Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-12-23

mad no nsfe i'a ant have ever held TIA. re re-
preventative Is Lcuad ocaiorm 1, the viii OF his m.
stuea.s. except when he IS required violate his oath
which no human pnwcT compel him 10 do by what
ever means that viii is ascer,ained.
Instructions gotten up. in whatsoever way owe their
whole authority 10 the supposed fact that they are .he
ae aud JnSt exponent of the ,cU of Mc inaoritr and
II * the duty ~ the representative, both to- himself and
70 las constituents 10 guard against being deceived and
nisCd 80 what this will is The right therefore of
decdng what Is sufficient evidence of public sentiment
belongs from the nature Of things to the representatives
and 10 deprive him of IT, would be To make him lust as
oei', nay Sir, much ocncr the tool of the minority
than the agent Of the minority lie should therefore
take INTO consideration all the evidence of whatsoc yer
character bearing the question; and dvcstng himself
us tar as possible of his prcconccved notions come
10 ccnsclcnh ia cision To the side which this
evidence prep ndcratcs His only business to asccr-
tain what the wishes OF his constituents without un.
dcrtng to prescribe The mode in which the people have
chosen TO declare their wishes enquire the
ON which their opinions founded Surely he is not
TO take every declaration of public opinion conclusive
'nIu.hcc oil the VIII oil the majority. If should
all of us be instructed in half dozen opposite ways in
every session. by letters from homeor by meetings at
cross roadSor by what would he ius as rood authority
by truth-loy.ng Journalists who on at, occasion can
Luna up maJori'y--on PePci-whcrcvcr it Is wanted
low else Is IT. sir that both sides have decided majority
I'll the election is over
hope, MIR Speaker, my opinions the right Of IN
Srucnon are now understood b. my friends from
Boictourt and Prince George
! AS | ain on my feet sir, will notice some of the re-
marks that fell from the Senator from Botetourt He
says great changes have taken place public opinion in
Virginia since The April elections In this opinion en-
tirely agree with the enator--thouyh differ with him
is 10 the side which has acquire an accession Of strength
by this change. lie contends that the change is alto
gcticr favorable to the party sustaining the Annisra
ton And what sir the evidences the arguments
he addnccs in support CT this opinion Why he tells
us the people went to tic polls last Spring under
the influence of tremendous panic that they had
been told by political agtatos. in the Senate the IT,
Satcs that the measures of the Federal Executive were
ABOUT TO destroy the value OF their propcrtyto produce
universal bankruptcy and ruin-and that having
TINS prophecy iashcd the people had rcpentcd of their
| lnomentary descrtion OF the Admin straon
Sir, Tor one, never doubted that the evils likely To
result from the mad and under the circumstances the
unauthorized course of the President towards the Bank
of the United States, greatly exaggerated in the
Senate and clsewhcrcby some, for political cficct-by
others TO sustain the prctensions of the Bank But
| MT speaker, admitting, the gentleman seems to
argue that the conduct of the President in this be-
halt involves only question of pecuniary loss does
a. follow that the people to approve OF that con
duct only because it has not produced 'irersat bank
TUtcy, foretod VIII nohinr short of utter r,
JUSTLY IN the estimation of the gentleman condern-
nation OF the measures Of Gen Jackson would seem
TO me- sir that the only legitimate inference to be drawn
from the Justification of these awful predictions is that
we nave false prophets in the land--a commodity of
which the world has dicdyS had ample supply But
! cannot imagine how any argument can be deduced
from it, in justification Of an act which no man whose
eyes aud ears not sealed by prejudice will DENY has
produced great and spread mischief without in my
opinion, one circumstance of redeeming good For
need tell you, sir, that neither this any other vio
ence that General Jackson may perpcratc against the
Bank, and against ho iGlcS-l,ieSS he turns Nu;fer-
can shorten the legal existence of that Institution by
one dayand very much fear that what he has already
done, has produced reaction in its favor
But, Mr. Speaker it seems to me, that notwithstanding
Inc studied culogy the people, with which the Scna-
tor from Botctourt has just avourcd us he paws but
poor compliment 10 their Intelligence TO their devotion
to the great principles which lie at the bottom of their
government. when he supposcs them have regarded
the course of the Executive towards the Bank us nyoly
ing none but considerations of pccuniary interest No.
sIrte free and IJttorcd people ofVrgnia have seen
IN the acts of the President of the IT, s. in relation TO
the Bank and in the doctrines grown out in support of
those acts, systematic and alarming assault unon the
principles which they have ever held sacred Ii was un-
der 'the panic produced by this conviction that they
marched to the polls in p last and trust that un-
def the iaence OF their wonted devotion to the Laws
and the Constitution, they win rush them by thou
sands and tens of thousands at the approaching eec-
tioms
Inc gentleman from Botetourt, in accounting for the
public opinion avoraSy to the has tstep place in
our SPrng Elections spoke of great and important d.
velopcments; though nc did favor us with a cata-
ioguc OF them For, according my recollection hc
slated not one ground of his belief i'm this cangc
ing and accepting the discovery that the Pcopl hive
made, that they quite as badiD ruined s tLcu
oere PTomisedtO BE-; nevertheless 81 thank him for thai
word There have been ''developcmcnts" since the
April Eiecnons which, if they have operated upon no
other, have induced the humble individual who now adj
dresses you, to abandon the Administration in utter
hopelessness.
Since that time the Presidents Protes-tbc cody %
ms mayesf0 containing doctrines which good Republ-
cans may forgive but sanction has been scn forth
10 the world to give that the claims to power
SCI up IN te paper to which 1t was supplement were
not To be abandoned. -
Since that time we have had 'devclopcmcnts dis
closing mass of mal-atminstraton and corruption II,
one ofthc departments ofhc government unorecedentcd
and trust, to be- paralelcd in our hstorv W.
nave seen the head of this Department convicted bv the
unanimous rote of the Senate Of violating the laws and
the Constiiuhon and yet, far as | know or believe
not the slightest indication given by him who came ;uto
QDcc "nder solemn picde TO reIrm all abuses Of onv
purpose 20 eject one OF these negligent incompetent or
aiths5 public agents From all blame except uDGfness
JcF Me 9Dace freely exempt the head Of the Depart-
mcnt PV
How far these Developments" are lkclv tn enlist
new parzans IN the ranks OF the Administration leave
10 the gentleman to decide
The Senator from Botetourt says he yv;sbes tis c1c
ton delayed to afford opportunity of ascertanin,
whether MIR Leigh will take sides with his country or
enlist under the banner of f0ciiot' on the French
guestloh' vi all the mon in this Common wealth
watkins Leigh IS the last in relation 10 whom a
doubt on this subject should be raiscdfr ,nf,rnn-cI,
Tor the Senator from Botetourt it 80 happens that Mr.
Leigh, with John Randolph VIM b. Giles and many
others, were opposed TO the late war with Great Britain
at inc time 1t was declared; and vet no man encred
with more zeal and ardor into the defence of his counrv
than H. w. Leigh Yes, sir, lie acted upon the noble
and patriotic sentiment uttered by the chvarous Deca
tuT- FOR my Country, right wroDgr
But, Mr. Speaker, | should like to know exacflv
the aspect in which the gentleman is prescnf;ng
TINS french question. ! should like TO understand
precisely the test he would apply ascertain whether
NE leigh Is to prove tTG0r 10 his oOtnryP VIII the
gentleman tel as whether to sustain General Jockson in
INC ground he has taken in his late Messapr that the
tdm OF the French NdtioR has been soeu1Dh ,edgeJS
by the treaty ratified by the King and Council Lgf ,
sanctioned M me Chqm5e Qf Dcputies and that refusal
on the part OF tie Chamber, to BGEe he 0DDyoDr;o,oD no
cessary to carry this treaty into effect js aDse nj rar
~ INC standard TO which he would bring our Senator
III 50, venture to answer, that Mr. Leigh and eyery
o"cr mar Mo has not renamed the doctrine commended
Treaty must be regarded by the gentleman from Ryc
tOurt las cnisnP, he is plcased In form,