Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-12-09

chs NJ receiving his p1p-rs-ot this tirnei-Oshcr Dele
gntes ARE employed in the attempt nulliy the
of the majority Of the qualified Eleclorsby running up
the list OF voters in his county high as he can -
that lac may excuse himself for setting up the
mes;cr, instead of being the servant OF his People
Some number is assumed the vote of his coun-
W which calculated from the Commissioner
booksand sometimes, the number is eked by count
ing dead men, MINORS and those who have entirely emf.
grated irona The county--men who not voters now
hut were the lists in 1892 The effort u.s. to elect Nls
Leigh, all eventsand for this purpose men are 10 be
persuaded 10 forget their principles, their people. and
tensvcsand to sacrifice all for the sake of MIR Leigh
WA The people quietly submit to this attack upon their
kights As the question. II they do not Grouse from
thc1r torpor, the Right of distraction is goneone of
the essential principles of Representative Government is
sabfed'-Now Is the time TO rouse up andspeak out
Why do not the people Immediately and directly call
upon their Delegates to throw off all disguise speak
without mystery cquvocation and say at whe-
thcr they to obey not! Why do they not 90 IL
rccty TO the House of Delegates, place their nsruc
tons upon record and If their disobey
them, enter their solemn protest against the of their
servants Then we SHALL whether Mr. Leigh will
consent to take am office, thus obtained in the face of
the people.
10 the Editors ofhe Winchester Y;rginian
THE INSTRUCTIONS ONCE MOREi.
BY your last paper perceive that 1854 voters of this
county which has any election poled 1900 votes
friendly to the leading measures of Gen. Jacksons Ad-
ministratlon, and requiring their Delegates Hto vote
against the reelection of MIR. Leigh the Senate, and
in favor of any gentleman upon whom the Democratic
Republican party may generally agree their
votes 4 have believe that this number great
il is falls short of the real number opposed to Mr.
Leigh, by two hundred; for many voters declined
signing the letter of Instructions for reasons al
though friendly to the Administration, and dissatisfied
with MIR. Lcigls course whilst others not APP
piled 10.
All this has been effected quietly and without much
effort, in spite of the attempt made arrest the pro-
ceedng by the extraordinary interference of of the
delegates backed by the authority Of fourteen of our
most respectable citizens. When this formidable
array OF names, trcnlbled for the scheme suggested
on IL
but have since learned that alone unsu
by argument reason have little weight or authority i'm
this enlightened community; and il has completely cured
me OF piece of vanity once thought OF induigng-
namely TO sign my o,cn name to any communication
might ever be tempted to send you. This will account
Tor my present signature.
But the opposition cunnngly devised for it seem
ed to embrace every shade of opinion and every grade
oil talent 1T reminded of Burke tcsscated pave
mcnt-a curious piece of Mosaic; here bit of black
stone-there bit of white; here State Rights man
there anti State Rights man. here little touch of Null
liilcation-tlere stronger infusion Of Consultations
here who dreaded the centrifugal forces of the Co
vcrnment-there another equally alarmed the centr
petal and the mixture spiccd wtal by grain two
OF yacksonism to render it palatabe the good people
OF Frederick Surely the conjunction was omnous-
ut inc crisis has passed. and the friends to the right of
unlettered instructions have riunphcd The gentlemen
whose motives Were pure, will acqucsce in The will of
the people, and delegates will say language of
member OF the House of Commons, 'Far be il from us
to oppose our Judgment to those Of (near 1900 of our fell
low citizens Wcean discharge duty better than
in following the direction of those who sent us hitler
That The people choose is right because then choose it,
In other parts of the State, however, where similar in
structons have been carried systematic attempt ma
KING TO induce the Representatives to disregard them
and this is the game that will be played in Richmond this
winter, until the election is over If il succeeds the
great conservative principle of Republican Government
~ ioTcYer Frustrated, and the creature will be placed
above his creator Topalliae such reachery for il can
not be justified, ii SAID tat the plan adopted of OBJ
tanning signatures letter of instructions is an unfair
and deceptous one, that the people aH0soed an
opportunity ofcXchangng opinions and acquiring nor-
lnatopthat they tricked, cornered and fiddled"
INTO signing those papersthat il il innovation upon
the good old usages of Virginia, and introduced now for
the hrst Time to subserve party purposes and promote
the views OF Van Burensm consequently it is fair
expression of the public WILL and ought TO be treated
with contempt
It would be much candid to say at once, as two
Wing papers in the State of New York have lately done
that the right of instruction farce no where recon-
nized in the Federal Constitution and only serving as
very pretty string for demagogues TO harp on" To
deny The right, and 10 deny the of practically
forcing 1t, are tantamount. Mr. Leigh who drafted
the Virginia Resolutions of 1872 asseriing the right
oil the State Legislatures to instruct their Senators in
Congress, thought 1T a sufficient those who
allowed to the peope Of cach State the exercise of this
act OF sovereignty and denied the power to the
state LegtS[reS, TO say, that they givc the empty
theory, but deny the beneficial practice such in
structions adding, 1t is difficult to conceive how the
people give such Instructions otherwise than through
their State LcgiSdtres 1t is equally difficult TO con
ceive how the people of large county give oi-
gGt0ry instructions to their Representatives. without
adopting the plan lately pursued in this No meeting of
majority OF the voters possibly be obtained, except
on stated days of an election. Who will give the neccs
Sary notices Who will induce the people assemble
Are instructions TO be carried they in Jefferson
to Mr. Ope, by thirty forty voers Can any instance
be pointed out, no matter how imperative the call
porant the occasion, where meeting has been held
either in This any of the adjoining Counties at which
was present even third of the qualified voters If the
question rs political one, and the call is made or is
suspected to be made by party the other party
ormy refuses to attend and appeal to experience to
justify me ih these observations WIN il be said that
instructions got up at such meetings bindng on the
Representative? Or is there no mode by which they
may be rendered obligatory? This is the tendency and
effect OF the arguments which have been urged by the mo-
dern Wigs IN different parts of the ST e. To this COM
plcXon, MessrS. Editors, they al last For
defy the wit of mani challenge opponents sepa-
rately or collectively to point any other feasible and
PTdeicabe plan OF controlling public servants and
leaving them no bale 10 creep at" than the one
we have adopted dftbey reject this "they give us the
empty eory ana deny US the beneficial practice Of such
AS to the alleged ignorance of the people and their
want OF opportunity TO form opinions. MIR. Leigh
too shall answer this argument. at has been urged
says the report Chat Representatives bound TO
obey the instructions Of their constituents because the
constituents do not hear The debates and therefore cannot
be supposed Judges of the matters 10 be voted If this
objection have force enough to defeat the right ofnstruc
ton, it ought to take away also the right of rejecting the
Representative at subsequent election For it might
be equally urged ON that accession, against the right
OF INSTRUCTION. that the people heard the debate that
enlightened the Representative x mndtle reasons that
convinced his Judgment and governed his conduct If
the right CONSTRUCTION be abandoned this ground the
right OF rejection should be yielded also In other 7o0y
me PTinc,Pe dat 7nanhind is competent to segOsern
ncu should he ronOaaccd The truth is that our Ins
to be- and generally will be- selected for superior virtue
and intelligence Of vfisoon d,ir