Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-02-04
Richmond, Saturday, Feb. A.
MIR. VAN BuREN.

have often expressed n wish, that MIR. Van Buren,
should not be run as the Vice President. We know
1t WAS his own wish. Let the Washington Cores
ponden, of the Boston Ccntncl; let the n. Y Even
ing Journal, or Other papers, abuse us IA much as
they please. Let the private letter of one of the Ed
tors OF the n. Y. Courier, &C. say what it may; we
repeat That such was the desire of MIR. V. Buren,
himself 81 am tired (says hc) of the slang about
intrigue, and management, aud influence, &c, &C.
i by which have been harrusscd and prosecuted
Tor years, that there Is scarcely amy thing would
not do that was not dishonorable, TO get rid of it,
There rs no other way than by going for the usual
period of four years out of the counryn He adds
that nothing could effect that object, but his "volun
tary retirement from the field of action leaving il to
the exclusive possession of those who desire to bus
tic Ill II, and cnloning 1t upon my friends upon my
departure not To meddlc i'm il on my account. If
know my own heart, and could have my own wish
es, there is nothing that would SO well correspond
with them as such course on their part; for have
seen enough 10 know, that the Presidency itself ms
the reward of personal efforts, not to say inriyes is
n bad bargain" He states the repugnance OF many
of his friends to his leaving the country-that he
was "alrcady inundated with letters insisting upon
l(his) running lorthc Vice Presidency" &C. He ex-
presses his great desire to avoid all such mportIni-
ty; his inability to do so, if he remains in the co,n-
try; and the strong wish of the President founded
upon public grounds, that he would go to London,
&c. sc.
We were fully aware, then, of Mr.. Van Blren's
wishes not To be run as Il candidate for the V.P-
LIS opponents, however, would hot let him remain
IN London-to crafty his own wishes or those of
thc i,rcsldcnt-lhey have recalled hm--and il is for
the Peope cfHe United St0ieS determine what is
best for them to do. These are their Offices: and
thcy have right To say who shall fill them His
nomination now for V. President presents so many
hiSh publc considerations, that we do hesitate
To say, that we, for one, are not prepared with any
definite opinions upon the matlcr.-We will avoid
all precipitation about t-and we cheerluy throw
open our paper to lis full and free discussion.
As To the alleged public grounds of Mr.. Van Blu
rchs rejection, they appear To the weaker the
more we ascertain the facts.-In stating in our last
paper that the West India arrangement was passed
upon last WiHer in the Senate with the ins,rctions
before them, we were incorrcct--at least we have
not lat upon such proceedings at that period But
the facts themselves still stronger in our opinion
| I'm May, 1880, the President submitted to Congress
The propriety OF passing the supplementary law on
winch The arrangement was founded. These OBJ
noXIouS instructions were called for and were sinh
united to both Houses. Uhy was not the arrange
ment arrested al thai timc2 Where were the cent?
neIs OF the Opposition? Where was Mr.. Webster
and Chambers, ct III omae genus? Why did they not
ne" mp lblS arrangement in the bud-and solemnly
declare, aye, IN the face of the nation, that they
would touch not, taste not, this vile and accursed
lhng?-But the fact is, the bill did pass the H. of
H. ON the 9Th May, 1880, by vote of los to 2S-
ana 'ie senate on the 29th, without division, as
we infer from the report OF the proceedings-and
we sec not hear not, of single OF opposition on
this ground The bill thus passed-the arrange
ment was made soon aitcr-he President issued his
l nal NOV
Mr. Webster pleads, that the Proclamation had
issued, II was too late last winter object TO the ar
rangemcn, or the Instructions!
"u to make the case still stronger (says letter from
ashlnSton) am told that this part OF the Instructions
TO Mr. McLanc were Pct IN particular directions of
INC President himself And il the thing be done
over again, he would direct his Minister TO say the very
same thing to the British Governmen:Tha this .fdniniS
tfd0h was not responsible for the views taken nv the
last IN relation TO this suljcct-IIavc the people
oil the United States, at least immense majority of
them, denounced i'll every form phraseoocv that could
be used, the stupid and dgraceu of this
subject by the late Administrations Was il moi one nj o
prominent causes which hurled them out of powerl
ny were not those instructions objected to- before the
treaty was made, if really compromised the national
onor! they were they laid before the Senate some time
before The Treaty was formed? Why was Mr.. McLane's
nomination 10 the headof Tie TrcGsv confirmed if he
ad consented To he the disgraceful instrument (Mr
Wcbsters own world by which this Treaty was neeo-
tated and obeycd the instructions which has thus stained
with dhonor according TO these gentlcmen) Il charac
ter oil our nation? Was he net much dissydced as Io
B"enI Did they not both uader the o0crs of me
PTestdenH Can any man of common disccmmenf give
any oercon~tructon to this extraordinary of Calhoun
clay ana Their PartiIans, than that it induced alone
~ political TjDdhy.'
m ron THE EyVQUIRER
The rejection OF Martin Van Buren, nomination as Minis,
ter TO The Court OF ST James, have excited the sur
PRISE and to some extent, the Indignation of the Commu
my' AS far as he is concerned, personally it may be
SUBJECT oil no Importance to the pubc-bu the vote of tho
senate furnishes striking commentary on the gross inc
quay ana aTistocrac tendency of our representation i'm
that branch of the National Legislature From the inII
terence heretofore manifested this subject the peon
seem scarcely to have been of the Constitution and
character Of this part of our Federatve system But
eW more Such votes VIII open their and direct their
minds TO It's examination. When it has come TO This that
the Sates OF Rhode Island, Delaware and Connecticut
WIN population OF about $50 900, can ncualZe the great
STATES Oh new YORK, Pcnnsy lvania and Virginia with
population OF about four millions and half or TO xbbit
uls inequality III much striking view when ihe
STATES OF ishode Island and Delaware containing nonu
aloh OF Hills, and sending three REPRESENTATIVES. In
congress, can controu and have actually controlled the
oiacs OF New York and Pennsylvania, containing popu-
o oil $40 1870, and sending SIXTY Reprsse ntayes the
people must become alarmed. This inenalfv instead NJ
Deig diminished, is continually Increasing The small
Northern States do not contain territorial extont
los any great addition to their present numbers of nba
tants-Wh the great Middle Southern and Western
states, many OF which nearly equal in territorial ex
Tent 10 The whole Of New England, are rapidly ADVANCING
In popuaion and would make correspondent advances i'm
prosperity and wealth, but for the undue prcponderance
aowe9 ny THIS wee OF our system, TO the astocraey
Proaches within 10000 of that of all New England and
indeed, by this time, in all probability exceeds it
CT a great Slate has, in the Senate ONLY one.sxth of
Tie weight oil the New England States.
The defect OF our system is not theoretical merely
me SCUM arc beginning TO lcelits effects i'm the most SEN
hDe manner. II requires great acquaintance with the
philosophy oil the human character loresec that a few
dll contiguous States, bound together by an identity of
interest and feelings, will always act in concert: and Inv
throwing their whole weight into either scale will control
me "hoc action OF the Government, and give 90 il what
ever direction their interests may Indicate We al
ready see relentless majority of the Senate determined
against the smallest alienation of the Irtbena of f
south ana resolved to Pcpeuae system uncaIed for bv
the eXigencles oil the Government, and the ONLY recouy
mehdatOn oil which IS that ii abstracts from the Soutlrp
abourcr undue portion Of his hard earnings IN no,r
a UfIrl he f..uf Irps.