Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-03
arc te thus addressed 10 eaoh memher 40


be admired the wisdom of i'm framing the
Constitution! If this was its only feature, their title
Immortality would be established
This simple provision is Of the great securities of
American liberty IL takes nothing upon trust II the
Senate kept no Journal, it would be conclave,
where deeds The most revolving might be performed in
secrsy and darkness. The train might there be laid
the mine prepared, and the first knowledge of the rea
son night be the explosion, and consequent overthrow
of free government Liberty could not with such
state of things. There liberty where there il M,
responsibility ond there can Ice no Responsibility where
nothing Is known 10 have Secretary seated at the
table OF the Senate, To write down its proceedings,
and TO claim for itself the right cancel obliteraIe
or e1pungc what he had written, is equivalent TO
having no Journal ut ala mockcry and fraud
The journal of the morning nary be- cancelled i'm The
evehing-'hat oil to-day may be expunged on to NOR.
fow--cancel 1t in any way, whether BY black red
marks whether with circles or by straight lines ceases
to be journal, and that which was, The Jour
nal is 10 be published but there is Journal There
was one yesterday but il reach the press il is
Cancelled, marked out, cxpunged. These the
cessary results of obedience to your instructions fhat
journal contain Transaction discIedab!e the Senate
Should preserve II as perpetual Of its dis
grace Tito party leader will give him and his friends
who temporarily have tbe ascendancy no warrant
to erase or blur the page which such scon
duet recorded should be afraid after such
decd, If Virginia is what she was-and de moi
doubt Ito return within her hunts The exccratons
OF her people would be Numbered my ears The soil
which had heen trod by her heroes aud statesmen would
iur"is me no resting place should feel myself guilty,
most guilty. aad however might in conceaLrp
myself from the sight fmen, could not, my view Of
the subject, ysef from the uphradinas OF NV own
perjured conscience How could return 10 mix among
her people, TO share their hospitality and kindness with
the declaration my lips 81 have violated my oath for
ohce, aud sooner than surrender place the Senate
have struck down the Constitution, 2"
u tue Senate has right TO touch the Journal under
instructions, IT has right TO do wthont-if to
eel part, right expunge the whole: Ii to use ink
from pen, right 10 pour il from boiilsio destroy
the Journal in any other way-to burn ito make
bonfire of all that is bright aud glorious history
know Il has been said that the process directed TO be
adopted 10y your resolution is not designed to ex-
plunge cannot believe this, and reject i as equally
injurious TO yourselves and unjust those you repre-
sent You direct the words :. Expunged by order of
the Senate, to be written across the resolutions ON
which you propose 10 make | will not believe
that you merely design to my conscience
much less will l indulge for u moment the idea
That you direct falsehood to be recorded by me
Those do not understand you who make such ascrip.
tons, aud | am not misled by them. The General As.
seubly OF u proud and lofty State, is incapable of
mere qalhbic, and such an one would disgrace a
king Jester. No. genemen; the which YOU direct
10 De Performed is designed TO be- and is equivalent to-
an actual oblteration in all practical results The
manner oil accomplishing this of canoe ation is
wholly immaterial la publishing uis Journal from
firnc 10 time hereafter, resolution thus cancelled
cannot be published part of il IL is declared To
be e1punged upon ITS face But if in this could pos
soiy be mIstaken-if, after all, it is merely chlds
play-the making few fiourishcs, and putting the
Secretary OF the Senate to the trouble write few un-
meaning words, the question would not be changed
such as IS the Journal shall be kept unaered in
TO the last syllable OF recorded time. Such is the 6ai
of the Constitution There is not a clerk or DEPUTY
clerk in the Commonwealth of Virginia who would exc
cute such order in regard his records The people
would be alive TO the question: and in vndicaton their
rights, would EIPunge The Court than permit tho
record containing the titles their to be cancel
led in any manner whatever They surely take
less interest in the preservation of the Constitution the
great charter of all their rights
he effort has been made 10 hunt up precedents TO JUS
tiy this act The pages of English Parliamentary his
tory have been ransacked and array has been made
OF examples drawn from the times of the Jamcses and
Georges of England. With equal force might exam.
pies be quoted TO Justify an American President in
executing capltaliy ctzen of any OF the
States without the form of trial He MIGHT coual.
iy be justified in the use of the bow. string be.
cause such is The power of the Grand Signior The
power of the English Parliament is UNLIMITED So
is That OF many OF the States Of this Union in re.
gard TO this particular subject No precedent can
have force TO overthrow an express enactment of Tho
Constitution Under its provision the Senate directed
to keep journal of its proceedings III were permted
TO look elsewhere than TO that Constitutions We, ;, =
10 Virginia for bright and glorious MES 10 49,,
me in safety. The first in o,n, of nromnencs i,ho
III =" POM Vi UNI the attempted to be adopt,
@ ~ NV ,ng party in the House of Burgesses i'm I7G5
~ the celebrated resolutions of Patrick Henry of thai
period These resolutions dccaraory of the rights
OF British America. After their adoption nany of those
who voted for them left the city of amsbuTg there.
by giving to the opposite party the accidental
and they Immediately formed the resolution No rog
them from the journal. But by u stroke of policy as
bold as II successful MIR Henry saved those rsou
tons from being exPunged, which form this day one
OF the brightest pages OF Virginia History recorded
on any mans tomb would ctermze his fame: And vet
TO expunge Them from the journal was regarded as
much an act OF duty by those who proposed it, YOU
gentlemen, can coteem TO be in the under cons
deraon They fhiled-and my prayer as a citizen of a
free country that you may unsuccessfnlyour
posierIty may have good rejoice your future
Another example, almost Iusirous, be found in
The conduct OF Robert Beverly, during the admnisra.
ton of Lord Cupeper. The history Of tile incidents of
that transaction are not only Instructive but highly in
tercsiing Lord Culpeper armed with all the authority
OF the King OF England his master ordered that reso
luton adopted by the House of Burgesscs during the adj
nInsiIaton of Herbert Jef1ries should be expunged
from Their records Gas highly derogaory his Majesty
pTeTogauvc Robert Beverley Clerk to the House
OF Burgesses. Every effort made 10 induce him TO
produce the journal in order TO have il ezpunpcd lie
was subjected TO all manner of prosecutions; but lac
glored IN his suerngs and his noble spirit rose in pro-
portion to his prosecutions He pertmptoy refused TO
comply, alledgng 'that his MASTER the House Of Bur
gesses, had alone right To make such demand, and
that their authority alone he burst would obey And
too, reply to these orders which are now given me -
that VIII not expuDge The records of the Senate until
the Constitution, which, while ii is permitted TO renan
IS master ALL shall be changed altered or abolished
You will have full opportunity gentlemen, TO appoint
another ~ my place For my part will consent 10
be made instrument accomplish such an obcc-nor
shall envy any successor whom you may send on such
mission.
Had your resolutions directed me to repeal or ressind
tbe resolution of the Senate, would have obeyed your
orders, although with great reluctance | would ne
vcrlheless, nave felt myself constrained to do by
my recognition oil your right To instruct That pro-
ceedDg would have reversed and annued the com.
planned Of If your object to yindcate the Prcsi-
dent 10 the authority which he assumed and still
over the public money, and esteemed necessary in or
der To do have had your opinions expressed through
me IN The Senate Chamber, they should have been faith.
folly represented His vindicatlOn all cannot con.
sst IN the form in which il may be urged 1T DO
found nlone IN the legislative expression sc opinions and
if your declarations in his behalf were confined TO
your own journals, the historian would fail avail
OF eff fly