Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-08-29
FOR THE ENQUIRER
To The Freehotders of .No,topoy


which your county is part in the place of VIM
! ;. Archer, the present incumbent and that the
said VIM. r. Giles has consented 20 comply with
your request. a F!eehoder of the same district
who feels ns deep an Interest in its welfare, and
in the welfare of the Union, you have so hand
somely expressed yourselves todo, in your memo
rial, would. with Difference venture to make some
few enquiries Of you, in the spirit OF kindly feel.
ing, to which he trusts you will respond in the
same spirit
Do you, or any one of you, personally kno.,
Mr.. Giles? If you do do you really believe him
capable physically of discharging the duties of a
representative in Congress: do no; address my
self to such fanatics have declared they preferred
his election, though he should be able 10 leave
his bed during the session of Congress Such are,
under the influence of other motives, than pat
riotic desire promote the " eliMe of The country,
or else must suppose that H. our Congress as
in. the British House of Lords, votes might be
given by proxy. They forgot, however, that
questions cannot be discussed in that way, even
there. II these gentlemen only want name, sure
ly there of equal weight with Mr. Giles
appropriated persons may think OF greater. The
ensuing number will test the correctness of my
opinions If Mr. Giles be able, during the en- suin.
session Of The Virginia Legislature, which he is
now member elect, TO attend in his place three
successive days during the whole session, agree
that have most esreg ,usly mistaken the condi-
rion OF his health. Suppose however. his health
TO be good, and that I am totally mistaken in my
opinions OF his capacity to attend to the duties #
legisature--do you think the spiri, he has lately
evinced in his iniermnable essays, as well as in
all his discourses, such one will overswe the
administration or win converts from Its ranlls?-
Depend it, our Secretary, Mr. Clay, is no, to
be frightened from his purposes, be they good or
bad, by scolding only and we have reason 10 be
leve, the pertinacity of the President will not be
So T..
is not the man who won the applause of his
friends and the adm ration OF his opponents. A.
that time he proverbially courteous his de
pertinent, in debate al least anil conciatory IN
his manners His sufferings, for the last 10 or IL
years, under most distressing disease, together
with the and vexations of involved aft ,irs,
aided 10 numerous perp!exing suits, have oh
viou-ly changed the character OF his temper, and
rendered him little fl fer the discharge of any du
ties in conjunction with others. Do not suppose
mean to uhdervalue Mr. Giles services heretofore,
or to question his orthodoxy now-far bom it; I
only mean TO say, tina bodily disease and mental
perplexity, have, in great degree, if entirely
disqualified him for active duties now.
The foregoing enquiries and remarks, apply ex-
clusively 20 Mr.. Giles Permi me now to suggest
few in regard to our present representative. Do
you, or any one in any part of the District, COM
plain of his since he had seat in Congress?
Your own memorial furnishes the reply. Have
you taken the trouble to enquire, what the esti-
nation in which he is held in Congress, both by his
friends and opponents? If you have. you have
learned that man stands higher. And this
District sngularly remarkable for the ability of its
representatives ever since the establishment of
government, has its character well sustained by the
present incumbent. If You have not refer you
TO any and every colleague of our representative.
| refer you 10 the debates of the day-sbove all,
refer you to your calm and dispassionae
observation of his conduct in every station of lite
he has yet filled. And are you prepared, Free
holders, to sacrifice the feelings and lose the SER
vice of such man for the sake OF a remote chance
Of the services of another, however celebrated his
name, great his sbilities9 Do you not think the
duties and relations of constituent and representa-
tive reciprocal? Have you any right to expect fl
deity and zeal from your agent if he expects not
reward and appreciation from you' Surely not.
Your own favore the Object of our present Sc
lection has always attributed the ascendancy Of
Virginia in the councils of the nation, to it's con-
stsncy in maintaining its faithful representatives in
their station And can you set the example of un-
feeling ingraIde at this time? The rest OF your dis
tict trusts you will not You will observe, and
the other counties of the District will not fail to
observe, that your count has but lately been add
ed to the District, and cannot be presumed person
ally 10 know much of the merits or dement's oil
your representative. Occupations of a character
r,uded him from as frequent Intercourse with his
remoter constituents, he no doubt would have
desired Possibly his apparent neglect has been
offensive to many, perhaps 10 all. But as Free
holdersyexsrcisIng The high privilege of selecting
your public agents, suFely you will permit lit
tie motives of this sort, in any degree, to contToul
your votes.
Recoliect that he, who devotes ) months in the
year exclusively TO your service, ought in reason
TO be allowed the remainder of the year for the
regulation ofhis own affairs, and TO qualify him TO
serve you with ability; otherwise he soon becomes
unfit for your agent, or dangerous to be trusted.
/ am aware there are some among you, to whom it
is vain 10 appeal in any way. Their course is
fixed; their bond is given. They tied neck and
heels. The consideration Of the bond, too, is ofs
character not to be broken. 1t had no connection
with the relative claims of our representative and
his proposed substitute. To such DO not mean
10 address myself But there are others, | doubt
not, who have been, or may be, inveigled into the
signature of your memorial, who have not pos
sessed the means OF weighing the subject with suf-
ficient care. BY such, | would farther enquire,
whether they would select 10 meet the crisis 1.-THE
memorial truly alleges to exist) bold, upright
intelligent man, without fear and without reproach
in the prime Of life-or one (no matter boT great
his abies) whose energies, disease and age.
had greatly weakened, if not wholly destroyed;
Do you remember y hen 80 earnestly invoking TO
your aid, age and experience, as the memorial
does, at what age Thomas Jefferson wrote the
Declaration OF Independence (34O At what age
Patrick Henry attained his immortal fame, At
what age the Lion Of the Day, Mr.. Giles, took
his station as one OF the abes debster- in America
Last, though not least, at what age Bonaparte be
came master Of the Continent Of Europe1 Away
with such absuidi'ies. The fact is, ~ all ages