Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-01-16
A DOSE ADMINISTERED.

MUSTERED:
respectfully dedicated to the
and Messrs. Man
c. &c.
ENCER AND THE RIGHT OF
JCTION!
, the article in the Intelligent
We said that il had been argued
and adopted by the
an overwhelming vote. We
umns, extracts from the arti.
nouncing and ridiculing this
c Virginia Report in support
'pended the authority of Ru-
\ Alexander Hamilton, at the
: Constitution, also in vindi-
rIf From Leighs Report cTisi2-l3. }
"Thc General Assembly there-
: fore rest satisfied TINT, in eiorcis-
I ing the right Of insiructing tho
! Senators in Congress, it has adj
7 vanced no novel pretcnsion, as il
: will presently appear it has made
no unjust one; and that IL exam
,lplc could justify disobediencc to
.uch command, even that iusti
J ication ID wanting on the present
occasion.
l " 10 view the subject upon prin-
.lciple:-Tho right OF tho consiitn-
lent 10 instruct the representative
body, seems 10 result, clearly and
conclusiyely, from the very nature
Iloi the representative SYSTEM
Through means OF that noble iu-
lstitution, the largest milton may,
almost as conveniently ms tho
smallest, enjoy all the advantages
loi government by the poople,
without any of the evils of demo
cracy--prccipitaiion, confusion,
: turbulence, distraction from tho
rlordinnry and useful pursuit of in
sldustry. And il is only to avoid
those aud the like mischicfs, that
+, representation is substituted for
} the direct suffrage of the pcople
4 IN the Office of legislation. The
Representative, therefore, must, "a
fthe nature Of things, represent his
otoR particular constituents oRiy.-
lie must, indeed, look 10 the gene
rItal good of the nation but he
must look also, and especially, 10
the interests of his particular con
-Istituents, as concerned in the com
mon veal; because the general
flgood is but tho aggregate ofindivi-
'ldusl Happiness. lie must Ieeis-
late for the whole nation; hut laws
arc expressions oftlIe general will;
aud the general will is only the
result Of individual wills fnirly col
lected and compared: in order to
which collection and comparison,
(ihnt IL, in order TO express the
general will, in order TO make
luws,) IL Is plain that the Repre-.
sentative must express tho will;
pad speak the opinions of the con.
lstituents thar dopnte him.
"it cannot be pretended that a
lRePrescntntivc is To no the organ
lof his own will alone; for then he
would be so far dcspoIic. lie must
he tho organ Of othcrs-of whom.
mot of tho nation, for the nation
deputies him not; but Of his con-
stiiuents, who alone know, alone
have trusted, nnd can alone dis
place him. AMI il ii DO his pro-
vince and his duty in general to
Express the will of his eonsfitu-
ents 10 the best of his knowledge,
without being particularly inform.
ed thereof; il seems impossibIs
TO contend, that he is not hound
10 do so, when he il so especially
Informed and instructed.
" The right of tho constituent
10 instruct the Representative,
wherefore, IL an essential principle
OF the representative system.D
II appears, therefore, that the
right Of the constituent to instruct
tbs Representative is firmly esta-
bished in England, on the broad
BASIS OF the nature of representa-
ton. The existence Of that tight,
there, has been demonstrated by
thu only practicable evidence by
which the principles Of an unwrit-
ten Constitution can BIO ascertain
ec--history aud precadont.--Tho
truth is, that our institutions sup
pose, that although the represent.
alive oughtto be aud generally will
pe, selected for superior virtue aud
intelligence, yet greater mass of
Wisdom and virtue still reside in
the constituent body, than the ut
most portion allotted to my indi-
sidual. -
/" But although the position be
admitted. which, indeed, il seems
lmpossible TO deny, that the people
have Is right TO instruct their i'm.
mediate Representative, or that
the people composing each State
"a their sovereign capacity mar
inrrsct their Ssnntors in Con.
gfess, it may still be denied, that
the State Legislatures have any
'uch right Of instruction.
" II is Obvious TO remark, in the
ffst place, that those who allow
20 the people Of euch State, tho
'fercise Of this act Of sovereign
~, tho instruction Of their Eena-
'sfs, and deuy the same power to
the state Legislatures, give US
The empty theory, aud deny ne the
ionciicial practice OF such instfuc-
tons. II is difficult 10 conceive
now the people can give such in.
%truciions Otherwise than through
thoif State Legislatures. 4"
"Iho power Of the State Lee
sislatures 10 intsrpose on ques-
iions Of deep political interest, in
the affairs Of the General 90
rcfnment, by way Of instruction 10
their Senators, and the Obligation
" such INSTRUCTIONS, are sustained
~ authorities, the weight OF
which will not be resisted y
"At the session Of the General
Assembly Of 1870 1900, also, va
lfious Instructions wcro given 10
our then Senators in Congress
u u believed, that neither tho
light nor the obligation Of thosa
insInctions was then questioned.
u cannot escape observations, that
ihote Instruction., a. we'll as the
report ahave mentioned, arc sane
toned with the recorded assent
| d the same honorable senator.
4bo fins since denied tho obliea
tion ofthe Senator 10 obey. villa
be admitted the tight 81 q state
Legislature 10 instruct which II
precisely the relation, not be-
tween the State Legislature nod
9 Senator, bot between ID aud n
member Of Tho House Of Repro
ientaiives a Senator is instruct
y, 2 Representative rspuesfed.--
iho honorable senator formerly
voted 90 instruct our Senators, and
/ q request our Representatives.
10 instruct u not merel, 10 re-.
ommond On Instruction 10 a
senator, IN confradistinciion 20 a
request, ~ Representative fm.
oiifs n command. IL IL useless 10
''ifcf proof, that ;ho tight 20 com
''iand, implies the duty 20 obey"
b Mr. Leigh asserted in the
.nia enforced against Two Of
I, w y. Giles and Richard
lntelligcncer, (as tie mOuih.
= party, pTonoUnces 70 be not
Irst principles Of Republican
zing and Unconstitutional :
" and Tyler, and The Wigs
do ye respond an 9men 10
iow your hands-Answer AZ
2 Of The most ultra ofthe old
shot behind this doctrine Of