Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-15

,i;n,, rrnII DIS on this question u &c uPoi l.a
penden,ly Of it, Popular EfolTS n"nsntinnal srru
suploi' W In, u1duecd in opposition to II but' AR.
MEMS any, Inv. examined lr the mighty Ie:rr WIN
which this puItIca Afchir"rs TO move s!,a'Cn u
a, as that engine may be, 1t ye; gives no io"ihou
~ 'n. nrcul e1print"ts by which 10 make our ne
" nressn.atlyr system i" kick the beam" Inc rrsolnI
inns OF The Virginia Legislature OF lSi2-i1, prepared
bv the intended victim Of this measure, are now De-
fore MT and by impartial examination OF The pm
cipcs there LAID down. 1t IS clearly discerhSa lha ~
poison carries with it It's own antIdotc nc ms ~
l!e three resolutions then adopted by Inc FESl''1
Legislature only dlSaPproves the course VI MI e
and Mr.. Breu then Scnaors in relation 10 inc pa, o
the United States, and the instructions given u'' t
that subject The I'd Resolution embraces 'Ic ,i.o
Virginia Doctrine of Senatorial lnStfucti' III, - tIn
words: eRcsUired That is the indubaSc Iisnt u luz
Stale legislature To instruct their Senators Oh I'LL P'
either constitutional pulilic, whenever Tue I,
Of the occasion shall require such lnte1lereiIc' " w
| nv consequences it is the boundcn duly Vi St"l'.'
obey such Insructions-pvoIided ue ins"uctlo'' ~ "
,veu and ob.vcd require not the Senator 10 co""','
So!ution of Tic Constitution or an act OF mo' &
| Here them MIR. Speaker is the "Io'e 'Hs'''i
Trim. ri senatorial Instructions: Let us proceed now,
in IFS ,pnlcnuu TO the subj c before U.S. ad ii'sl 'el me
remark sir that this doctrine presents TO the senator
alternatives that OF 0jcdcncs ~, or atSreS"fd o. 'e III
struclons given: that II l'ey DC SUN ,,i s ;.t roJ
come within the puryIcw OF the resolution JUST le'u'
they rropre not his obedience, and deserve ut his auS
nothing but disregard his resolution Pi'krhts i
.runIvcs To the Senator OIL tile REJECTION Vi ue
| nnr tenure Vi HIS olCc Sh"S w.
di,ional obligation IN demanding at hts hands, the
adoption of lie other. Is there, Mr. Speaker, any
duty of ycsgnutio found or implied therein surrey
not sir and it is wisely ordered that therr sio"io o
/ be- Tie dangerous tendency OF such doctrine was
doubtless forcscen, and the slightest examination oi IL
proves that il OF he the means OF rendering the
Senate of the United States, vaccllatng anu degrau-
ed as dependent and sycophantc body It's bteresl
enemies could wish Its conservative character Is uc'
stroycd It's stability and consistency are cfoSheo; us
usefulness gone. Nor sir is this all-tie moment you
thus allow, directly Indirectly. TO The Stale
the power Of dragging from his seat Seal7r % Tue
States i, drars down with that Senator, the Conslu-
ton itself Nlr Speaker there is clause IN the Con-
s,ituon of the United States quoted Ivy the gentleman
from Goochland which declares, that each mouse OF
Congress s.,a keep journal Of lis proceedings, ana
from lime to time publish the same Docs IL give,
sir or did it cunemp plate giving to either ionse
the right Of dispensing with, changing, or IN any
manues oLteIatIng lis whole journa! Or any part OF
it: Docs it give 10 The Senate, when a portion al
lis journal has been published, pIomug cd 10 tue
people Of the United States, aud to the world, pub
lishrd officially. known to every one as tue ogHa F"e
journal Of that body does il grant To that body the pow
or Of declaring that TO be the Journal OF certain ses'
sion which every knows not the joura! OF That
session? Have they the power "i adding auSht 10
Journal OF preceding session, of taking aught from
it. Does the Constitution give any such power: Dors
it authorize them TO keep partial, muated record OF
what they do? Or does it not lmperatvcly cqure at
their hands keep full ourna! Of their whole pro-
ceedngs? Is this record kept OF the property OF
the Senate or is it nat sir Of the State papers OF
| the country? Can any one doubt That the Cohsutu-
ton drsi gned this journal, as history OF Tie pro-
ccedngs Of Congress- to DC Kept; to be kept ch'IFe,
for the information Of future generations: Can any
one maintain, that such Journal was Designed I"
record tic ups and dotraS of conflicting parties IN THIS
country aud that what il declares the resolves OF one
session, another session shall declare not u nave oae
its resolves Has not this House, sir the same right at
its next session to eXpungc the cXPunglng resolutions OF
this session: Has it not The right 10 90 back Tor ~
years, il You please and cxpunge every resolution on
your record Are not the very resolutions OF lHlS,
! liable to the cxpungng process: and can 1t DC
imagined for lonenl that the Constitution ever con-
! mIla,cd any such absurlity as this: would nope
Mr. Speaker. that no gentleman Oh lhS loor, III Tue SIN
ccritv Of! hi heart would acknowledge IT. Sr these IN
lerrnya10lics are p5opoanrd and challenge answers to
thcm certain it is that the gentleman from Goocand as
failed to CHI e:n Ilhe Constitution declares that each
House of Congress- snail keep Journal Of lis proceed
ngs, is it not plain, papa5c and dangerous vioation
of that Constitution, iii any manner to interfere VIII"
that journal? ALL then, sir, that ask OF gentlemen u.s. 10
carry ont the avowcd doctrine of their own State on the
right Of instruction. | wiling TO admit licr iSht
"a instruct if they insist upon it, but they willing
TO lend themselves niracton oil the Constitution
Of their country, 10 appease the wounded dignity Oh any
man: = 49,. :.
that It may not be aiiss to alludr toiat Is, that
portion of it which points out the course OF Scna-
tnrs on questions involving acts OF m0T"t tuptiuds;
and | would ask gentlemen, if they mean 10 deny
to their Senators the right OF Judging tor themselves
on questions of this cliaractrr-or what system OF
ethics they will propose to them Tor Their guIuaicc:-
Il might sir bc congrnia to the feelings OF spiIc gen.
1lpuen to leave This thing in the hands of the President
of the United Stacs that high tunctunary has al
ready, in 4 famous semi official document, usurpcd 10
himself the PFotectorac OF this people only lllio"
out this suggestion ior the consideration OF hc Deiho-
cratic Republican, party of the day, and beg them to act
upon it il accordance with their confidence in this dis
tnguishcd philosopher. 1t may be-, SIR, that MI al
Buren, the great political lac':Cl OF their party, might
invent some ethical code suited Ia the occas"I aud he
falling they might then call on their hero o. tile
Thames and their Democrat Of the Great Crossings, to
suggest to them SYSTEM Of morals suited to the govern
ancc of this refractory Senate.
MIR. Speaker. il the Virginia Resolutions Gi lSiS nc
the established doctrine OF this State the tight vi III
structon-h they be rule Of conduct prescribed for lis
Il maintain that under that rule. II Is impossible to ac-
compIsh the object Of the measure before y"n lh"s'
resolutions contemplated the possibility of Srlte Lrgls
ature giving improper instructions 10 their Senators,
and have wisely guarded them against their prrnIc"us
effects They have laid 1t down, plainly That he
who runs may read, that II a State Legislature elrr
under the influence Of party passion for the gratca'
ton Of an unmanly revenge, or actuated by any other
unstatcsnanke Impulse. should so Tar forget tsc rs tn
instruct its Senators to commit violation oil The Colsl-
tuition or an o.! moral turpiude that such instructions
shall have no practical influence. no binding force But,
sir is designed by this action to present To your Sc
majors third alternative, that Of resi- gnann, to which
have already alluded You issue your mandate OF perjury
10 your Senator and he srurmslt. He sews you The Com
slltuon Of he L. $, which he 5 to support, and
refuses violate it, lie points you to the established
doctrines of your State. the right OF instruction.
aud refuses transcend them. You reply, that the
s,itucncv Of Virginia be represented and that you
expect him give way for that purpose he tells you
in answer, that qu acH pr alum, incit per sc'and
if yield my pos! another. 10 do That which my
science will not allow me 10 do, do not come within the
scope of the second branch of the provso. and find
self involved in an act of moral turpitude
Sir presume not to dictate to such as Benjamin
! Watkins Leigh and John Tyler. either their moral
or their official obligations have too high respect for
! ,,o;r nd
parotis not to know that they will in this emergency
ihr u:Isesl the VI