Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-10-21
NIEIil.OND- OCTORER oL los
caucus .NO.HLW4TYO.V.
IL. N.Ms- No

ply "a some remarks" of this paper of the nth
inst. r. II is upon the old subject of Caucus.
w" bow Ia the necessity he imposes upon
MS nf g,'iug into the discussion bu, we have
no time III present Ia answer his general gu
ment. We therefore lay over his "consiilu
tional principles till our nexi"-and shall con
tent ourseh is to-day with few slight touches
on one or tw" desnltory points.
Same months since We respectfully submitted
10 Mr.. Niles the several alternatives To which
the A m"rican people would be reduced. They
had 10 choose chief magistrate for four years.
They had TO choose him under new and pecu-
/, liar ctrcumstancrs-the good old rev olutionaIy
stock exhausted, and the selection tn he made
ont Of The n0pi honiRcS, as it were, of the repuh-
iic-men, who bad raised themselves hy their
| services and talents To- some distinction in the
public councils. Many of these had friends
who were likely TO start them for the prize of
ambition. Five were already actually named
| II" Five Richmonds will be literally {" in the
field" next winter at Washington, now that
General Jackson is returned to the Senate of
the U. Srates.) How was the selection T.. be
made Either in the old way of congress
slona caucus, or by some other mode of cor
centratiDg the public vOicc-or, if neither of
these modes WAS adopted by transferring the
final election In the ri. of R.-We urged the
objections to the last alternatve-and called
upon hlr. Niles to point out some eXpedent
by which it would fairly be avoided. Mr.. n.
then stood mute. He was against caucus
hut would not assist to relieve us from an
election by the Ii. of R.-He now prefers
mode of election, in which n. York sinks TO
the level of Delaware, To caucus Be ii so.
ne guSt,buS non diSputdndum In other words
There IS no disputing (said Mr.. Shandy,l a.
bout hobby horses"
Here the question was at rest between u.s.
But few weeks since Mr.. Niles and Messrs.
| GALES & Seaton came to issue upon this very
subIect-and in the course of his structures he
was good enough to lug us in, and 10 ask us
whether the members of the Virginia Con
veniOn " would have ratified the constitution
without an amendment, expressly fOrbidding
any such proceeding las caucus We turn
ed 10 the Debates, and found that Messrs.
Monroe, Grayson and Mason had strongly
excepted to the election by the II. of II. upon
the grounds we had stated. They said not u
word against Il CAUCUS ; nor does Mr.. Madison,
who lusiiirs this eventual election but the
ground taken by the three former gentlemen
Is the strongest protest against "A resort to such
an election, when ii can be fairly and cOnstitu-
tionally avoided Surely not, though ex-
claims Mr.. Niles /; because Mr.. Monroe de-
pIecates any combination in Congress to " pre-
vent the election by electors" and thus ultima
tely carry the election into the general congress"
But we ask ia turn-what analogy exists
between that case, and the one which a
caucus is designed To meet, where the
members in their :" individual capacities"
meet together to prevent an election by
the general congress, and secure it To the
/ peope.-Mr Monroe was against 40 cleo
| ton Ivy the states /; the caucus is also against
such election. Mr. NJ. wished it To be-
made by the electors such is the design of a
caucus.-in this respect, therefore, he is com
pl"IcIy in favor ofsOme concentration of public
sentiment ; and if none other is now left 10
us, we presume, of edncuS*
! This idea has always struck us with particu-
lar force. We have always been opposed to
AN election of our chief magistrate by mino-
rlty of the nation But Mr.. Niles is TOO good
IN reminding us ufour opinions in 1867" for
my memory must very much misead me, if
Mr.. Ritchie did not oppose the caucus of 1916
| quite as warmly as oppose one now, and for
nearly the same reasons"
Ii is not criminal to change ones opinions
honestly but ON this subject, our opinions
have been uniform. Does Mr. Niles require
proof? Here it is from the Enquirer of March
! 20, 1916:
/" u any case requires remedy, it must be one
where the first step after having election, is TO he
strfe over The firs' principle of a republican go
vernn'en, the will of The majority for, The choice
will he, IN that event, AT the will Of Congress Con
gress which votes by States and moi bv Members .
Congress, in which the States of Massachusetts and
New York viii sink 10 the same level Delaware ar
| Rhode Island.
"Nheiher Il Caucus Of the Members of Congress-
acting informally hut III their separate characters be
the hest 1aode o. collecting the Of the Repnbli-
can party, u is not necessary this Time to dscnss-
| u - enough to Know, TINT this is the only a,ode
which has ever been pracsed aHd, that no other is
key to be devised and pursued for the cOAtest winch
is at hand :"
! Yet after alias we said on the 9TH inst
we " would abiure congressional caucus, If
there were less objectionable mode of CON
centratinS the pubic voice upon any one can
didate."
But, as Mr.. Niles has gone back for our
own opinions, we beg leave little to look into
his rltle-papcrs What says he in his Register
OF May 3Olb, 1919?
" The nomination of President and Vice Presi-
dent Of lhr United States, by the Members of Con-
gress, ~ u'eit iHdiiLti cgpaciijes, NJ Washington
ciF5 haS gvcn gfett offence tO some who prououpcp
1t an act OF ns"rPHiog, aud describe it as being m
cODsfHuiiOHgi.
4" VIA" any general measure it is moi 10 be expcct-
ed mat every one cm he pleased But there j. ,cason
To hcheVe iiii iinse who condemn the manner ~,
which hr nnmn'iiui N,s made are rather ,lissatis-
n'u WIN '.'r persons nominated, without having can
dor enough to confess IT,
" VI the public sentiment is to be rlherrd from
me usual mode nl expressing ~ a large majority uf
Tie people of The United States arc in favor Of the p
ler'ion ni NJ. Madison rs Picsidem-and the elm
rhcirf ot MI Lauedun is OF the hiphssf ottdc All
parties have occasionally resoried fn soe medina, C
concentrating trir i0tcc, aud, whcte measures and
n"' men are The Object tie pracice ~ b,t, lust and
necessary. There does not appear any beiier me-
ihpd t0 phfiin fae common n,iniop of 4, ,aonle 90,
wid'y separated 's are The inhabitm~ Of the Unied
oldfs, thtn hy convention Of ihen immediate rem
iutes, assembling rs citizens from all parts ol
the Union, 10 recommend proper ucrsoi,s io bc SIM
parted Tor hc Bgecuite Depattntcn, nr the pove,u-
. ID. 80 ID ltff i tttstt Il