Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-04

Ter OF The JtluT AIlIlSIrlte, nnd through HIN SOUITI[tO sIuU
the democracy Of the C~ounlry-has been dragged from
its dark cuncraluen,, and exposed 10 the public gaze,
with all its bIushing honors thick upon it, E'r""Srd
bY Grdtr If The 5, mute, has been written upon lis !ac', II,
iudrih!e characters. deep as the ozark upon the forehead
of Cain, The first murIpr.r; and like him. Il hnS been
sent Iprth: not 10 be- slain. but 10 be known "t ali 'l'rA.
II is true, trprngc literally signifies t" blot nii. TO ""!it'
cIu,c, In % out, sd as not 10 be l~rnibIe-bnl II carries
with 1t, a collateral meaning. 4 wlihrrIng ln':'ilun, an
iHtercnllal sarca>aI-it exhibits tn" "bn"XI"Gs article III
the unenviublr light q! I vaLrHnt in:rna"r, unc'r'ninnl'
ously thrust nut Of drnrs Ill throws back The base ca
luinny, on The heads Of rs anl!lors-it signs III" death.
warrant of The hope that the %blighting attaindrr Will
stand oul lp future times a: Il precedent, 10 deter som"
future patriotic President from the faithful discharge "l
his duties, and 10 encourage sune future money klng,
'wItha SENATE at his heels, V TO wage Il succcSsiu! Wal
against The government Of tie people. Here IL The
gist"f the opposition to The little word crp"nge-il Ia.
more terror III IL than the head OF MGdusa-it prlrlIrs,
1t Kills, II destroys present ana future prospects. II"
other word in the English vocabulary can supply It's place:
no other can free the Constitution from the spot. the blur,
the green venom, which tina, resolution has vontcd upon
It. But Mr.. Leigh said he was instructed so to cxrunge,
rs not TO expunge. What said the resolution ut ille Lrgis.
lature 10 hun? Enclose the obnoxious resolution IN black
lines, and write on lis face, Erpungtd Gy order ~ The 81
nnte."-lfh he who is called a Wing, had csrnpIlicd. by
his conduct, the principles Of the True Wings of 10, as
ctfecluaIly as this course would expunge The condr!n-
nalory resolution Of the Senate, he would not now be
%xhibiling il tecreancy TO his own resolutions OF lSl2.-
ErpungC. taken from lis root, signifies TO blot out-hnd
reScind, laken from It's root, signifies To- cut of. Now, an
order is rcscindcd, not by cutting 1t out OF lis place on
the record, but by passing a counter order declaring 1t
null and void. The jurisls, then, have given the w"Ida
hguralVe meaning-and sial! not the pe"ple ol luis iCee
country give a fimurallvc meaning to the word crrHHgc|
Away with such uhJrctions-they suit not the occasion,
nor the age-il is lriiling with the common sense of the
community. The cXpunging process, II executed lite
rally on the original manuscript Journal, cannot reach
the printed Journals SralleTed abroad through the
world; yut the order for eX Pnnging IS al antiGolr against
the poison of that resolution, Us il It's expunctlcn was
literally etIrclcd.-But this qu!bDle about The mode OF
expunging-llIis lawyer.hhc attempt |" mysli!y the
subject, by throwing leclncahties and wire drawn dis
tlnctInns around il, Is only cquailrd by their construc.
ton of the word Keep, in that clause Of The Constitution,
which says that, leach Euuse OF Congress shall keep a
Journal Of It's proceedings Keep, they say, means 10
prescrye-and so it unIucslionably does in a variety Of
instances. We Keep present for the sake o. The donor;
that is, we preserve 1t we do moi part with II; but to We
keep accounts in the same sense: All Ut us, presume,
ARE willing To part with our accounts Tor The money
Now. let us substitute The word prCSCrCG Tor the word
Kern, in the present case. Each House OF Congress shall
yrcsrrrc n Journal OF its proceedings. Here is II" cx.
prrssly delegated power 10 make u Journal-it Is TO pre-
Scrre Il Journal. The power 10 make Il Journal, thea, Is
an implied power growing out at that 10 preserve n J"ur.
nal-thc greater out Of the less. What an %absurdIty!
Further, change the word keep into Frescrre, and what
is the effect: The two Houses OF Cungrcss. embed wing
i great portion Of the wisdom and talent of the Nation,
are turned into kcrprrs-ol wlat:-of Old manuscript
Journals. To comply with the Constitution, they must
guard with unceasing vigilance old nasty records and an.
liuualed documents. And can they AT last preserve them:
Nu-in spite of their guardianship, the moth viii c"rro:!c
lhcm-lhc principle of corruption, rife ii every thing
sublunary, will prey upon ~them-Timlc, whose iron
hand sweeps empires from the earth, and whose nolselrss
touch wears out the enduring marble, will cxpunge
them.-lt is absurd, then, 10 give this construction To
that clause of The Constitution. How, then, are he
Journals to be preserved: Simply by complying with
The rcpuisiliun Of the Constitution, by publishing them
from time 10 time. Here is q mode oi preservation,
more ctirclual than boxes Of adanant, or bars OF brass
or Of iron. - Hero is 4 mode of Preservation, more effect.
ual than If Congress. Afgus-ryed, were 10 sit day and
uinht in slecplcss vigilance, over mu<,y sheets and mntlI.
eaten Journals. Impartial h!s."ry will srIzr npon all that
is valuable in them, and transmit 1t uniEinaircd 10 the
remotest posleIity. Each House Of Congress shall
keep 4 Journal of lis proceedings, and, from time 10 time,
publish the same" that is, each House shall record lis
proceedings, and publish the same from tIr'e 10 time: in
order That the sovereign people may know "nat iI'rii
servants are doing, and may reward the 'ncrItoTi"us and
punish the refractory and d!SuJcGIrnt.-An shall net
the Senate have the power la rX rnnTe lis nwn false Cn.
tries from the journal: IS that journal, like the Book
of Heaven, so pure and sacred that 1t must not b" touch.
cd: And shall this pEcri""s resolution 1rcoIHe t"Ha Tor
history. and descend 10 future ages stained with HE foul
attaludrr Of the man - In snn!e The Gn!hs and Eandlls
on the plain of New ORLEANS; having for their watch.
word 'i}eauty and Booty, oil the man. whose moral
frlnncss sustained the trembling Judge on The lrncIi IN
pronouncium the sentence OF The Court against himself
of the man, who discontinued the more brutal G'tiis
and VandaIs Of the l.. S. Bank. in their attack upon the
liberties Of the country; Yes. it viii descend TO future
ages-bnt II will drscrnd with the eXpuaginI index
pointing 10 iL-nnd pointing To it rs The abnrtivr attempt
of a dying monIed 100 .."p"ly-as the %ep'lrptic ii"iii Of
an misunderstanding and misunderstanding Srnatr-as
the ionentrI of Il panic TO spread desnlauon and ruin over
our happy counlry-as The point from whence issued
hordcs Of Bank orators and Bank agilaturs, To dcclaitu in
the streets Of our populnus cities, and TO excite the prO-
pie to instruction and TO blood sled:-as the rioatpr "F
the Constitution and the Laws, while it arr"gantly
claimed ~ be the guardian uftlcC Constitution and thr Laws
-Guarliian OF the Constitution and the Laws! Modest
opinion Of the Senate! as it has lately been styled III oar
county from high authority! too, ike that high aulho.
rily, could cite 4 fablr-not a fable, but 4 truth, found IN
history, and applicable 10 our modest Senate. a modest
Roman Senate had gradually ii!Chrd away The liberties
ui the people, until the people mnhdrEcd b; their wrongs,
Withdrew in Il body from the City. and lct their mo-
dcsl Senate 10 rule over empty houses and desert.
ed strrrls-iIrn it was, that n fable like Esops Of
old brrIuht ihcm back, bit not NATL they had their
rirhts sccurcd-and trIbuncs appointed ont oi their
own body to guard those rights 4 Guardian OF The Con-
stiru,ion and the Laws! The Constitution does not re-
quire that an act of injustice should be perpclraicG and
pprpelualed-1lal invaluable instrument, crmen!rd with
blood, and based upon The nublcst feelings ol nEr nature,
cannot be the source of caluInny and dct!actinn-Nn. 1t
has Il higher destiny and 4 nobler ohject-it is Il brilliant
light, held up TO Il dark and %benIghlrd world ALREADY
are the nations gazing on it with establishment and de-
I%ight-lhry arc exu!ting in It's splcnd"T. and rrJ"Ic!ng TN
lis %briphlncsS This Constitution Is dear To Tile trur lie.
uubl;can, as the life blood that CUISINES from his heart-le
wnuld not violate its smallest PROVISIONS, Tor aught that
conld be offered him-he would consider himself in so
doing. I traitor 10 his species; for, The hope OF the world,
the happiness Of the human family and the destlnlrs OF
unburn millions, are dependent upon lille would not
expunue The Journal of the Senate. If that expuhciIon
were violalivc Of the Constitutions; il his own fair fame,
which should be dearer than life, rested upon it-But
This cxpunction of the Journal, 50 far from violating the
Constitution, has healed tit has repaired The rent ''ate
in this main-sail Of our freedom-it has wiped CUBA stain,
which Wing concession and Wing pEotesiaion ofExccu-
tive innocence, never could effect.
CONNUHIC.2TE
" TRIBUTE OF RESPECT.
At meeting o. the members Of the Bar, held nj the Court house,
lin the town Of Lrwisaury, OIL Wednesday, the 18th day Q JuH., 1851,
On mutton of James Irvine, Esq, William Smith, Esq, was called
IN M, Chnir and Pcrc B. Wc,nerCh appointed Secretary.