Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-04-02

am contForerting will not directly deprive
the people OF The right of choosing among the
several candidates for the Presidency {? fla
congressional caucus be right in principle, as
the gentlemen allege, il follows, that the friends
OF all the candidates ought TO attend and that.
's.e strength of each being ascertaned, the
strongest should be supported nv all, and the
otners should be withdrawn Thus, the peo-
PIE VIII be deprived ofthe right ofchoosiu z and
must -Uf necessity, take the man recommend
ed 10 Them. Take the case oftwo candidates
only, and such case has occurred. A eau
Gus decides between them, the other is bound
10 Withdraw he can, on principle, no longer
DE candidate his friends cannot support
nun and, though nine-tenths of the .ueople
should prefer him, he cannot as a man vi prin-
cipis, even consent to serve. Take another
case. Suppose there should be- five candidates
the i've most prominent aud popular mel,
IN ,he country. Apply the caucus principle,
anu IL results IN presenting but one candidate
~ the people, and they must take him, or look
out at the eleventh hour for "a new man.
winch, under such circumstances, would be
impossible. The principle ola Congressional
caucus, therefore, leads inevitably, and of ne
cess'ty' 10 the destruction of the right of the
people 10 elect the President. and if il does
not IN practice, produce that result, it is ONLY
because So many of us such political here
Tics as to refuse TO recognize it and because
'he several candidates and their friends will
not consent to abide by il. But let the prnci-
pies oi the gentleman prevail. and the Presi-
dent VIII, hereafter, be virtually elected nv a
caucus at Washington, and not hy the people.
Now, said Mr.. Haynr, there is not an obirc-,
t'on winch applies tn the elecrion of a Presi-
oent by the National Legisat are. which does
not Apply much more strongly 10 a virtual
eechoh py "A Congressional caucus. Does the
former dIEfIlFh
ia'lVe act with party views and feelings. So. in
greater degree, does the latter. The letter
and spirit of the constitution ia opposed IN
every species oS Interference, bv the Members
oi congress, IN the election of a President.
except IN the particular case of "A failure nv the
people tn elect Then, and not till then are
congress permitted IN interfere and tho mode
III winch they are then 10 proceed Is minuteIv
prescribed. The House of REPRESENTATIVES
oh'J are IN nave any concern i'm the TRANSACT
''"n' ana ihey must vote by states They are
~ Pt'"'t'eu 10 eject any candidate according
To- Their own views, feelings. or upiuions. but
they are c"mprlled to chnos. one of ,br,a
candidates iously selected and presented
To them ny the people But Conaressionsl
caucus Is composed Of Senators. IA Wall sc
ineinhers OF the house uf Representatiyps the
FORMER OF whom are wisely excluded, by the
constitution, from voting on such subject. he.
cause ihe tenure of their office renders the,n
peculiarly liahte Ia influence. They proceld
Z" nominate the President before the pannla
nave proceeded To the election they choose
~ "' rom 'he candidates presented to them by
the people, hnt according TO their own nlea,
sure, and are Influenced by person,i n-tt,far
encss; and, lastly they make such oomina-
on,ho' IN TIE extraordinary case (which NAV
nor occur once IN u century, provided for in
''e constitution, bot ~ every election once IN
'rry 'our years. Now, when 10 all this we
quo 'h"t. rom the very mature of things. a
e"''"s "e'e' WIZ ne composed OF more Than
a portion oi The Members of Congress, 60 ,bat
the vote of an individual will be Of such cor ne
sequence as Ia Justify the extraordinary efforts
To obtain IL ; when 1t is recollected that a can
Gu nomination, every four years, will keen
the matter constantly before Congress. can
any man, Whn reflects on the subject, fail IN
see mat the triumph and final establishments
~ the caucus system in C0ngrrsa. must NOT
only superstdp and control the constitution
but involves the introduction. into The Halls Of
Congress, OF excitement, party feeling, man.
agement, aud finally of intrigue and corrup.
ton at the bare contemplation ofwhich the
heart OF The patriot must sicken. and his anti
cipations of future glory he converted into the
most gloomy loretodings 2
Genenen tell us tat a caucus is nec9asa-
ry TO promote unon Should such mrasurs
ever promote Union, j. can onlv b, bv con,rol-
lInS he vii and sitting the vuice uf :hcIec,
PIE but II seems 10 rne, said Mr. Havoc,
that, SO far from promoting harmony and
union. caucus is calculated to SOW the seeds
of dlssentnn, aud to prevent the possibility of
union. To all the difficulties of selecting A.
mong men, is smptradded tn. hostility created
by the agitation OF the CAUCUS auestion. The
degree nfsupport 10 be yielded, or of opposi-
ton To be offered, TO such "A nomination. will
always be- a fruitful SOURCE of endless contests
and anmosties
AS party measure, caucus may, in some
Instances, tend To promote union. In such 4
case two candidates at least V Uuld I've present.
ed 10 the people, for their choice. But. where
Al The candidates are Of the same party. The
only effect of a caucus must b. to eleyaf. a
favolite individual, by putting all the other
candidates out of the way, aud thus To take
Inr cbOlce rom the pe0Iie or from the states
iia caucus Is to be resOrted to al every Pre1
Dental election, and Congress is. by a orrlir,i.
nary vote, lin inint ballot. to- determine who
Is t0 he supported as President. il il n,apifest
that the effect will be, to bring the election
practically into Congress, voting hy DOLLS and
not by states and thus the wise provisions
OF the constitution will he repealed. without
the least regard IT, the forms prescribed nv
that instrument. Gentlemen will surely not
venture to ahlrm that union viii! be- promoted
by such means.
Much more might he said on this subject,
sara Mr.. u. but he had not only confined him
self to the general question, but had merely
attempted ~ reply To- the arguments urged on
the other side. Or the particular character Of
Tie late meeting in Washington, he had said
nothing, and alluded 10 il now only to disclairn
any intention 10 wound the fpplings far ir,