGre al The
dtjuL crisis When ciDI society IS soired inLo lis
FrSt clements" The revolutionary principles
winch continue To illumine the mind of his