Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-07
VIRGINIA. E~EGEsEATUEsE,
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.-FriAoy. i'm 20.
INJECTION OE GOVERNOR COAcIgasG
DEFERRED DEB.42E.

800 I'D ,ntrn lie came TO the House this morning.
without having decided !or whom he f'i"aic cas-, MS 'ute
in this election; aud To this moment be did not KNOW ''
whom the party 10 which be belonged were most FAVOR,
able. There had been 10 concert between thrai' ana
they were in this juEctu:e let to act, 'Hci"iuu''iJ' 10
sheir judgments dictated.
n, son,e ,,rounLs, MIR. w. sn:d, he was IN favor OF Teh.
csInpbrll; Srd bu, for the auspices under which he vas
nresrn,ed as a candidate, lie wonId have received MT.
WIS vote. He should have T0lSf rtts nhdl har a Wing
knowing thslhfa> De sustiiDed-eside fron' his Po'!'icai
opinions. Gen. C.. possessed qualities which RENDERED"
him n suitable competitor for the o.lce. hlr. w Dc
l;eyed him a man OF handsome abilities, and 4 gentleman
of high responsibility. But. said Mr.. W., shall nHt
vote for him, because he Is tie nominee OF a c&GcnS-
nav. more-because he is 10 BIZ elected by The Wiling
VOTES of a small minority Of the party whose cnrc'fn's
he is aided By the unwilling, but pledged votes of ann-
Their and larger portion of that party. 1 saati not So'e
for him, moreover, sud Mr.. W., because the caucus dc
tutors intend 10 elect him, not only agai"s, my pieHslie'
but without allowing ne 10 have u VOICE IL HE r!ectipi',
unless choose TO give it for their nominee. Yes. sir,
according to The gentleman from A!heinar!c, the caucus
candidate is already chosen, so that the votes "f ry
friends and myself, if given for lim' won:a be nse'rss'
and equally So. if given against hin. We cg;iil"l, there
fore, vote for Gen. Z. ] canno. give my vote tor n man,
the manner and purpose CT wiI"s. nos'inai'nn IS u DIS
franchise me-:o render my vote utterly worthless,
They had heard much, Mr.. W. said, from the gentle
msn from Albenarie, in support OF The carcuslng "i
his pasty-at the same time lie Tad accused Ike Why
party Of resortin5 to i. ut former periods, and by lis
means Of perpe!ratipg a system OF ruthless pr"Scrip'
ton. So that IL appeared, DScdUS" J! WAS 'fCiI!eSS i|3'
scription" when pracl;sed by TIE Whigs-theI,fu!s, it
was perfectly fair, proper and e~xpcdient Tor the d"'1'.
nant party to resort to It On this occasion; Bn' The gen
tIeman did no. contenthiinsr!t with this admirable display
oflogic: He wen! further, and found LhcEcurce oitlie pre-
sent position OF things in this tlonse, rii in the caucus
management OF his party, bat ~ The Wishes, tie viii,
and even the votes OF the dear people. III Was not 'Hr
first time the gentleman had referred with great apTa.
rent humility to the will Of tie people, as the fountain
of party arrangements here. The gentleman seemed I"
he one Of those who had The people forever on his lips,
whatever might he his real devotion to ,he'1.
Now, said nlr. W., | say nothing against lhs people;
but do no. think IL becoming, perreiuai!y TO te pc
nouncing.their praise, CT exhibiting MY eubmissiun TO
their wishes. And | will put L question to you, Mr..
Speaker, which may elucidaNs my views N. such Il course.
Suppose you had u friend. who, OH all occasions, IN SEA
son and out Of season. spoke of your qualities. your dis.
position, and your talents, liz the highest possible le!'as
who was always praisiug you to your lace, and pro.
testing in the most enthusiastic language, that lie was
the very best friend you tad in Tie world? Hiut
would you think of him? Would you not suspect him
would you not believe him to he n ful'erer, ind
avoid his :u!some ponegyrics' | AN sure, said MI.
Witcher, that | should. We'll, Sir, is there any Gl.
ference between The haitery Of a itrnd, by which he
may gain some advantage OF the haltcrsd party, and This
aatlery, by active politicians, Of the people, on whom
they depend for Offices: The only difference, perhaps,
is, that in the one Case the flttery is dealt out By rtaH.
and in the other, by ~,eh"tesatc. If you, MIR. Speaker,
had The power 10 bss.ow oi!ice Upon :Ic, AID was for.
ever splitting your ears with exl!avesant praises Of your.
self-would you not Gull me n s~ycopiant, Ind should act
deserve TO be called so: Well, Sir, If there is a multi.
tude Of persons who have this power Of hesi0wing ua!ce,
does the ha,iery OF that multitude differ fiom that Of an
individual under The same circuns!anccs-and is not the
charge of sy cophancy us just in ;he one case IS the olher'
But 10 place this uncommon difference 6i. the gentle
man from Albenarle for the dearly beloved people, on
another grouud-let me ask ycu, Mir. Speaker, whether, /
if | were in the constant habit Of making you the scape-
goat of all my ac,ions-of constantly referring to your !
authority, quoting your opinions, your wishes, and your
will-would il no: be en- abandonment of NY own re-
onopcihiltp5 | + wpra psrnjt.ph that ic - ,ny ,,p
science would allow me, on all occasions 10 declare, That
my acts were the mere exhibitions OF the will Of the
people, ! should think it u very easy way OF apoi"gi.ine
for my own errors Of Judgment, and escaping from lsI.
sonal responsibility. But | do not assume to know so
infinitely the wishes Of the people on al! questions. i
will not put the in,errogatory to the gentleman tI"in AL
bemarle, but | will put It to any, other IN Tie House,
How many Of the dear people told him before he came
here, not 10 fail TO put in nomination the ~canG;daie for
Governor who was certain to concentrate lie i,iajori,y,
for fear the. Wings might elect their icv"ri;e: Or will
ask him this question: How Eiany Of lis constituents
expressed a wish that he should vcte fer any particular
man as Governor?
Mr.. W. remarked, that the gen;lema" frc" AlbcnarIr
must be much better rersed IN Arithmetic than himself,
for he had stated q numerical position which puzzled
MIR. w. not a little. lie has told Ut, that by the diver.
sion, or seduction, think Yves the w"!d, Of n fraction OF
the majority from their brethren, and tle Union of tina,
fraction with the Wing party, The majority might be de.
feated, and their just expectations disappointed. ask.
said Mr. W., how this can bt? Ii all The mt uiters Of
the House are in their seats, and give their votes, how
can a Governor be elected otherwise than by a ), aiorily .
of this body? But perhaps, the gentleman lci.ried to a
majority Of his party who would be Defeated; or perhaps
he has forgotten that the votes Of the Wing party can
count in the constitution of n majority Of the House
Mr.. w. would nsk the gentleman this question: Had
not the majority of the Legislature u right 10 elect this
public officer? II he answers in tie atftu:ative-thvn
ii one.third of the genlleman's own party were for one
man, and they and the party opposed 10 him, constitute
the larger number of the whule, do they no, constitute
a majority, aud have they no right to elect a Governor
EInuJ NnrI1 n - than hnt IN yrpt. g ny,nf Ila -nS. :
riiy would be defeated? 1t was strange that il should be
necessary to pot such questions to the gentleman; hut
his ideas Of parliamentary arithmetic seemed to require *.
1t did not appear then, by The combination which the
gentleman thought ii SO necessary 10 avoid, that the ma
lority Of The House would be defrauded Of lis choice; tu,
the majority Of his party would lose their power OF
debating a selection to tile majority OF The esislature.
Rather than such should be The result, they must tram
mel The consciences of the minority of their party: Aud
yet this proceeding, which in effect controls the wish.
es of by ihr the largest portion Of the Legislature, comes
from a party who are constantly talking Of The rights CT
the majority. Sir, said MIR. w, | know Of no despo.
tism more grievous in its operation than this iron rule of
a party. We cannot suppose that a desput however ri.
gd nus sway, would enGeavor TO disirsDchise a certain
portion OF his subjects. Though the severity Of his 90.
might be oppressive to all, we cannot conceive
that ne "oo'o seek So to tuie as render it tie special
cause OF oppression 10 one particular part of his pcople.
It appeared IN inns case, that the particular object of the
party, was not SO iauch TO selcct n mon whn
should be a desirable candidate will. ,E. ,nn;or;,u e. ~
pursue a course in that selection which sb,1nJ 80 ~
possible dlspieasure to their OPPONENTS
This was the extreme Of the despntism IF r.""
But, said Mr.. Witcher, We are told tina, the rt;SSnh,
IF the other candidates yielded their preferences ard rs
,uiesced in the caucus nomination. They vie ldrd -
frue-party discipline was invoked to induce them to do
o.. But if they vote tor the caucus nominee, it is nu,
n pursuance of their will. Its, if such q thing can be.
1ou eoereed.
One word further, said Mi. w, as to the arguments
10 suatain the course of the dominant purity. 1t is
that their opponents have in times past, exercised i
his mode of combination, and therefore, it is excusabie. I
NY laudable, for them to practise what, in their oppo. i
they denounced. He knew it was not agreeable g
: gentlemen, especially when arguing an ~untensble