Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-03-20

PIE whom they must vote for A few busy politicians
protesting to act for the people and manage the
ms OF party in effect dictated those whom they
eemed TO represent Irresponsible and generally self
constituted they marked out the plan of the campaign,
ectcd their avorte the candidate decreVd him
orthodox and then called upon the faithful under pain
OF communication, to come to hts support The only
questions left for the voter TO decide were, whether he
himself belonged to the party and who the par
~ candidate. No inquiries need be made about the
private worth and intellectual fitness of the individual
or oil the claims ana merits OF his competitors He had
the nomination. and right upon the topic which
ruled the hour. That sufficient, and he who
should prove contumacious cling to the man Of
his choice, would nd that he had not only lost
caste with his party, but thrown away his vote. He
would soon find, that whilst the scmbance of discre
ton was lett him, the privilege substantially gone
ana mat he must take the nominee of the party, take
none Let this system be introduccd-and if adop
cd by one party it would be by the other, elfdeencc
and we might bid adieu to that of practical liberty
when the voter looked around him and chose his repre-
sentative in the same mode in which he walked into the
forest and selected piece of timber, for implc-
old days of visits to the voters, and speeches from
the hustlngs, so long the cherished customs of Vr-
gina In New York, where the nomination sys-
ten prevailed and had been carried into its natural
consequences such thing stump speech never
heard Of The candidates neither seen nor known
by ninetenths the voters Why should they be- when
every party pIc-deter mined TO support them
though an acquaintance with them should satisfy him they
were knavcs and the hearing them should prove that
they held no principle in with himsclfs Hay-
ing intrigued successfully with the leaders and gained
the nomination. no matter what their foes vices they
stronger than the opposing To retain their places
1t was only requisite to The favor of the leaders,
and to secure that they might sacrifice with impunity
the people, their principles, and their country
hir B said lac was not visionary hope for the
extinction of party spirit indeed to reasonable OK
tent, lie was not opposed to party combinations which
were generally necessary i'm infsng correct principles
INTO the administration of public affairs. The agations
which ordinarily grew out of the strupples Of marty
when confined within moderate bounds and INVOLVING
measures instead of men, not to be deprecated
They were nscparablc from the operations of free go.
VIZ nn1nn and hnIa hna E,1
IN keeping alive the spirit OF liberty and of vigilant inori
ny into the acts and principles OF public unconares He
did not look with that despair which had confess
ed at the excuses which seemed at times to threaten
the very existence of institutions There must be
tempests and whirwinds occasionally, in n Democratic
atmosphere, and the ship Of State might be tossed with
fearful violence the Of faction, but still float
ed, and he trusted would forever float The stately IA
brio OF Republ;canism often shaken to its deep
ioundatons yet still il stood, and would, he hoped for
ever sand ''r~iturd gUe Semvcr 1nyln lnoics ~
lie was not he repeated opposed to party concert to
proper extent, but the discipline he approved OF was
more nearly allied to that of The militia system than the
regular service. When raging and the enemy
at hand every good citizen should stand his arms but
the invader repelcd and restored let him beat his
sword into ploughshare, and his usual pur-
suits so, when some great principle of human rirht
in danger let the voares of liberty come To The
rescue, shoulder to shoulder with fixed resolve to do
or de- but the being accomplished and the princ
pie re-esabshed on mcr basis, let them disband their
forces, and watch the of from their fire.
sides Let them do more; let them proclaim general
amnesty, Mr.. Jefferson did after his triumph in 1900
Tor past differences with those who although lately enc
mes, were at length friends. Without this redeem
quality of concation after victory the conflict of mar
ty must always be deadly and merccss for there was no
consideration calculated nlse into the sruggIc CO
embered and desperate spirit, the conviction that
the vanqushed would notony be despoed by the vctors
but through all future time prescribed excluded from
an honorable participation in the service of the country
But let 1t be understood, that may differ and CON
tend on some questions without being disqualified for CO.
operation IN other maers and temper charity and
Ierat!on, perfectly consistent with due efficiency would
at once be given TO political contests. He knew that
many looked with something like contempt on the prim
tive appearance and imperfect organization of militia
corps and could find of dicule in their pebald
garments and various pixies cuasses and pis
tolls snatched up for the OCCASION The spectacle how
ever never failed to command from him ready tribute
of respect for 1T seemed to be spontaneous catherine
of the best clements of society," brought about by no
mercenary motives, but by the stimulus of patriotism
acting under sense of immediate danger with sgch
weapons as could be procured at the moment On &he
troops who were held together through the influence Of
the bounty did he any merit i'll their exact uni
formity. Nature had ordained that should differ
in person. in opinion and in action and when they were
made bear perfect smlitude and move at ali times
with absolute precision, it looked to him like set
fmachnery, worked by some superior intelligence than
an array of human beings and free agents He entered
his protest against standing armies aud train band par.
ties; for however useful in single emergency they were
too apt, when kept long foot to turn their weapons
against the Liberties they were entrusted TO defend
This terrible system, he said, entering our bor-
ders and the most active operation for
its favorable reception. The innovat already per-
cePtibe in this good old Commonwealth which had so
long escaped the scourge party spirit The poison was
rapidly penetrating into her vcnshe shirt ofNessus was
upon her shoulders and she writhed even now under
the agones of approaching madness All who like
HIMSELF looked with horror upon the maady must come
to the relief and speedily too, their friendly Offices
would be of no avail. His preccpt or example he
was sensible, would be of little consequence hut snch
it was should be faithfully contributed TO the object
in view The surest mode he thought of arresng the
evil was by winning the public confidence i'm the designs
OF the opposing party assuaging the general irritation by
moderate and firm course and carefully avoiding even
the appearance of practising what was so earnestly
deprecated in others Acting upon this theory it had
Dcen his misfortune to be separated several occasions
in relation rather than measures from that patr
otto party which was aiming at the common objects
with himself Much as lac respected the party and the
opinions of individuals who composed IT, he could moi
yield his clear convictions of duty and cxpedcncy
although fully aware Of the danger he incurred of mis-
construction. Even under comparatively mild system
OF party discipline, no man. of whatever elevation of
purpose could venture without hazard to as
sumo III relation TO any given principle, position indie
pendent oil both parties matter how well defined his
attitude might be- or how clear his responsibility for il
The Putaton, freely made from all quarters either of
imbccily and want Of nerve of selfish design to con-
cliac opponents ws the usual reward Of genuine in
dependence, and moral courage. lie would padly have
avoided any ausion 10 himself or his motives in the
part he had acted in recent events, desiring nofhug
more than that his humble should pass without
notice. provided it could also pass without censurc
But lac had not escaped animadvcrsion, nor did
re deem himself impcnctrabe to the shafts of crit
cisn. He would frankly admit, hat i'm public affairs
be was neither prompt bold nor chiyarous: but |
cautious, hcsitatng and ready to rcracc his steps
when wrong Perhaps, when few years had |
path tic lights Of experiences hc might advance with
more confident gnlt, and hazard experiments on |
he well-beiag Of communities At present ne was /
'on'ent 10 tread in the footsteps Of those who had