Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-04-09
MR DODDRIDGES REPLY TO Mr.. COOKIES
FOURTH LETTER.

insert the following brisr notice of the reply of MIR.
Cooke my circular to my constituents, on the sub
convention to the people of Virginia for adoption,
and of some Of the proceedings OF that body. MY
friends here with the exception of one, think ITO I
notice from, me Is duo to THAT reply for reasons SO co
yuus, that 1T is unnecessary to mention them.
Ny purpose is to notice such parts of Mr.. Cookies
statements and arguments, and such parts only, as
h, has not sufficiently answered and rcftted himself
III DONG this will abstain from offending the mo |
raj sense of the community, by folio" ing an cxaUl-
pic which that moral sense must condemn.
B!r Cooke right in supposing that parted
with him on te:ms of personal amty. am not con-
scious that | suffered unki"dly feeling of per-
sonai nature, TO have place III my bosom. l coIsid-
cred him having been the means of inhicting an
intolcrablc evil my ccunt,y-of having deserted
oar interests and abandoned principles, utter call
ing for assistance in what he considered coG1
ilou cause. Whether his fears were alarmed, or
his Judgment changed by that eastern eloquc:ce,
and those eastern arguments oil which he speaks,
did undertake TO decide. His measures alike
ruinous 10 the west, from whatever cause they pro-
cseded. declare, with the utmost sincerity, that
although lost all confidence in the judgment and
stability Of Mr.. Cooke statesman, cannot affect
TO have ceased To 'especthias
That it was my uesre to part on friendly terms
with MIR. Cooke, he well knows, if he will but re-
member what passed bctweelius in my room the
night he told of his final determination to vote
for Gordon $ plan if ours ialed. 1t th;s--Mr
sHsi=c endeavoriRg to reason into the belief
that Gordon 3 would be more beneficial, even to nv
The delegates from that country, unanimous,
and we knew our interests better than he possibly
could, any attempt TO convince be useless,
and as IN discussing this question could effect
nothing bur mutual irritation which neither could dc
sire, | proposed to cease all conversation on the
subject, l.; which he agreed and to the hest Of my
recollection, we never changed another ord in re-
laio9 to it.
When first determined on addressing my con-
stueD.s, intended TO confnc myself to a ccn,pari-
IN between tie present constitution and the
lsnH ii -, -i.,,,t ,lt us',N
,Dcy would yield their principles, and possibly part
with their allies. didiiot intends particular review
OF the conduct OF any plcmter, and had not Mr.
Cookies vindicaon TO MS countrymcn ful!en under
my observation, such would have been my C. CURSE
admit that Mr.. Cookies situation if undo stand
it rightly, calculated to lead him into iudscre
TONS, perhaps extremes; for l can we'll conjecture,
that he situation Of delegate, who feels that he
owes his constituents Vudica,ou of his conduct is
not very tranquiiizing
When perceived that in order to his vindica.ion
ut home, Mr.. Cooke had felt it necessary to attempt
a separation in feeling and views between us and
our friends East of the Allegheny, and to dsparape
the motives OF our conduct In going into convention
With them, and while in that Convention, my feelings
iowa Is him underwent change; and have 10 re-
quest OF you that in the same paper in which this
shall appear, the extract from Mr.. Cookies Letter
no H. which is appended to my Circular may also
appear.
haye said, when Sporting CT our uuccn,l ,o,ro
senta.i?n N TIC Convention THAT ''notwt,atar,ipo
tne iaJnst'ce done us In giving us but IS members
there Were many, and among them, WHO believed
the friends of Reform would outnurnber their adj
versaries in the Convention This homo ,y,s ron !
ccciy entertained IL TIE West and as far as know
me expectation was general, that should the great
prlnoiGes OF Reform be defin,ively carried against
US IN Convention, we would retire in a bodv and
frame and offer to the people, the a,iyes
''ot majority of them, Constitution formed ON orr
own principles and this determination appeared to
&c almost universal amepp the western members
Until he session had progressed several weeks. I
sam perfectly confident that if there had arisen no
division among ourselves and the western members
had retired with dignity and calnness," to use an
expression OF 4 member whom shall have occa-
'sion to name, the East would soon have Welded to
'us that which to the last every member of the Con-
"vcntion residing West Of the Ridge, except one,
commended for the white basis in the House of
delegates with rule for future appointments
according to the basis of free white numbers"
Has Mr.. Cooke denied the facts here stated
have said, ''thot several days before the 10th Of
december, to ny astonShncnt, | discovered from
the conversations of Mr Cooke that if the western
'pan> Of compromise should not be adopted he and
Mr.. Henderson of Loudoun would vote for Gordons
"Nethcr OF these gentlemen concealed this fact from
enc. Judge UPShur and MIR. Neac, a member
''fEon Richmond county, boarded at the same house
with Mr.. Cooke, Mr.. Henderson and myseE. and
:'to my knowledge Judge Upshur, and believe Mr.
'NeG!e, knew the ultimate determination of Cooke
''and Henderson well as I did After the whole
''Nest had agreed to the plan of compromise which
Il have before mentioned, and which had been first
suggested By Gov. Peasants, Mr.. Cooke On be-
'erally, submitted it in Convention. After HAVING
taken this stand you may Judge of our surprise and
''distnay on learning that they had determined if
"that should be lost, to support GordoI's plan and
that adversaries were not left to infer The prob
&bilty of their doing so, from their known prefer
'eDce of it at meeting, but were in fact informed
of this determination, SO that they might shape their
"conrse accordingly. After this we could have M
well founded hope of success We knew tina, some
''of our eastern friends preferred Gordons plan to
"ouTs, while they would prefer ours to separating
without doing any thing"
Mr. Cooke asserts that in our meetinos he onen1y
expressed his preference of Gordon's scheme and
that was known to US expressly and to others by
the strongest tmpiication, that lie would vote for i
IT ours failed Our meetings, he says, were public
and net secret.
have admitted Mr. Cookies preference of Cor.
don's plan, but when he and Henderson agreed with
the whole West to support ours, and Mr.. Cooke him.
self undeTtook TO offer IT. know nothing either err
pressiy or by implication, Of his determination even
tla!ly TO desert us. Had this been known puflclv