Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-09
Ma DODDRIDGE'S REPLY TO Mn. COOKIES
FOURTH LETTER.

insert the following brisf notice OF the reply Of Mr..
Cooke to my circular To Inv constituents on the sub
ject ofthc nev cons,itu ion, proposed by The late
convention to the people of Virginia for adoption,
and OF some of the proceedings OF that body. MY
friends hero, with the exception of one, think no
notice from m Is due TO that reply, Tor reasons so oD
Nious, that it is unnecessary 10 mention them.
My purpose is to notice such parts of Mr. Cookies
aten,ents and arguments, and sfich parts only, as
he has not sufficiently answered and rcii;cd hhnseD
In doing this will abstain from offending the mo
raj sense ofthc community, by following an exam
ME which that moral serr'e must condemn.
Mr. Cooke right in surprising that parted
with him on terms OK personal amity. | not con-
scons that suffered an mkt0dly feeling Of per-
sonal nature, TO have place in my bosom. consid
cred him as having been the means Of nfiIcting an
intolerablc evil my couBtiy--of having deserted
interests and abandoned principles after call
ing us for aSsistaac in what he considered a cou-
Whether his fears we're alarmed or
his judgment changed by that eastern eloGucncc,
aud those eastern arguments of which lie speaks
dii undertake 20 decide. lis measures were alike
rtous 10 the west, from whatever canse they pro-
cceded. declare, with the utmost sincerity, that
although lost all confidence in the Judgment and
stability of Mr.. Cooke as statesman, cannot aert
10 have ceased 10 respect hGn as a man.
Ihat 1t was my Ueslre 10 Part on friendly terms
with Mr.. Cooke, he we'll knows, II lie Will but re
mHmbcr what passed betyoeen in my room the
might he fold me of his fuul determination 10 vote
iar 6prdon's plIn If ours fhiie1. Il this--Mr
Cooke was endeavering to reason me INFO the belief
t'lnt Gordons would be more beneficial, ever nv
county, than own plan. observed 10 hin that
the delegates from that country, were unanimous
and as we knew otr interests better than he possibly
could, any attempt to convince me nust be- useless
and as IN discussing this question could effect
nothing bur mutual irritation which neither could De
sire, | proposed to cease all conversation On Tie
subject, TO which he agreed, and the best of INV
recollection, VIC never changed another word in re-
luton 10 it.
when first determined OF addressing my con-
slitucns, intended 70 confinc nyscifto crmpari-
rn between the present constitution ard the one
p GIf.a- r. -ss,hvr 4.
ibey would yield their principles, and possibly part
With tl'ir allies did not inicnda particular review
of the conduct Of any member and had TO; Mr.
Cooke vndlcatlon 20 his countrYmcu fallaD under
my observation, such would have been nv & CURSE
dnlt that Mr.. Cookies situatiou if | underst and
Il rightly, was calculated 10 lead him into iudiscre-
tons, perhaps extremes for | can well conjecture
thlt The situation OF delegate, who feels that he
owes his constituents vindcatioH OF his conduct Is
nj very tr1nquili2ing
When perceived that in order to his viud;ca,ion
at home Mr.. Cooke had felt it necessary TO atteu,nt
u separation in feeling and views between us and
Our friends East of the Allegheny and to dp,rn 10
tie motives of conduct in going into convepti3n
with them, and while in that Conventions my f,eliurs
iowa d. him underwent a change; and have 10 re-
qncst of you that i'll the same paper in which Ills
shall appear, the extract from Mr.. Cookies Letter
30 H. which is appended to my Circular nlnv also
appear.
have said, when speaking Of orr urcnpaI r,,rc.
scutaton IN TIC Convention, that 'not,.itisiani;,
the injustice done us IN giving us but IS members
there were many, and among them, who believed
the friends of Rcfl.m would outnulnber THOR AL
''versaries in the Convention. Fhis hone WIS ,,ar
craily entertained IN the West, and as far as know
The expectation general, that should tho rrNat
PRINCIPLES of Reform be de6niively carried sgainsi
US IN CONVENTION, We would retire in BODY and
frame and offer TO the people, as thu, rcrrnsen:
of majority of them, Constitution formed on oar
own principles; and this determination appeared to
BIC almost universal among the western members
"unIil the session had progressed several weeks /
cam perfectly confident that if there had arisen No
divisi"n among ourselves, and the western members
had retired xvi dignity and calmness," to use an
expression OF q member whom I shall have orc,
''aon 10 namc the East would soon bavs welded N
us that which TO the last, every member of the Cor,
''vcnilon residing West Of the Ridge, excep, ono
commended for /. c. the viii, basis in the Hnusn F
Delegates with rule for future oppor;ioprncnts
according to the basis of free white numbers"
Has MI Cooke Gcniod tue facts here gtateds
have said, "that several days before the Is:h of
December, TO ny astonishment, l discovered from
the conversations of Mr. Cooke that If the western
plan Of compromise should not be adopted he and
Mr. Henderson of LoudouD would vote for Ciurdon's
eitheT OF these gentlemen concealed this fact from
"mc. Judge Upshur and Mr.. Neae, 4 member
from Richmond county, boarded at the same bouso
with Mr.. Cooke, Mr.. Henderson and myself and
TO my knowledge Judge Upshur, and believe Mr. |
".Ieale knew the Ultimate determination of Cooke
"and Henderson well as | did. After the whole |
West had agreed 10 the plan Of Compromise which
i have before mentioned, and which had beon first
suggested by Gov Pleasants, MIR. Cooke on be
m.
"erally submitted it in Convention. After HAVING
taken this stand, you may Judge of our surprise and
"dismay on learning that they had determined I'll
that should bo lost, to support Gordous pIan anil
that our adversares not Jeff To infer the prob
ability OF their doing so, from their known nrefer
ence OF It at our meeting but we're in fact informed
oi this determination, so that they might shape their
course accordingly. After this we could have no
well founded hope Of success. we knew that some
of our eastern friends preferred Gordon's plan 10
ours while they would prefer ours to separating
"without doing any thing"
Mr. Cooke INSERTS that in orr meetings he OPENLY
expressed his preference Of Gordons soborne. and
That It was known 81 expressly. and to others "by
80 90 "1STnt WpttcdL'On, tnat nc would vote Cor i
40, ours ialled Our meetings. be says, were public
have admitted Nr. Cookies preference or 70.
Gon plan, but when he and Henderson nr,oa ?t
ing whole West to support ours, and mir Cooke L,n
sen undertook to offer IL, knew NOTHING eitLo, w.
P'eSSY Or by implication, Of his determi6otinn 60,
many to desert us. Had this been known pnLii.I
before; as he made it known on tho 10Th Of Decr,ny