Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-03-30
FOR TIE Eve UYRER.
APPEALS TO THE PEOPLE!


In the dark periods Of the Roman Republic, when
some calamity threatened The public liberty and The
safety Of the State, citizen, in whose eminent SER
vices, tried integrity and virtue that great trust and
confidence could be repused, created for the time
Dictator. His duty was 'to that the Republic
ceived no detriment II was the highest honorary Of
fee that could be conferred by confdng people-but
death was the fate of him, who dared assume the
or powers of Dictator What, then, shall be his DOOM
who, in this free and enlightened Government, has
dared TO claim dclaloral powers and assume upon him.
self the arrogant pretenson of seeing thatthe Republic
should receive deirmen?' What shall be his pc.
ltcal fate, who claims 10 "arbtrae oil Of those great
questions which involve the destiny of our glorious Con
federacy What shall be said Of that Senator, who
proclaimed the startling doctrine that his meugre nino
riiy should control and parayze The action of the Co.
vernment and the two great bodies Of the people.-
And yet forsooih! they call this Senatorial indie pend
ence. We should be glad 10 know, what they mean by
Senatorial independence Is Mr. Rivss to be independ
ent Of The people, to be clothed in fact with dcaloria
powers, and pon,ifical insalibiy?-1s he TO up
The great UMPIRE to whom all questions 10 be refer
red for his the people have not for
gotten in so shor, time that our Bill Of Rights has de-
clared that gsraes care the servants Of The people
not their diclators He not sent to the Senate 10
dictate 10 the peopeto ar6atc every great question
which might up-o control and para we the action
OF the Government assume armed neutraltY and
impose conditions upon both the great bodies of the peo
ple-to cant about Senatorial indePendence-to pocket
his opinions from his constituents and refuse to be qnes
and is amenable for his acts to his s0rertions
When the People, forgetfnl of their rights or ndiffer
en to their exercise, are prepared 10 sanction these
sous prelensons, they will create in their national Sc
nate power scarcely less odious and irresponsible than
hereditary Arlsocracy Let them 10 this and curb
in time this procvlty of Senate to independence
wholly inconsistent with representative government
Let our Senators Know, that our Constitution requires
Senatorial amenaby to the people, and no where
nizes Senatorial independence nfalbllity. Teach
them, when they desire indepeEdence acts opinions
and principles that they must 10 be The sroan and
retire to seat among The soyeregns Of the land There
he be ndependen-there he pocket his opinions
there he dictate 10 he
exercise all The privilege Of sovereign. But when he
undertakes to represent people, he must oGey not
troll.
Their claims to Senatorial indepe ndence Of
orgn-they sprung up with that Of politicians who
desired strengthen National place
it above the reach Of the people, who desired raise the
Senate above Instructions and above representative
.ponsibity. They clearly identify Mr. Rives with
the Federal portion of The Wing party they endcar him
to the admirers of the Souhatds and Mangums who
threw back their instructions in the face of their cons
tuents and boldly denied amenabiIi,y for their acts
Who the first 10 their votes upon him in the
recent Senatorial conflict; IF The People will look they
will find recorded among the first and warmest sup
poregs, the advocates Of Clay, of National Bank, of
Protective Tariff and internal improvements Why
this recent sympathy-tbis newborn zeal-lhs ardent
support Let future developments answer what the
People already see.
A MEMBER OF THE CONVENTION,
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