Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-19
POLITICAL.
ADDKESS
VI THE DEMocRATIc MEMBERS LEGISLATURE
To Me People Of Yirgin;a.
ADDRESS

RicHmosD, February 23j, 1896.
a, meeting OF the Democratic Assem-
o OF Virginia, this the CITY of
mond; upon moiioa Archibald Austin E. of Buckingham
called the Chair and John sherrard Morgan appointed ec,c-
'y' when on motion ofco Joseph Watkins ofGooebanJ com
eo OF mae gentlemen appointed prepare addcs. To
tho people OF Virginia tho present tho po,ion
the conn,y whseupon the following gentlemen were
tho meeting committee for that purpose, John W. Nash
Hugh A. Garland Joel Hooman Joseph S. Watkins John y.
Ander'on George W. Wilson, William Daniel r Archibald A
Ii" aud John shouard: when the mootns adjourned.
MARcH 9th, 1885,
This day the meOiins met tho absence of Mr. Ana
,n' John r. Anderson Esq. tho Chair when m
tom ,e committee appointed for purpose, tho
A''es-' which was unanimously adopted meeting
JOHS snrnrlRD Secretary f''' e"'
To tie Peopic of Y;,o;,;a
FELLOW CiTIzEss-The General Assemble or W.;
aoou. 10 terminate ITS present session. the De-
mocrac members of that body feel il 10 be their durv
TO lay before their constituents "a concise s,aemcn, ~
ien poh.ca course upon the more prominent subjects
upon whicn IL mas been their duty act aud TO inv,
ther atenton to some of the political questions which
are keiy TO arise in the approaching elections The no.
10y anu wisdom oil TINS course are not less sustained
oy the example OF our Republican ancestors than il is
csea Tor at The present time, by the seeplcss vigilance
o, , our political adversaries The Administration of the
Chei Magistrate OF the u. States is now drawin Ia
close, and though characterized by wisdom and
ism, and crowned with the une xa,npled s,,ccess
as proved by the unbounded prosperity of our contr
and her relations abroad yet il is known 10 von az.
lie has had TO encounter an opposition uf The M, ~,
@ @nu characer-an opposition which has
ony but IN It's unsparing efforts has sough Ia brnn
down and Willy the character of the Chief Magistrate of
Tue Nauoh ITSELF and many of those who gave his Nd
mlnsralion their support; an opposition which iii
we wl not question the individual PATRIOTISM of i,s
einers, we eel authorized to say is formed by COM
ohauon o Two political parties, holding the most oppo
site and discordant principles, with no sentiment com
mon TO the whole but that of opposition to the present
Chief Magistrate OF the United States and lie dis
ungushed individual who has been selected Inv tho H.
lnocratc party OF the country his successor rhia
opposition, although beaten and overcome by Won a, Inc
ain a.,v.
me polls where, II united and true yourselves we, lear
not the result. - " "a
iaure majority OF members avor of the present Al
mn'sration, 1T obviously the duty of that bodv To
restore TO ohce those faithful public servants who had
been displaced by political opponents i'm lie nrcI
ing year. Tor no other cause than difference of ulicoI
opinion, anu teir support OF the present Administration
therefore, was one that claimed and receiy.
ed our early attention We have therefore restored r.,
tne oice Of public printer, Mr. Thomas Ritclic who had
niieu that oi1ce without Just cause of r,,
the year loll to the last session. when he was made b
victim OF that spirit OF prescription which cur poIlica
opponents had loudly denounced i'm others Inn, ,yI,
'ey were The hrst TO introduce into The poliiics of vr
ghia' ana winch their accidental ascendancy i'm the lie.
gs,atuIe gave them an opportunity Of INDUCING.
Another valuable public officer, Peter u Daniei ESQ
VINO mad hlled the Office OF Councillor of State for M,
wards OF ~ years. seventeen years which he had acrd
as Lieutenant Governors also removed at the san.
III ms case 100, no just cause of complaint ex.
is'ed against hitn, The manner in which M. had ii
sIu MS PuDie duty and his moral worth and intel
ectuai quaiihcations were admitted by all; vet bia in
dividual had become obnoxious to the modern WI;
because II was his fortune to be Democrat and ~
nave sustained The present Administration win ,aa
ana ability Int opportunity having presented Itself
me Democratic party in the Legislature deemed ~
their duty to restore him To utIce md -" -
cordngy elected him has former place in the Snn
Gil oil stale Having gone thus far we de,erni,,ad
~ supp ana out oil the four other principal officers en-
Poyed In the government whom il became our ,,, =,
reflect, one only OF the four was Democrat and ,ir
OF ten Wings Yet those four officers had been tah
iu III the discharge of their duties and their Offices re-
,ng o. ministerial character, felt little dispose
uon 10 disturb them account OF their noiIicaI 80,
mons as we would to have disturbed their religion r
me contrast winch tins course Of conduct presents In
that pursued by the Wings the preceding vear ,v l
10 the gooa people OF Virginia to Tor themselves
culous and malignant charge that In. snnils ~: -;
influence our political opinions ?
intimately connected with this duty of CORRECTING the
errors OF the Wing Legislature OF the preceIing -
was the obligation TO vndicate as far as we cond H.
great tight OF Instruction, which had been So wan,on
~ uisregarded IN the election OF Mr.. Leigh TO The So
nate OF the United States. This great popular r;J
winch has always been regarded in yiy,n,a as G,,,i
Mental article OF her political faith had been assailed
" the wing party IN our State, by eyerv means
oil misrepresentation and Of ridicue that c3uld mo
employed against It, The odious aud degrading epitr
oil 6uSh anstructOnS applied to all INSTRUCTION h
The people in writlng, and the best authenticate
evidences OF the popular will either openly condemned
OF ar.uy eVaded IN The election Of Mr. Leigh In the
senate OF the United States too, tie same conen, oc,I
right OF instruction had been manifested bv s,us
members OF that body whu sbecring themselves undr
thelr tenure OF oce Tor SIX years openly disrcard b
expressed VIII OF Their States, made known 10 them by
legislative resolves, other indications of uooulo nn n;
equiiy manifest 10 yndlcate this ghl then as far os
Pacabe, was obviously duty required at the hands OF
the Legislature. And a farther induccnent Ia tbc
exercise Of this right, the People of Vir,inia who
had Just elected To the Legislature and TO te ,nnia
Drdhch oil Congress, representation deciedlv friend
" TO the Administration had the misfortune 10 ,,
ness the state represented in the Federal Senate
by two gentlemen holding opinions directly oopnsed
to their own and who had been prominent aetor,
in The memorable paHic session" OF 1884 Nor vas
that all they had both voted for the uncoustlttional re-
solution by which the President Of tl United S,,tss
had been accused tried and condemned by The senate
without the iornalIty Of impeachment and vuhout
nearing, refusing TO him the permission to place his
defence the journal. F ~
In this stale of things, il was not possible for the ma,
J0ry IN the General Assembly 10 mistake The line az
lheir duy accordingly, therefore, preamble and re.
solutions were introduced at early period Of the pre-
sent session. and adopted by the Legislature on the 5Ot
day oil February 1876, in the following words
g Whereas the Senate of the United States did nj,
the 2sth day Of march, 1884 adopt the following rcs
luton Resoioed, That the President in the late Ey
ecuuve proceedings relation to the public REVENUE
has assumed upon himself authority and power moi con-
ierrcd by The Constitution and Laws but i'm derogo
OF notn wnich resolution now stands upon the Journal
of the Senate '
And whereas the General Assembly of Viro;o;, 20.
gard this act of the Senate an assumption ii n,vr
not warranted 10y the Constitution and calculated IN s
vert the rights Of The House Of Representatives and flo
fundamental principles Of our free institutions
" And whereas this Assembly deem il their s,l.,,n
duty again to assert in behalf Of lensc YES nd the
people Of Virginia the right Of the constituent 10 IN
snct and the dUy Of the reproseatase TO oJoy or re-
sgn Therefore, - -
/" j. Rcsoieed by tie Geneyai gssea,LIg of pyro;,i,
ihat te Senators from this State, in the Congress OF
tue united states be and they hereby instructed Il,
said resolution Of the Senate ofhe 18th Of March Is5
declaring that the President an Tho l,fc E..c,,., -