Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-02
FOR 777E ENlUIREF
: THE EXPUNGING RESOLUTIONS


The arguments of the Whgs $50 far relates to the
pon,) uopposition to the process Of ezpunging the
Senate resolution o ccnSurc OF the President OF the w.
States, that process is pointed out in the resolutions
under discussion in the House Of Delegates may be
compressed nutshell 1T is this "lhe Constitution
ofie IT, States requires the Senate of tho u States TO
keep journal Of its proceedings "o czpungc resolu
ton recorded that Journal is 10 destroy the Journal 10
destroy the Journal any part thereof is to violate the
Consution and therefore the resolution be
stilutonally clpunsTcd
Now, trace them (thc Whigs,) from their premises TO
the conclusion To Keep Journal say they, TO pre-
scrrc journal; to preserue Journal they continue, is TO
keep untouched for the purpose of altering it, and to
Gitcr it dcSr0y it, Now look back and how they
Jump from position to another To keep is to presrrre,
and 10 alter is dcstr0y and 10 destroy violates the Con-
late the constitutional injunction ito keep journal; )"
but true that KEEP Prcscrre una'tcrcd
that alter means destroy.
But what does it avail them, regards HE process Of
r1uunriur contend that to dSiroy nblirratc tho
journal OF the Senate, would violate the Constitution
Why, forsooth, they take another Jump, and say q had
almost said they s1ccaT) thatto c1pungc is 10 dcs'roy
Now, what the conclusive answer TO all that
Plainly this: The term cIPnnSc, in the resolutions un
der discussion not used in the lexicogra piers
give 10 it, and which is erase IL blot out 10 OGcratf;
but it is used in that which Statesmen have given
to tin that which parliamentary and legislative
has given 10 it, and in which il has been adopted
here it las been elsewhere, in preference 10 the word
rcscind because the proceeding 10 be made null and void
and of ELECT was, in its inception and consumma
ton without Just and without competent authority
To make proceeding null and void, which, al the tii,e
of its adoption was Just in itself and within the consti
tunna competency Of the bndy that adopted it, the ap
pcaton of the rcscnd would be proper and appIo
pirate.
Hence is Obvious, that the advocates othc ofthc
word c7pungc in reference to The Scnacs restitution Of
ctnsurc arr not liable TO the charge OF contrrdctlng
themselves, when they say they wish to cIpuHgc and do
intend to destroy to obcrate They use the word
a1punge in its parliamentary dcton and mt in It's full
phIluruca snnitica lion. They fypunnc in prefer.
encc TO rc$cnd, because tbs term in lis parliamentary
Sense, would convey the concession, that the resolution
Of the Senate for just cause md 'ohin its consif"
tiona cOmprency: all which, the word r""gc, in isrnr
iiamcntary denies, in truth may, md in justice
ought to be denied in the premises. Such is the only
difference (apart from the harmless black lines between
e1punsng and rescindng the proceeding Of Legislative
body. The ''black lines around, will only make the
rxpurgation conspicuous. Black lines may be
pied with much facility as letters, which are but
'scrbbled lines, drawn with pen upon a parch.
mcnt.' &c. if the original manuscript journal Of the
Senate, shall be in fearful state Of decay, if The
gentleman of kanorha shall, at any time, want a
copy of the journ there will be mere difficult
,y getting copy of the ezp"ngcd resolution, than
ii il had not been cSEungedit will only cost the scribe
little labor But, ho! The writing Of The words
"expunged by order Of the Senate Of The U. Stairs"
across the face OF the entry, will be apt to blot
of the letters Of the resolution, stands the Jour
nal Then for ncrcys sake, all We who tender
OF The Senate JOURNAL uhiic t oIcct 'h"se words 10
be written the entry, with red ink and then, too
there will be less danger that sucErus and backing
will be used And here beg TO be undcrstoodl say
red ink ard am sure do not mean UOod for, would
not on any account have the Of the good people
founded with the cry:
"Tlr bloody act .done;
Tho nrclr decd OF pitcous massacre,
That ever yet this land was guilty off,
That men of sense and candor should assert that keep
means rrcscrrc unacrcd, and that Gter means 70 de-
strov and insist with air Of triumph that TO crpRnsc
as it is applied nIrans 10 Destroy are really matters OF
ABATEMENT.