Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-03-08


ing 10 acl till the 18Th day of January, 1858
Neither have heard OF any memorials ur remonst'an.
cess indicating The public sentiment, that have oeen
to you requiring you 10 iDlerpose between me aho ny
vote on this subject. -,
You met on The frs, Monday in October last ano nave
continued in session since cannot therefore, ou
think it improbable, j! not impossible, that Tue
have impeiled you 10 this measure; BECAUSE, ou' NV ~
YOU since the cumme nee of your session, hase
siled your constituents and have not UNDERSTOOD ''ia
any of y0u before your election or since, nave oe' "
Instructed by them
hay noticed in the newspapers one poitcal neeu"g
having bee in Nashville instruct the Davidson mem
bers other subjects; but this measure Oh WHO" yoo
Instruct me- was not named
Fprlbrr If il were for the public interest for you 10
acl in this matter why did you not act more P"mpuy
ember last, and the bill introduced by tile Finance Com
mit,ee nj the special session. For three months and
half after You met and knew what measures were re-
commended by the Executive branch OF the Govern
ment you remained silent, permitting your Senators 10
exercise their judgments; and not I'LL few days
past did hear that you were earnestly engaged 10 Que
branch of the Legislature, in passing your
|, cannot be supposed that you were waiting 70 hno"
what measures would be proposed for you mao Inc lays
Message Of the President early IN December, ~ "nc"
he adhered to his former recommendation:
As 10 the bill which mig ht be brought forward ny ne
Finance Committee in reference to The measure recon-"
mended 10 the Message you did mol see IL oeiofe YOU
adopted your resolutions, III least I'LL one oa' " e
General Assembly. ..
The bill reported by the Finance Committee, known
AS the Sub Treasury BILL and which you could not nave
considered when you instructed me, differs IN seSerai
immortal n, particulars from the bill of the special session;
and with proper notifications feel confident that some
of YOU as we'll myself would pronounce 1t measure
of great public utility. Yet, without knowing any Of
the provisions Of the BILL how il might be amended or
changed in the Senate you have instructed HE 10 vote
against it
You thus see, that if disposed to depart from,
or evade the principles have long proiessed you nave
furnished as fair opportunity as could desire oe
cause in the first place, there no evidence mat your
instructions are in accordance with the will oil the people
of Tennessee with whom rests the paramount right or
power to instruct; and in the next place, because you
instruct me vue against bill, OF Inc contents Oh
which you were wholly ignorant, never having seen II:
But, sirs the abuse of right dnps not prove that IL
does not exist and il is better to adhere to sound prnc
ples although sometimes errors may be committed IN ihe
application of those principles by men Who nave me ma
napement Of public affairs, than to abandon any OF those
fundamental doctrines on which Inc people must Ity 20
carry out in practice the representative principle llse
therefore waive all exceptions to your proceedings,
and shall vote upon this measure when 1t comes before
me, according your Instructions In doing lhs, ACT
upon great principle, which deem essential IN tree
Representative Government, and hope you will not sup
pose for moment that am Influenced, in The slight
est degree BY desire conciute your favor, beyond
the simple discharge of my duty
Having thus explicitly stated the course shall pursue
should consider myself altogether inexcusable, were
sideralinns connected with this subject.
You instruct to vote against particular measure
You are obeyed What am next To do? You, al least
sume Of you, as know, have been vehement IN your
complaints against those who administer the Govern
ment and their friends for not doing something to
lieve the embarras,nen,s of the times.
distinct recommendation Is made by the President,
and the subject s brought hefue Congress for It's dec
sve action You soy that the measure recommended
by the President will no, do and tell to against
it, This ins,rucs me nrgatirey as to what an mt 10
do but gives light whatever as 10 what am to
do afrmativeiy. If you had only vouchsated to have
told what t7oaid answer the purpose and meet the ext
gency you would have relieved the public well as
myself from great anxiety and from the negatire posi-
lion in which YOU have placed Inc, OF being obliged 10
prevent, $50 far as my Voe may co. anything being
done TO relieve the country.
You say The patient is very sick, and will die, unless
immediate relief be afforded. The President Of the
u s. who is admitted by all parties 10 possess talents
of the highest order, well as great experience, hus
given his opinion To the appropriate remedy. You
condemn il declare will kill the patient if applied
and yet you leave The patient in his suffering condition
and will disclose the panacea that, in your opinion,
would effect Now this il seems to me- is pre-.
cseIy The condition in which you have placed your
selves.
am aware, that the leaders of the Opposition, in
other parts of the country, say that BAsX OF THE
UNITED STATES would afford remedy for existing evils;
bull this constrained to believe Is not your opinion,
rum the following evidence: proposition to Instruct
of The u States, brought forward at early period
in YOUR session. You failed act upon it, and such
instructions adopted From this fact but in.
ference be drawn, which Isl that you did not desire
the establishment Of such an institution. Therefore, II
we're inclined to vote for u 5 Bank, the remedy
(Which am not) you have thrown an obstacle in the
way by your conduct, which implies that you would dis.
approve of such course; and more especially, as ac'
cudng to my recoectlon there stands on The Inurnss
Of former sessions of the General Assembly Of Tennes
see legislative condennations of National Bank, in
almost every r and these you have no, rescnded or
revoked |, is true, have heard it suggested that the
opinions and situation of my colleague in the Senate,
prevented your acting otherwise would have done
on the subject Of National Bank, against which he
stands committed.
will give no credence to inlimation disrepun-
BILE The majority in the Legislature oil my own State
Il cannot he that members of the General Assembly Of
Tennessee would foego what they deemed great pub
lie benefit to favor any individual whatever This would
indeed be to change the good old maxim Of MEASURES
not MEN" into fn not measures, which, am sure, none
of YOU will venture Ia avow, before those who have
honoed you with their confidence.
think therefore, may fairly conclude that you are
not only opposed to the particular measure you Instruct
me to vne against but ns0 nppUspd 10 U. States Bank
You will perceive that confirmed in this inclusion
by the fact that you nsiructng Legislature In
some States they instruct their Senntors. They
say that they opposed To the praclce 1t not being
founded on prncpr and such is understood 10 be The
creed Of large party in the country. But this is not
the case with you. You instruct where you wish TO d.
So insure vote against specific measure and you
refuse instruct, where the instruction proposed to be
given is contrary 10 your opinions and wishes.
This is shown in The proceedings Of the ina jnriiy Of
the Legislature al your recent session Resolutions
before you for nslrucng your Senators to vote against
one measure and vote for another. You adopted the
resolutions nslrucng the Senators to vote against the
Sub Treasury system Of finance and did not adopt those
ins,ruclinc them to vote for United States Bank
Hence the conclusion is irresistible that you in ia
vor of the first instruction and against the lust.
Thus the Treasury BILL for the collecting, safe keep,
ing, and dsbursng the revenue, which is the remedy
proposed by the friends Of the Administration; and u
States Bank which is the great panaceu Of The Opposi
lion being both rejected and uegatived by you what
mains?
Nothing. that can think Of but the present deposie
system This doubt, three fourths Of you have often
censured and condemned; in fact the very preamble 10