Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-23
EXPUNGLNG .qNO, INSTRUCTIONS.

A<froft ~ letter from Country CoresDondsnt Feb 10
: hope before t-is reaches YOU that the Expungino
Resolutions will have passed. aud the Leyisstt,r ba 80
comme nced its ordinary business. ~ great deal too
mueii time has been consumed in the discussion of
question:, winch alter what passed ,Congress the last
Winter aud amongst the people since admitted of little
iurtasr llastratton. doubt whether fve votes could
De changed by rs many months argument and ii the
sPeeenee are intended To enghen Tie people, the ora
Tors ight have saved their, avind for the decree was
gone i"rtt "to ExpUnge," ndrnothing can reverse
IT. am sorrR that MIR. Mallory has giyen some
conntenance TO The Wing side OF the question by
a distinction which they wcaid repndiate and which
atier all, is merely verbal The substance aimed at
IL, TO declare that which done by the Senate
an illegal and unauthorized not, put upon as Mr.
M says the seal Of public conIieirnation In max
ing use OF the word "expungeyp those who use have
surely right To- distinguish betweeR its ordinary and
parliamentary sign6cation and if they afix To il n
meaning which shows they donot mean to o5eyafe the
journal, where is the constitutional objection They
may De bad philoogIsts, bat ought objected TO
us politicians Mr. Mallory himself would use The word
TeSciHd but not in its strict etvmoogical sense Whv
then, should he object to The of xpunge - If those
us'S IL choose 10 deine and If such de6nition does
not require the destruction OF the journal, Supuose
that ia Mr. MalloEys opinion cxpunge does no, mean
this! Onghth merely because he differs abont the
meaning OF words which tho resolution undertakes to
hN 10 vote ".th the opposite party who not whe-
'Ier resc!nhF or "eSpungc is used If it was a sim
pie resolution to cxpunge, without explanation it might
DC diere squesion and should respect the scrupies
OF MIR. Mallory, although ! should not agree with him:
ior nave been able tha conslii nal diff
cnity oi eApusgng celebrating that which o,srt ne
Yer to have becu pacedon the Jouraa aser Tie pooers
conferred Hp0a as Senate by The Constitution The trne
distinction IS, between improper which they arc
competent to do end wholly beyond their costu-
iiona powers and think IL easy show that there are
many resolutions they might enter on their journals
which ought to be oClaerated. The Journal they are
required to keep is Journal of their acts under the
CONSTITUTIONS an the discharge of their repular au-
thorZed funconsand its inVolability does not
to extrancous irregular, and Unconstitutional pzo.
ceedIngs Such at least - my opinion, formed after
due consideration. But et | would not blame MIR Nj
because ne could not gohis lengIh, denounco him
abandoning his party. Ne ought treat our weak bro
theirs in the POLITICAL fah ST. Paul advises Christians
TO treat one anOthea differing not essentia
Already we have had too many lapses occasoned per-
haps by the Of tolHrniion at the commencement
seal of pnblc condemnation he sass ne is should be
sorry To see him excluded from the fold
Phe most extraordinary movement on the part of The
Wings, the attempt Of of them prove that in
structous constitutional quesUns are not obligatory
and dcIiye this doctrine from the Resolutions OF 1919
say net otgGfosy because ii the Senator not bond
10 Obey or 10 Tsogni they arc Of no obligation. Now
IN that clause % she resolution commencing with eand
it those doctrines be correct &C. the superior obliga
uon OF insfuc"ns on constitutional points, "f there be
any Ollie fence Is expressly asserted; "sncc says the
writer, "the nfaciion Of she bond of aion ovrs the
States tl@ strongest claim 10 interiors;" SO IT, then
niEaction Of the Constitution hus been coa,iiie
may not the Sles interfere mark their sense of IT, by
such means as they think right? Suppose the Senator
differs FROM them about the end the means and neith
Obeys resigns, he henhe organ Of his own will or
Of his constituents 3lf Of his own the Report SAYS
she would be Ear despot0," and I've Government is
no longer a representative one, bat despotsm All
the reasoning Of the Preamble based upon the princi-
pie, ihut the representative must express the will and
speak tc opinions Of the constituents who epnte HIM
and that he can, in 30 case be the organ OF his own
will for, otherwise he ngb do leave undonc some.
thing contrary to The will Of every individual in the COM
munity, the individual representative himself only ex-
oepted; and OF al te other Senators followed bis ex.
anpe) contrary to the will Of the whole Nation sxccp
the olgafchs ia that body. VI this principle be impaired
any reception be admitted e whole argument Of the
Pfcanie would be destroyed The admission in the hsl
part of n Report that the Senator sno 5oand 10 obey
instruction plainly unconstitutional exception for
there, She rights Of The representative as an individual
audcd to- eannot be bound to pcriure hmse IL
but he only avoid by ceasing to be representa-
tive 10 fact, he virtually TO hold that chasaete
tsr monent he refuses 10 obey The will Of his oonstltu
eAts and acts according his own matter whether
constitutional acsOn is involved of mere poll
~, aud although nc is not bound perure binise d.
he * bnund ia surrender ais trust In the resOiu.
tons, the right 10 instruct al poats either "coD.
siitudoaa polite, is eSpSss sly asserted and il Is go.
emnly declared, that hencstonh mo man c0uqh. 10 oc.
sept the appointments VI Senator Of Tbs United States,
who d0ih not hold himself bound To- obey snch nstfuc-
tons. But The right IS vague and unaatory, onlrss
there IS moral nDlgaaon 20 obey seagn My agent
IS bound 70 obey my instructions yet If order him 10
do acl Of moral tugptHdc, hc may righnully refuse