The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-19
THE VIRGINIA SENATORS.

The scenes IN the 5cuatc ou ttudy last were Oh
an unusually interesting character, After Mr. Pres
ton had concluded his argumentalve and eloquent
advocacy Of the purity and freedom Of elections,
Mr. RoANE, Of Va, followed with written lecture,
ayowedly defining his position" but more par!icu-
larry intended and ingated TO fix the position Of his
colleague, Mr. RryEs. We alluded to il, briefly, in
our last paper, and presumed that Il was labored
premeditated and personal attack upon Mr.. Rives.-
II even exceeded In vituperatyeness, elaboration,
and direcness of personality, the utmost we could
have anticipated from one generally so gentle and
yet so manly as Mr.. Roane. II was so out Of cha
racter therefore, destitute of the berality and
magnanimiiy Of Southern chivalry that we at once
concluded il could not be an "unterri6ed" Virginia
Senator but king caucusor somebody else who spoke
When he was elected, MIR. Roane said, he expected
do no than hold the nail for his colleague
to drive and that colleague has pursued his course
in high minded and honorable manner, not deyia-
ting one iota from the principles ppon which they
both set out together After having continued upon
terms of the most friendly daily intimacy, and Mr..
Roane never for once INDUCING complaints, either
of public or OF personal nature, the day arrives
when Mr.. Rives political fate is involved in doubt,
and Mr. Roane seizes the occasion, of all others"
to desert his colleague, and then 10 denounce and
abuse him. He abandons his phce in the Senate.
seeks position in the vicinity Of the partizans of
the Subreasury, so as TO be supported by them and
presents his abusive TRADE upon paper lest his own
shadow brighten his ideas into forgelfnlness, if he
attempted to deliver from memory. The pretended
provocation for all this viz that he apprehended his
colleague was about TO be reelected by Wing votes
came with very i'll grace from him, when il is well
known that he his own election part TO Wing
votes But it may be accounted for differently. MIR.
Roane is connection of the editor Of the Rich
mond Enquirer-the editor of the Enquirer Is the
devoted till death" of Mr. Ambassador Stevenson
Mr. Stevenson is now remotely connected with the
family of Mr.. Van Buren,.
The Richmond Enquirer, that arrived the day of
Mr. Roanes essay, contained three columns of
groans, Kisses, imprecations, tlreatenings, and
prayers all having for their obecthc defeat Of Mr..
Rves, at the hands OF his own party and friends!
Mr. Roane admitted that his friends insisted that II
was false decacy that restrained him from attacking
his colleague; and in all this we find connected
chain which leads us to the secret influences which
have wrought out this extraordinary production. -
Mr. Roane has, therefore, been but the instrument
in the hands of MIR. Van Burer, who is abandoned
by his own State, of assailing his colleague, and
through him the integrity Of thesovereign State he
truly represents. A majority of the people of Vir-
ginia, and majority of their State Legislature, are
opposed to those measures Of he administration
which Mr. Rosne has taken upon himself 10 de-
nounce Mr.. Rives for not supporting. What right
has he then to read public lecture to instruct Mr.
Rives in the doctrines Of Repubfcansm, when he
is himself subverting them, and msrepresenting his
constituents? We should suppose The people OF the
Old Dominion will hardly thank him for this when
he renders to them an account of his stewardship;
and we should think that, Mr.. Roane himself, when
that day comes, would look back 10 this with morti
fcation and regret. @
Mr. Rves lost nothing by the circumstance On
the contrary his exemporaneous and unprecedented
reply to all his colleagues charges and denuncia-
tions, will be remembered as of the most spirit
ed elevated and affecting displays that has occurred
in Congress- 1t will disarm many an enemy, and
endear him to every heart possessed of spark Of
patriotism aud sensbilty. We wished every man in
Virginia might have been present We arc conf
dent thatheir ancient pride would have been touched
that the spirit of '76 would have tingled in their
blood, and the acclamations that were wont TO re-
spond to the eloquence of Henry patriotism might
again have swelled upon the air.