Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-10-16

OF what elastic materials you have dermed
your oaths as members Of Congress To b.
formed. But this subjec, deserves to be con
sdered farther. As part of our public SER
wants, II Is important for us to understand
whether your moral and political principles
be, even yet, firmly and permanently fixed
or whether they are still upon the same slid
ing and slippery foundation as heretofore.
AS the grounds of your protest against the
late caucus, you tell US that caucus conpos-
ed OF members of congress-, is in direct hosii-
hty ,c'h The principles Of Ire Constitution that
Is :" a gross assumption Of po,cer not dele
gated 6y The people p If this be true, is, to our
PLAIN Judgments, as clear as light, that such a
caucus IS criminal assemblage, and that e
very member Of congress who enters it, com
miis perjury in doing so. This conclusion
cannot possibly be avoidedby any man. un-
less he is prepared to maintain the paradox,
that 10 assume power not delegated bv the
constitution, and TO act in direct hostility TO
that constitution, is to support it. But let
us near you; We do not say that CONSUL
la'ion among the members of congress res
pecting the persons to BIZ recommended az
candidates for the two highest Offices in the
union, may not in some extraordinary crisis
De proper" You do not /? Although such a
consultation would be " in direct hos.ilitv mir
The constitution" would be gross assump.
f,on Of po,cer not delegated By tie people al
though it would, in fact involve the commits
sion ut perjury, you do not say but there are
cases in which such a consultation would he
proper not merely ercusdbie but proper! This
Is your stern republicansm, which is To bend
To no circumstances But let us see what is
your notion of the extraordinary criois, which
Is 10 sancufy an infracton of the constitution
aud render even purjury roper: The f,d--
" ralists presented strong phalanx and either
. To succeed at all or to pre-, ent them from
placing the candidate for Wee presidency in
The presidential chair, il was necessary TO
" exert the combined efforts of the whole. re-
publican party" Very well then. when.
ever we wish triumph over an obnoxious
party, II is perfectly proper to infringe the con-
siitution, nay, 10 commit purury in order In
carry our point! This is the puritan creed.
on which you have acted; the beautiful sys
tenn of political morality by which YOU pro
Tess 10 be governed and which you publicly
preach to the people of the United States
Is this intellectual blindness, or moral depra
'ity II is both for depravty only could
nave gwen birth To such principles, and blind
ness only would have blazoned them TO the
world. Are you the men TO vapour about
Yazoo speculalions and dishonorable com
pacls with fraud and corruption In what do
you differ from the Georgia legislature whirh
passed that abominabie law ? They violated
lheif oaths for money; and you, it seems,
have done it for power.
But Why are you not in caucus, gentlemen !?
for the very crisis has arrived winch, accord
ing 10 your principles, would render it pro
per. There is party which is just as OBJ
noXiou5 To you as ever the federal party was
and which We believe you wish most fervant-
ly wish tn aDnihilate. Ii is the republican
"A = A.
m!nistratIon. Ii will be in vain for Won to
deny this. Ii is not 10 your protest only that
we look for the evidence OF ii: It is in YOUR
conduct, on The floor of congress. From Am oc
cGSaomat difference with the measures of the adj
minIstration, we should not have drawn this
conclusion, because such result might have
been expected from The different structures &
habits of different minds. But s. ben we find
you organized into corps asainst The admins
traiiOn, and pursuing your opposition with AS
much system, inGsrisii,iy. &, Ill add, raacor.
as you manifested towards the federal admins
tratlons, we ran have no doubt tina, YOU wish
their annihiiaIlon as devoutly as ever YOU
wished that of the federalisis Yes, il is put
Mr.. Madison only, it is the administration
which Offruds you. Ii is their united efful
gruce which produces all this agitation and
screaming among the birds of night: They
long for the day fall, which better suits the
dImness oftheir sigh. for the season of dark
ness, when the peculiar conformation of their
organs may give them an advantage, and their
fierce and predatory spirit may have full scope
for indulgence and safety.
But before we take a final leave Of the sub
Jeci OF caucnssng, permit us to require the
confession of faith. which has done so much
honor 80 your heads and your hearts, by CIV
ing you our sentiments on the same subject.
We ;iase before said, that we see no danger in
"A caucus we will now say that we see much
adyantagr in il. The constitution no where
prohibits such conference, either expressly
or by implication ; on the contrary we think
the principles of the constitution promoted Ia
such conference lift be noanssed with@th;s
honor aud good faith which was, here1S5&
10 have been expected from every lSemf&n
of congress. II is the object of the conAitu-
ton that the president and vice president of
the United States should be chosen in the
manner first pointed out in the second article
OF that instrument ;-that is, by electors chos-
en- by the people in the several states. express
ly for that purpose. Ii is only in the event Of
IA failure to have an election decided in this
first and favorite manner, that congress is per-
miited to interfere at all. But unless there he
some previous understanding among the ppo-
pie, there is great danger that this order will
be disappointed, and that nine times out of
ten, the election will be cast on congress. For,
withoutths concert and mutual understanding,
each state will probably present its own favor.
lie citizens for those appointments, and ihus
10 one will have majority of the whole
number OF electoral votes. What dssentions
and heari-bnrnings such mode of proceeding
would be likely to kindIe among Inc states
and what intriguing and corruption among
members of congress, (if that 3, Y he. as vot,
represent Them Tangible by coriuption,) eve