Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-09-03
Eon ruE ooNsr1rurIoNAL WING.

To Thomas Richie, Esq. one OF The Editors of he
Enqnircr--As it is generally Jude stood that YOU
arc the prncipa II not the only writer of the edito-
rial articles in the Enquirer, shall confine my pre-
sent address To yourself-For the able md faithful
manner in which you have generally prrformeJ
your editorial trust, you entitled TO the thanks
of your patrons, and Of the people at large,-bit
| am filled with deep concern when see, even YOU.
so usually vigiiant public centnel, sometime,
sleeping on your post and surrentierine the vital
principles of the Republic the shrine oil party-
Your zeal for William III. Crawford has occasional
ly betrayed you into the of language, of which
you will hereafter be ashamed, when the state of
the public mind will permit calm ne view of the
present contests and quarrcls For some time pre-
vious TO the late convention of the New York Le-
gisiture, you were particularly guarded and cic-
culnSpcct III relation to that As soon, how
ever, as the Legislature adjourned without chang
ing the Electoral Law, the following ire the terms
IN which YOU announced that result: The Drama
Is over in New York.-rhe Legislature has adj
journed.-Ne change in the Electoral Lawns
great general principle, the peopc ought In hare The
potcer Of eiectg their eieci05yThe preceding seq
sion however, decided otherwise mo cxtraordina-
ry case had subsequently occurred-and as "A CON
stitu'ional question, the Governor had right to
convene the Legislature Extraordinary sessi.
on."
Upon these remarks of yours, beg leave to put
the following qucsiious--The argument by u,.rrn-
gatory you have lately employed with great free
uoHi w uot W III great towards
the National Journal. You, therefore, cannot COM
plain of it in others.-As do not expect that you
will reply publicly, respectfully and earnestly ask
that you will respond 10 them i'll the Temple of your
own heart Let conscience do her perfect work
1. Was not a large majority of the Legislature
of NewYork, elected with the clearly implied, if
not express, understanding that the right of voting
for Electors should be given to the peopc-and has
mot this engagement between Constituent and Re-
preventative been s,amefully viola ted
No i'll, hel,a
of Nsw-qork at their late meeting declined acting
on the subjects reiprredto them, the ground that
the Governors proclamation convenng them was
unconstitutional!--or do you rather believe
that this constitutional scrupc was mere rretcxt
got up fof the purpose of paating their defiance To
, the popular will
9. IF in fact the vote of New Yoik'is given to
William II. Crawford contrary to the known wishes
OF a majority of the people, and altogether by n-
triguc and r'anagement,-would you, would you
not regard II as an outrageous usuTpation--dcser-
wing the contempt and exccration OF all honest MEM
Can you think ii Crawford should be elected under
such circumstances, he will be any President
of the United States DC ure, than Aaron Burr would
have been, had he been chosen by the House of Re-
pTesentatives?
4. You no doubt rccolcct the story of the OK that
gored by the Justices bull Now reverse the
late picture in New-Y.,rk !--If Crawford had been
tI,e acknowledged cboice OF large majority of the
people. aud the electoral vote had been wrcsted
rom tnen ny al Ddnu OF legislative uSurpcTS, and
conferred upon another what thu would ha We
been your language, Would you have been con-
tent to have uttered the faint and feeble testimony of
your attachment to Republicans principles lately
pressed that as great general principle the people
ought to have the power of eecting clectOrs,-
or would you not rather have thundered your de
nunciations against the base ntriguers who should
barbor the wicked attempt to deprive them of that
power?
1t is really humiliatng to reflect that III zeal
for the success of party measures and particular
men, we are too apt to tran,ple upon sacred and
| fundamental tfgths which at the very moment
would profess to fthis were not lamen-
tably true, you sir, would, know, notwithstanding
your great eagerness for Mr.. Crawfosd's election,
have expressed yourself in reference To The proceed
ngs at Albany in language somewhat similar to the
| following -
| 1--WE are much surprized at the adjournment Of
| the Kew-Hork Legislature, without according 10
the wishes of the people the inestima bic privilege OF
choosing their rulers. For this privilege our
revolutionary fathers fought and bed--lt is recog-
ulzed and deemed sacred by every Constitution in
America, state and federsl-It Is interviewer with
tn. very genius Of our government, 81 he who would
desire to impair destroy IL, would PROSTATE the
venerable Temple of Liberty into ruins.--NIuch
we desire the elevation of he Secretary Of the Tea
sury, we deprecate the sacrifice of any principle
great or small 20 effect Tive wish him 10 be cho-
sen by the free and unbiased SURFACES of the peo-
pie through their fairly constituted cIcctorsor cIlo
sen not at all.--Niuch rather would see him van
pushed snd in retirement, than 10 gain fhe honor