Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1834-10-02
LYNCHBURG, OCT. 2, 1884.
DR.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II IA
iFAX-INSTRUCTI

4,
circulated that DR.. Thomas z. Atkinson, the :
preventative OF the H4lliax AMI Alcckleabur
rict, in the State Senate, had resigned his sea, :.
that body, in consequence Of the occurrence. s1s..
his election, of grave questions of policy, IN r.,
ten 10 which his Judgment had led him TO Conc
sions diff ring widely, as he supp osed, from \. !.
sentiments ola majority OF his Constituents ",
are authorized 10 say hat this is not the fact. h.
Atkinson has notrcsgneJ, nos Is Il Il! all cers
that he will DO 50. /, Is certain however, b3l =.
will discharge his duty as a Representative. VII.
fully Acknowledges the RICH, Of instruction w,.a
fairly ard understancnely exercised.
We understand that DR.. Atkinson appear5
the musings OF the Halifax September caur,. A.,
made short address ,e that portion Of his co6<,..n
ents who were present. lie DID not go at i4yc ~.
to yinIica,ion Of his course in the Son1,s lac,
winter, but he informed the people that al the On.
suing October court he would make y full d,cIo.
sure of his present views, and OF his future dec,
mina,ion, if he should continue, upon further l.
! liberation, 10 retain his scat But, II seems
these declarations did no, satisfy some Of tie d
ders of the rarty," Who will be conten.cd W.
nothing short Of the most abjlct submission to lt.
dictation-requiring either instant resignation q,
future unqualified obedience. The Doctor, Ae4.
ever, did no, then feel himself under any oLigaI5.
| 10 accept the frs! altcrnatvc-an we feel sulbo,.
zed TO say, from a convcisa ,ion with one Of m.
most in.eIlig GEM gen.lemen of his district that +,
viii incur The dspleasure Of many Of his rolic,
! iriends, should he hereafter consent 10 10 So
| In the eUcniag OF the day that Or. Aihin,on A.
dressed the people of Halifax, proclar-'bn VA,
made by one of the constables Of the county. h,,
the f,icadS ofMe administration would ra.et al..
courthouse for The purpose Of preparing and sion.
ing instructions 10 DR.. Atkinson, in tclauon to I'M
election Of U. S. Senator, by ;hs n.xt '..ga.
'ure Very few persons l.eeded The pfocams..6..
| hoWcver--5Ut whether their non attendance grt
cecded from the unwl,iipgness OF ,he people =
slruct their Senator, CT frem the inuh.hty : T.
Leaaers to commune ale ,heif own fiery zeal Coav.
" io',i they would faln make thcir (ol9JctJS We o.
not informed No meeting, we learn, was o,gaa..
zcd-no discussion tool. pIacc--and no instruction
were prepared. Thus far, then, the Senator g.,
ett free and untrammelled Nothing daunted ty
| lhls tat1nrc, however an active and inhu.pua
eadar of g the party" who is remarkable alike af
his zeal and the exten, OF his political research
prepared the caption OF han1.bill, 10 De CIRCULATED
among the people of the county for their >lgnalues
This paper as we learn, is singular document
! deciding, &C c1tbe4ta, with a dash Of the peG No
mostgrase and important constitutional quesrio.s,
questions which have asitutel the coun.ry AM l..
cupied the deliberations Of our mos, enfiyhpl.
statesmen and most profound iurls,s, ever since
formation Of the government Bat inSttAck Isl
womb rfal endowment. By il, qeesIous of al
| greatest magnitude which are too mighty far Ill
| grasp and COMPREHENSION Of the most gag. 1
minds, that depend on the slow and aborouS rr.ca
81 ratoclna'ion, are solved in a moment! 1G|
more difficult tlr- '.robltm indeed, the more eas
it is solved by those no rely Oh instinct as ls
said that a Jackson rep,cs enatlve IN Coass8
| from nei9hborlng district, boasts that l.. aas
! exclusively. We WISH thai he, or some Gre eiat
equally favored Of his party would furnlsbu y
| a key 10 the myscry.-Bu,, to return from til,
erosion. To these haGdbns there y. De n,
signatures, of ltoratc, unlniormtd ignorant :.
| pie, who have not received tie first rudiments
| ednceiion ; many viii sign them without known
| .Aelr contents mary under tie Iaaacnce sIAe
2ro'sest deuslon; ard many because = w. mn
bind them 10 pay money. Aod when thty a..
thus signed, how IS the Senator to itnoy llat /
names attached to 1t represent bona fse voters
how shall he know that they are nol i;iaoaa
pedlors or travellers, or Roanoke wa,eraen.
men without a local habtation May NJ
names be put upon those papers, indeed wac
have no living owner? VIII the originator OF o.
gnators OF tbs mode Of i75SifuctiRg inform US he
their Senator is to know, when those papers a4
presented TO him, in the solemn form and mpos H.
character OF Instructions from his cons,iutnN
whelher the signatures 10 them are genuine Oh -
iloos-whe'her they contain really The delibfys
instructions OF his constituents or arc TIE fr0ul-
continuance Of men who viii adopt the mos. III.
lnst'linoe expedents to sustain sinking caus
we nave, IN truth, fallen upon evil ,rafs, slA
suci mean, are resorted te-in violation Of tie afr
cien' usases and practices Of this CommonweaI5
IN VOCATION OF the rights and feelings Of e.,
manly ana intelligent prcsentati,c Of the reog
anu IN contempt OF that heretofore uniyets j |
recognised principle of our institutions, uf-
caves The representative to The free exercise Of
judgment, on all questions OF magnitude that GER
Ce'ole Inc legislative body excepting only Los
relation to which he may be instructed by bis \
stitaents, aftei due delberatlon, examination "a
discuss ION.
nc 9'ght u obstruction we defend WI
'huc" Pcilihacily as any man--but, in pIoloa
as we 'aiue THIS Inestimable privilege Of The co
sn'ueht body, DO we abhor any measure which
,'a'eS OF mas tendency to bring it into dsI6r&
II any portion the people believe that they d.
"'S'eplesehtcd by their public servant, it IS ~
ohy thelr right, but their duty, TO compel him 70
ooey 'heir VIII rather than his own But in the
name OF all tina, Is far let this be done in III. fa:'
OF day, and after The judgments ofihe people t''
'oeh ASSISTED by full and free discussion Of IN
question at ssuc--Let not this good old RcpuJ.
ra', ooc'tihc be perverted into an engine Of mscl'
ana corrup'on-Ld not tie ignorance ard care
essness OF the voter be taken advantage Of to nil
'hce ohr local or national legislation. But let me-.
hgs De called wherever instructions are dccmt'
osc,ssofy-'et discussion take pace-le, the PEI
p'f nave both sides of the question fairly anil fGa.
presented to them-and then, when lhoy speak lei
.he'r voice be unhesitatngy oboyed. But @e'
we member of the Legislature, we should G1'.