Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-10-19

10 and cnrrurtinn it takes pnwei from the paoPle and
gives il TO n few pafiizar eaisrF-is Anti leprbc1n
md aTsocrG!cI! IN lis cPefa!o' and III lis necessary
tendencies the representative iaref from tte
{ pcopie and makes Inn independent Of majority o.
:. hem i. breaks down the good Old Virginia custom OF
" candidates mixing freely With the people, and inter
" changing opinions with them-oi delivering stump
" speeches and discussing political questions ana
persons DESTROYS Of Office aud honor will not seek the
favor and good will Of the people al large No-they |
will look to the rulers and leaders, who are known
to govern and exert influence in caucus Tney VIII
endeavor 10 court their tavn and this frequently ny
intrigue and mana gemen II was also maintaii.eq,
that under this system few knowing ones woaa
assemble Court in caucus, and issue their cam.
" maads 10 the honept yeomanry 10 elect such ana
such individuals Thus this class is dtsranehtstd by
" this system; they are fact, d.prtred Of all partt
" cipitction in the Government" Are you ready said
this writer "to sanction system freught WIN so
much mischief which s destructive Of your rights ana
lije-tes9" Finally, the caucus system was condemned
rs ne mode of oStraciSm, new and alarming DIS
ease the con,ason CT which will spread throughout
the body polite, icGring nothing but disease AMI "t"h
Such the picture drawn by member oil your party
during the last year The Republicans were unable 10
perceive with what proprety and with what truth Inc
nomination ur ,ecomne ndaon Of caucus could he re-
gaIded in the light ot 'cOmmand to The honest yooman
~ TO select such and such ndirduaIs More difficult
STILL was ii or them TO see how the same "honest yeo'
many could be disrnnchised or "drpri1cd a oil par
ticigaon in the GOrunmcnt, by the caucus system as
had giayely asserted by the author oil the handful
already mentioned. In answer 10 the arguments OF
their opponents, the Republicans commended, mat 'He
right to hold public meetings for The purpose 81 com
pairing and interchnnging opinions selecting mdlYidn
ais and nominating them as candidates, was political
right, as clear and indspulabie the right 10 hoid
meetings and express their opinions upon the subject
oil the Tariff the Bank any other subject OF pubic
int,rest-and that the expedency OF exercising these
rights and the place whore, and time when they should
be exercised, questions, which 1t became them,
and not their adversaries, 10 decide he Republicans
mia tbnt q
tunity OF asccrtanlng and rejecting the views o ma
ority that tended 10 harmunze and strengthen, IN
stead If dividing and weakening, party; that the no
minet Of public meeting or caucus imposed upon
the pc ope obligation 10 supper, the individuals no.
minated; that while the system might &c liable
abuse, that circumstance constituted no valid oblec
TO and that II cnucuses were 10 be prescribed
hecnuse of their liability 10 abuse, by The same rea.
sonng the Christian religion ought 10 be rcted, be-
cause under lis cloak, ambitious priests and unPrIn-
cpled demagogues had frequently betrayed the inter.
esls and sacrificed the rights Of confdIng people
in vain were the Wings asked TO explain how II was
Shat forty or fifty Republicans assembled at their
Court house, Court days, md with open doors, Ind
perfect right to nominate candidates. as hall
dozen dozen Wings assembled on The Court house
ward, convened IN store room In vain were they
asked, how the meeting caucus and the other
was not caucus; and how an individual was rendered
unworthy OF public trust, because meeting OF hsieow
citizens had reComme nded him q suitable person ~
receive the sufIagcs Of the people, In valn too. were
the Wings asked how the nomination OF candidates by
q W hgs afforded any stronger evidence OF The po
pus,ry OF candidate, entitled him TO larger share
OF public confidence, than those candidates who were
Nominated by meetings containing ten times as many
Republicans One Wing would L" dctaon;
and another would utter the word ''managemen with
look melancholy, as though he imagined caucus
10 be "gunpowder plot des gned to blow up hs ghts
those Of his COuptrymen The political intoera nee
Of your party induced to deride the late Baltimore Con
yenon ''pack"d jury, 'caucus of office holders
and Office hunters and your political friends ("ilh q
few Intelligent and honorable excepons) have been &C
custorled regard EepuJttcdn caucus, an utter nbo
mination-a HPandora box filled with evils corruptlng
an character and countless in number Remembering
these things little anticipated that the day would sc
soon if ever arrive, when they would manifest disPo
sian TO resor, the very os the attainment o
their paiitica! ends, which rey had denounced
without stint limit whensoevcr employed by The he
publican party. Their opposition 10 The caucus system
seemed be fixed and determined, their hostility
SO irrecnnceable, that perhaps, dreamed that
change Of opinion upon this subject within the range
Of probability For months past however the sign:
of the times have indicated that this ievesh excitement
of the Wings subsidnG. At lime, they seemed
10 lie much embarrassed from the difficulty OF selecting
an available candidate for Congress- and recoDclng the
conflicting clums Of evsa persona, whose friends had
recommended them 10 the favorable consideration OF the
district convention al Prince Edward Courthouse
al length suggested IN order 10 select candidate
snd the Wings of The several counties npnsin. The
district, invited to hold meetings and appoint dele
gales 10 cary INTO effect the objects of the consm pa
! The Wings OF buckingham. Their recent silence upon
the subject Of caucus did not prove, that they. had
| changed their opinions, and hunbly conceived that il
they had done so, they would not be ashamed 10 s7oI
their ccnVeI had TO. heard that they had become
converts 10 The expedcncy Of holding caucus or con-
vcntion and desired 10 know by what process OF rea
sonng they claimed for themselves, right, which they
had denied 10 the Republican party. solicited them
10 rive me some ght 10 enable my humble faculties
to see wha, merits and virtues Hhg
ton possessed Republican caucus or CONVENTION
asked how was, that IT, as they had maintained some
20, 50, 40, 30 Republicans convened at thei' Court
house had no right hold caucus 10 nominate cand
dates for the General Assembly wha, RICH; has equa
numbe, Of Wings 10 hold and appoint delegates
TO attend The convention at Prince Edward: also en-
CURED how convention assembled at FRINGE Edward
Court house, composed probably Of 10 or 80 delegates
protesting 10 represent four counties, could nominate
candidate for Congress, IT, your brethren had main
,sined 80 60 Republicans Of Buckingham have nc
-ipht 10 hold caucus nominate candidates for the
LEGISLATURE; These the questions 10 which you
probably had reference, when you spoke Of my ITO
plan theories" dou5, not they seemed quite " Uto
plan to your understanding. ! submitted them to Inc
conside Of your party, and challenged discus
SION The shallow expedIen,, to which you Tesortcd
of ende,yorng TO divert the public attention, from
an examination into the conduct of your party, by as
sailing my consistency; and thus "barking up the wrong
tree shall avail you but little Your awkward auemP,
10 defend your party by casting nsnuaons against
the course Of private individual instead OF dedica'lng
the resources Of your logic TO yndcaton OF their CON
duct affords strong PresnmPiive evidence, tha you ieit
conscious Of your entire ncompetency to reply 10
questions satisfactorily the public to yoursef In.
stead Of combating my POSITIONS and demonstrating
their unsoundneSs you rail a. my consistency and deal
out insinuaions by wholesale Your mode Of warfare
may be gratifying 10 the feelings of your heart, but the
public will decide whether il is not ,acit admission Of
the weakness of the you protested 10 advocate
About fourhs Of your essay are appropriated to me
individuality the remainder, attempted defence Of
your party. and the repetition Of few borrowed and
stale wscisms about Mr. Ritchie and what you, in the
threadbare slang Of your political friends, are pleased 10
call the "Rucker Convention
You affirm, that The Wings of Buckingham care
nO,c, and always have been, opposed to few persona