Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-05-07
POLITICAL.
(FIom the Charlottesville Republican.

Uy
vere established by the blood Of parots they can only
be sustained by the virtue and intelligence oi Inc peo
GeneraI George Uashington-The Patriot, the
Soldier and the Statesman HIS character IS not only
pure, but il is unsupported. (Drank standing ana IN
saenee.)
of Independence. OF this ilusrious man, all lhat can
nerish reooses under the clod OF his own mountain
TOP His name and his principles are embalmed IN the
hearts of his coun.rymen. (Drank standing and IN
sienes) H.,
memury OF the dead, ano our county 'ahe ea'e - '
orr DISTINGUISHED guest and feliO,ocitsen, VIII
LIAM G. RIvEs-We respect hm Tor his virtues, su'nne
him for his talents and honor him Tor his puoc ser
vices him continue he has done TO take principle
for his guide and public good the end ana Vtooos ana
patriotic people will never torsake him.
Amer the repeated and hearty cheers win when ms
toast was received Mr. Riyss rose and addressed The
company for more than two hours in strain of ierrd
eoouence worthy of his talents, and that told on the
hearts and judgments Of his audience.
The occasion and his position were calculated 10 call
forth remarks The past and present policy OF The Ad
ministraton, especially in relation to The subject OF RI
nance; on the position which the socaed Conservative
party occupy and the causes which nave made necps
sary the one and Influenced the other and these The
topics upon which Mr. Il. dwet at some length and with
equal cearness and force The brief and mperec,
which took will enable us to do no more than presen,
an imperfect outline of The speech, without pretending
TO the chsste and elegant language oil the orator.
Mr. Rives commenced by returning his sincere
and heartfelt thanks to The company Tor the honor they
had done him. lie said they were bis neighbnrs aud
countymen-that Jury Of The vicinage which the Con-
s,ulon and Laws accorded In every Citizen when put
in jeopardy for his life liberty, his property his
regulations; and that he arraigr ID by The spirit
of party inoleruncelor hgh crmes and msde neano!s
in daring resist It's mperious mandates, he was proud
and happy to have them Tor his uleIs, and prouder still
10 receive their approving verdict Ii there had been
variableness or Inconsistency IN his course II he had
abandoned the principles he proessed betrayed
the interests committed to his charge, they mus. have
observed and detected It.
He referred to the occasion five years ago. on his re-
signa,ion cf his seat in the Senate when his
had offered him the proud testimony of their sp
probation with which they were now hOn"ring him
He said the Government, Of The Union and strong and
powerful party were then with them .NVlo the Govern
ment OF the Union against them and although
they themselves maintaining precisely the same
principles they did then large portion OF the party
with which they had formerly acted, had gone off from
them also, and sustaining the Government in lis
new position. And yet notwithstanding ibis change Of
circumstances, his countymen here present, who had
been the friends Of the President, were ready,
and ave. ready as the crowded scene before him
gave assurance, come forward now in the face Of
power and party violence to do honor 10 what they be-
leved conscientious adherence 10 pnc pie on his part,
than they were then when backed by the Government
and a numerous and powerful party. In this noble pro-
cedure their part he spirit cf!oy ndependen
fearless devotion 10 principle, stern defiance OF pow.
er when in the wrong, which if nourished and kept alive
in the hearts of fellow Citizens would render the Ii
berries Of our country immortal. Cloud cheersl He
weak vain enough To suppose that il any
poor personal of his, which his friends designed
honor this occasion Far, very far from it, They
vital princp pie of representative GUveInment-the
fidelity and independence Of the representative charac.
ter involved in the ruthless war which prose-
cued to destroy him for refusing TO surrender the inter
and opinions of his constituents and the solemn
convictions Of his understanding the arbitrary
behess of party and of power aud it 10 this great
principle of American freedom, they designed this day
TO tender the homage OF their hearts.
He then adverted to the extraordinary change Of po-
sition which had taken place, on the part OF the ADM
INSTR alton and the great body Of its supporters since
1885, when, with voice they rejected and denounced
in the strongest terms the scheme they
urging upon the country. II, said Mr. Rves, the Sub
Treasury scheme was corrupng. dsorganizng and re
evolutionary in it's character then, is it not The
Of things the now? Why, then, have the vie o
the Administration changed? The Judges Convention
at Richmond, have attempted 10 furnish answer by
referring it to the suspension Of specie payments by the
banks But did they not know when the Deposite sys
TEN acopied that this is casualty 10 which every
bank is exposed, Mr.. Woodbury. in his report in 1884
actually referred to this contingency and yet defended
the system. BY the Deposite Banks the Government
has sustained loss; all the public creditors paid
in a currency which wGs acceptable to them. Ii Con
gress deferred The payment Of depostes by the banks
for The benefit Ut the people, and 10 relieve them
Mr. R. declared that the suspension Of specie payments
by the banks, only used pe'ext for the change
in the views Of the Administration party, and was moi
. sound reason-That, al least, it did not make the
Sub.Treasury ocbeme any better. He said it o.
the deepest import to the liberties Of the people to
quire by what means this change had been Produced
He felt it his solemn duty bis country, to declare BY
what means mainly that change had been produced
the theatre OF action which he had been placed
1t by that system Of party discipline, which, if
now rebuked and frowned dawn by the people, would
one day crush and destroy their liberties lie knew
of bis personal knowledge, that many Of The
Administration party warmly and earnestly opposed
aud deprecated this scheme 10 the period when
hrann Gnrwa I'd bv he H. Erv,l
believed that large majority If The party in Con
Rress then decidedly disnpproved Ill and yet when The
President brought forward in his message, when it
whispered about that he saked the fortunes of his ADM
ns,raion upon it, and meant stand or fail by it,
many Of those who before earnestly opposed it, cnne
quietly into its support This principle of action was
even openly avowed. Here Mr. r. related anecdoie
Of conversation between himself and member Of tie
Senate who had formerly acted with him aud had cor
daily roncurred in his views. That member, while
freely admitting that Mr. R. in his opposition to The ia
rorfe Of the Administration, stood upon the
ground he had before done, very significantly said
but that is not The question, Mr. Rivss; it is a rule in
dancing in my country when the tune turns you
turR-we have now new tune and new piper, and ye,
you will no, turn. Mr. Rives said, he of the
Jim Crow schooof politicians; he could not thus "urn
about and wheel about, the Presidential piper nigh,
think 6t to change the tune. (Cheers)
MIR. Rives sald, that what he stated to this com
pany, was fact OF universal noloety at Washington
An able and distinguished friend of his cool and inn
partial observer, and profoundly read in the history nj
Governments, ancient and modern, had mos, imores
sively called the attention Of the country to il veor
ago Mr. River The" read an ex,rac, from public IL,
ter of MIR Legarc to he Governor of South Carolina
in which he crap r'iy describes The mysterious work
ings Of this fatal stem Of party discipline by which
ga few leaders, nobody knows how, dictate to multi
tudes Of dissenting, dissatisfied and yet complying M
lowers; the shoe Jody doing uh0t almost erery member
efa disapprores.
What was said in these extracts was literally true.
particularly since the present Administration had al.
tempted TO force on the unwilling people a measure
fraught, he believed with the ruin of the county,
When the party brought, al the bidding Of few par
ty leaders, TO support measures which almost every
member of it dsappoved. For his resistance 10 this
tyranny of party, he had been aragned as traitor 10
bis party. Was il better, he exclaimed, to be traitor