Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-17
POLITICAL.
(tr0zn Tie Gi0G..

(F1om the GloLc.)
MR.. LEIGH-HIS GREAT RESPECT FOR STATE
SOVEREIGNTY, EMBODIED IN THE GENE
RAJ ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE.
when 1t was Mr. Lcighs object TO call in sovereign
authority to dignity himself, when first taking his sea
in the Senate, he exalted the Legislature elccting him
with every sovereign attribute lie came IN on the
panic 'novcmrnl-yct the majority sent by the PEG
pic TO Richmond TO represent them, when candidates
for the trust declared themselves friends to The Presl
dent. Many who had been his enemies came IN ie'gn
ing conversion under The Proclamation--nIany disa
icIcd friends in still protesting friendship but dis
susng, unboundcd heartfelt hostility, under the sem
bancr Of opposition simply To the force BILL or rather tho
bloody section OF the urcc bill the Nnihrrs called IT.
These deadly '.;i!e factions found fiji occasion in the
panic, which crca!rd after they left their cosu
enls to lhrow off their disguise and rrnouncc the lack
SON professions, under which they were elected. The
removal of Duane and the rposiles sacrlcgc-trca-
son. against the Bank-sacrilrgc in relation 10
the public treasure. Mr. Leigh was the proper man
from his old grounded luminosity to the Presldcnt-h!s
warlals ngnlnsl him the side of Arbuthnot, An5ris.
tcr and s"tnnoesto become the instrument of TIE
mp!lcable malice OF " rrnrgades and disguised enc
mics Of the rsdrn who had stolen inhJ the Virginia
Legislature. The Junio at acknowledges, Johnson,
Saiiard, and the rts-.Dl up panic resolutions. Their
panic doctrines were taken By Hhggcry IN the LeSIsa-
turc, The of the whole Commonwealth. RIvcs
recalled and Leigh sent with all his long concoccd
and bottled poison to the Senate. His first object
| to establish The supremacy IF the body by which he
elected, the unqucs,lonabe cxposItor Of the pub
lie opinion, Oh subjects OH which the People had
not expressed opinion. lie then opcnly denounced
any thing which lopNrd like appeal from the sense Of
the General Assembly to that o the constituent body
That any should dare suggest "increnccs in oPpO
SiOn M,ir cridCncG ''&tOnd karc presumed 10 SHp-
posc mscj 6rncr ncqnGincd hian they ruth the Semt
mcntS 0 tW constituents -'Shomid So fur hare tVrgo
ten htms, cast such rcnsmcIy her (VirgIn;a -
L.iS'"t"ic Mr.. LcIg rxciainis, rs WONDERFUL ro
ME-! he lays it down, then, as his maxim, THAT
| TIE DIGNITY OF GOVERNMENT Is ESSEN
4 MAINTENANCE L.
| TllORlFY,' and adds:
say confidently. mat 1chocrcr ShaH Sucfefd IN BRING
tH9 Legislature MtO SrHfFai contempt, VII do more 20
impair its ,l authority, than any single Of this
Government possibly cln nct:r tn people of F.r-
nia of temper to accept professions OF respect IN lieu
! of reality
| Blu; he did nat stop here in vndicating the Legis!a
turc which elected HIM from the dreadful asp rsIon con
,ainrd IN The remarks OF AesSrs Stevenson and Rives,
bo, Of whom rcsignrdJ tut suli venturd t" express
the belief that their sentiments, however differing with
those Of the Legislature IN unison with those Of
the People He wcuII rot tolerate d thought auda-
c;nus He said What the sentiment of Virginia Is al
THIS moment, have not taken upon me TO say. But /
30 SAY, so MAS NErEHsEArIHG PoKrIos VI HER PEo-
rIE VENTURE SET HIS OPINION OF THE SEN
TiMEHr or THE STATE, Is orrusirios ro THE EArnEs.
! Sion IT HER l.t"ISLATGEE-lllE Sflltll OF
OUR FATHERS YET BURNS IN OUR DOSOAlS,
AND WILL. NOT BEAR IT."
! The issue thus made by Mr. Leigh between the lie.
gisl;urc ch rlrci,d Inn, and ArssrS Rlrrs and Ste
vrnson is the Of the people, has been DIS
cussrd Tor two wears, and thrice decided against Mr.
Leigh in different forms. 1t decided against him.
when the majority Of the Legislature elected in lc34
were charge by rr constituents not 10 rce.rct him.
ii decided against him. by the people at The pus
in April ic5 and il has been at last decided against
hn. after three months struggle, 10y that paramount
authority, the General Assembly, which he hns' Ii has
declared be high 20 bc doubt do br such auso
ur evidence IF riIv publ. vii, u,rn akinl hn.
dy make it contunlacy i'll individuals 10 que stun
it's bringing tic Legislature into gcncrai contempt
-m!,airDg It's just dnMGThy, ard destroying /" The
d;gni;y II GOrcrHmCm -!
/ And how does this d,votcc of State Rights now deal
with State suvcregnty!hls hig unqurstlonabe atrl-
buic which, according to SIR Leigh Is inherent IN the c
gisatyc power cmaralng immediately from the people of
The State, and which man must obey, aud IN obey
ing mast not presume To bring in doubt wanting the
sanction Of the public will How does he deal with
He says:
rhe doctrine is, that Senator in Congress is bound
to yield Implicit obedience to any instruction which the
! Stale Legislature that elected HIM may give him, 10
resign no Iatrr how laln unconstitutional, mat
ter how base and criminal the act which he is cnjoncd TO
perform may BE-. IN his ocn Jgdgmcnt-that lie has no
rirl 10 exercise his judgment at all, consult his
own cunscicnce he is not III this case moral agent:
! lie has alternative but 10 obey or resign.
i this doctrine shall become generally adopted and
established throughout tho United States by the asscr.
tion and exercise of il the part, and sulssIun
to on the other pray the General Assembly 10 con-
sldr1 Ter lie probable workings Of the princi-
pie i'm practice. Whenever the President shall iccl tie
CtIpCk oil SENATORIAL III
silion shall have the rmnrss To continue refractory To
his viii. unmovrd and nawcd by his power--rspccIa
w. if there shall be nearly balance Of parties in Tic
so that few changes may reverse the maorIty--lle
President will be placed under the strongest temptations
to have recourse the State Legislatures order to dis
enbarrass himself OF the opposon Suitable nay, even
plausible pretexts will never be wanting, to justify
,s. their inerlr renee. There will be difficulty, atany
time much in times Of violent party excitement, tn
select some prominent measure, involving a question
of constitutional right, and To irauie instruction upon
il to the refractory Senator, which it is known he
cannot conscirntioisy obey, and therefore will moi
obey and require him. nevertheless, oobcy resign
And 10 obtain The instruction, may surely expect Ia
sec all the mighty influence o! the President all power and
patronage brought bear upon the State Legislatures
and upOn the elections 10 hcm-to dcludc and dcUra
izc the people tunper with, corrupt and seducc, the
Slate Assemblies whose Senators Congress may be
deemed impOitan or Iust feasible 10 remove. Fit
Instruments and agents the work, viii Away abound
ami volunteer in scrvicc-thc venal pandcrs Of pow
cr the whole Tribe Of parasites and sycopanls Jealous 10
conc late avor the vain asprants after political import
arcr, honor and nuturcty-aIl will crowd into the Pre-
sdrnls train, and vic with each other in doing his bid
dinrs am speaking OF the probable, natural eylta
bic elects Of political CAUSES put into action.
From this will c seen, that the whole case ID re-
vcIscd in Mr. Leigh mind. He stands now before the
public, the perfect example Of Esops honest Judge -
Wncn his bull had gored the farmers OK, II was all vel
rnouuh-,e farmers OK should not have come IN ils
way but when i, turned that the bull had
the way of the OK and gorcd, the case cds altered
So now the Legislature, fresh from The farmers OF IT.
pina is no Longer the Banks Ju, but lis strength is
turned crush the monster and ITS masters and instant
IT, with Mr. Leigh 1t has forfeited all Claims 10 respect
~ refractory Senator, far from being considered ou
4 thp rlurSS In