Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-01-22

BrSJANIs BRipcroRTu, EDWARD GnrrSL,
GroRcE &. MooRk DAVID &. Joxrs,
WARES MARSHALL, JAMES +. CocxE,
Joiix w. FOSTER TuoMrsoS WArruAnn
WILLIAM MARSHALL,
! To Mr.. RICHARD BOOKER, (DeIeyate)
December 18th, 1894
! DEAR SiR-We the undersigncd Committee ap-
pointed by meeting OF a portion Of the people of tia,
county OF Amelia friendly to the present Administration
OF the Federal Government, examine the list OF names
attached to the Letter of Instruction herein enclosed and
to strike of from the the of all such persons
you have performed that duty and find that 22 now e
gal voters have signed the said Letter of instruction
which, by careful and impartial comparison with thu
list of voters as furnished by the Clerk, the Commits
soncr Of the Revenue. and the Deputy Sheriff of the
county, we find to be majority of u instructors. And,
moreover, after cxpunging from the list of above
alluded to- the of such have died forfeited
their right to vote, by removal from the State from
any other cause whatever, up the present date we
find that there is majority OF sc instructors
We consider this the correct mode of asccrtanng the
public sentiment this time We cannot admit the pro-
prey of counting the dead residents of the State
or those who have forfeited their right vote from any
other whatever. BY way of illustration Suppos.
there election neccssary-tc dead men
could not vote and the residents OF the State or those
disqualified from amy other whatever, would be
entitled to vote
We hold the Right OF Instruction, as one of the most
sacred rights belonging to free peopeand that il is
their unqucsonabc province to exercise it, whenever
they shall deem expedentt to do scat any time, and in
any mode which to them may seem fit. And
cam or Will, while free people, recognise repre-
sentative or agent as having any right Whatever either
to scrutnizc object To the grounds, time, mode Of
our exercising it; but hold to be his bounden duty
have The most profound respect for well faithfully
to obey such Instructions whenever they shall he given
or else resign his agency lie has right infer
rupon in the people mputc ignorance 10 them in
he was willing to accept of am agency from
this source, he should be equally willing ohcy their
beests We, therefore entertanino no unfrendIv cel
ngs towards you respectfully you this cur
letter, enclosing the letter of with the sigma
lures thereto annexed, atcring ourselves you will
embrace the first alternative and cheerfully obey them
as we know that do not require of you the
of either an immoral or unconstitutional act.
We have forwarded them friend and coadjuior
Mr.. Fabius Lawson, requesting lac will present them TO
you, in person, well that he present copy of
tue same whch we have IN addition sent to the Editor
OF the Richmond Enquirer, requesting their publication
In conclusion, have the honor TO be- your Con-
stituents of Amelia,
4 RoDopnn JErER, Chm, THOMAS T. JrrER,
BES. BRIDGFoRrH, EDWARD GREENE
VIM MARSHALL, DAVID G. JOKES
GEORGE o. Moons, JAMES L. CocKE,
WARREN MARSHALL, TuoMrsoN WALruAII
THOMAS W. WEBSTER,
RIcuMoSD 18TH Jan. 1895.
Dear SIR have to acknowledge the receipt of your
Instruction, in the county Amelia together with pa
per, nstruciing me, member of the Legislature,
vote against the reelection of b. w Leigh, Esq., to the
Senate oil The United States, which paper signed by
number ofmy constituents of the county Amelia and
will receive my most respectful considerations Enclosed
you Will receive the letter OF the Commit
tee and will oblge me by forwarding to them
convenient.
am very respectfully, your friend
WILLIAM OLD.
GENrIENEN: Your letter. enclosing Il paper signed
by number of my fellow citizens and constituents the
county OF Amelia instruetng me, as their representa-
tive, in the Legislature of Virginia, against the
reelection of Benjamin w Leigh Esq the Senate
OF the United States, handed to yesterday, by
Mr. Lawson and will receive that spectiu consdera-
ton TO which it is entitled containing the expressed
opinions and will of highly respectable portion Of my
constituents; among whom. recognize some of nv old
est friends As to the right fthe people instruct
representative there exists difference of opinion be-
tween Long before entered into public life from
tn and
pecally 10 the Institutions of country have
entertained and constantly avowcd the opinion, that
tins right resulted necessarily from, and incidental
to- the representative character of Government
have not only asserted it, at all times, in terms the
explicit but several occasions since have been
a member of the Legislature | have given practical
exposition of my opinion of this right by exercising it
myself in voting for instructions in Con-
gress Under these circumstances was somewhat
prised, that you should have deemed it necessary after
communicating the fact of my being instructed by a
majority OF the qualified voters of the county, TO super
add the commentary, contained in the following para
graph OF your letter. TO wit: We hold the right OF in
struction of the sacred rights belonging
to free people, and that it is their unquestonabe pro.
vince to exercise 1t whenever they shall deem expo
dent do So at any time and in any mode which
TO them may seem fit; and can, or will while
" a free people, recognize representative agent
as having any right whatever, either scrutnze,
object to the grounds, time mode, of exercising
~ but hold to be his boundcn duty have the
profound respect for well faithfully obey such
instructions, whenever they shall be given else
sign his agency lie has no right to infer corruption
" IN the people, or to mpuc Ignorance 10 them ~
tnat IL could not been the the
committee to impute to opinions (Which never
pressed cncrtancd) for the purpose of arragning
and denouncng them; but il would seem as II they
considered some strong expression of their opinions
necessary to enforce the rights of the people on the one
hand and to coerce obedience the other. Ii such
was their opinion beg leave them that they
were entirely mistaken The simple knowledge Of the
fact, that was instructed by majority of my consti-
tuents, would have had all the force and effect that any
form OF words could give to it, and could have derived
no additional weight from the sanction of any other
thorIy, however imposing its character In answer to
this part of your letter feel it due myself to repeat
that have denied the right of instruction or
questioned the exercise of it, whenever the copic think
proper, have neither imputed to Ue,n corruption nor
ignorance; have intimated given the slightest
reason TO suppose, that would not with all proper
respect, aud faithfully obey instructions when given or
resign my agency, as il is termed: the contrary
have invariably declared, that if instructed by maori-
y OF the district would promptly adopt Of these
alternatives On the very day that these proceedings
commenced in your county, was at the Courthouse,
and IN conversation with several individuals whose
names are among the signatures to the paper you
sent me, admitted in the most explicit terms the right
OF the people TO instruct their representative Of any
time and in any manner which they might think pro-
cede Of ccasng 10 be that representative whenever re-
quired to do what in my own deliberate judgment |
could not conscientiousy d0.-As soon as I can make
the necessary examinations comparison and estimate OF
the several papers Of Instruction received from the Dis
trct, will make known the result
am, gentlemen, very respectfully, your obi. serv
WILLIAM OLD.
SMYTH COUNTY.