Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-11-05
VOLUME xXXyE.---Ne. Je.

70 my honorable and able friend an6yonr fo!a
sentative who sits near MIR Patton whose lofty indie
pendence OF character, less Than his eminent abi!
lies, commended him 10 your confidence and suppoLi tc
say Wat re have both seen, in the aiehes, council;
OF The nation does not too moufnuiiy verify picture
nave presented TO yon cou3a cite 10 yoa The eloquent
and recorded testimony Of another sentlemaa, Mr. lie;
care OF South Carolina, whoas SO graphically described
he operations OF this system OF party discipline In s
body IN which he was proud and edeemng ornsnie p,
"a system under which, 10 MS expressive language
"a lev leaders dictate knows no W 10 multi;ndes
OF d'ssentng, dissatisfied sRd yet complying follower
the Sho'e body doing ukat almost eoery msmbcr Of
dtuppr0res And is this, gentlemen Represeutaiirc
Government in which the will Of the people pre- gas or
1fis II mons'rous party desposm in which sl power
being vc'sliy surrendered To the President the ieuL
| % a ,Iyiy IL proudly gives law TO the people?
depends aP0n You, fellow citizens and your com
patriots 10 say whether this fatal and perneoes sys,sg
when Is taxing such deep root in the public bodies If
the country, and 1t not checked will silently work
fundamental revolution in the Government shall snrpa
Itself through The grea. of the community. We
have now and then seen melancholy indications OF III
lnsIGous and progressive encroachmeats on the great
split OF popular indie pendence itself We have seen,
for example, honorable and intelligent mon expressing
their deepest convictions OF The and destructive
tendencies Of the Subtrfaoury scheme, and YET prac-
cay surenjerng these convictions at The bidding ut
party by operating in the choice of candidates of
public stations, who are The known and Jealous advo
cntes OF that measure and this, iorsooth because s
must go ,cH chat Msy call their pariy! Is then yYic.-
pic, the highest interests Of tie country ercry thing 10 II
sacrificed 10 this bloody moi0ch Of party ascendanry;
am lar from saying that party, founded upon principle
and looking steadily 10 the good of the country IS 10
sole end and aim. is thing 10 be deprecated by sober
minded and rejecting men. Show me party, accord
ing TO the definition OF celebrated political writer,
"united for promoting, by their joint endeavors, The
national interest upon princpissn which they all agrc1
and pursuing this lofty and patriotic aim, with faithful
regard TO their proessed principles, asking and ex.
pectng no co operation which not the result Of per-
t.~t - a..
sense, AIN, as | have been, patty man. But wheo
men are banded together, without regard principle and
Jor the sole purpose of keeping power in their hands
or when united originally principles protested by
them in common and with The honest view Of promoting
the general good by carrying out those principles in
Practice, they shall afterwards abandon their principles
OF lose sight of the public good in either such
party rather party leaders (o The great body Of every
party honest aud wellinen,loned have claim
the support OF any good man patriotic czen.-Andit
for the desperate purpose Of maintaining its asceDdancy
after II had fallen from lie principles, it should urrogae
10 ITSELF dIcatorial authority the consciences and
opinions OF lis members it would become unhaowed
dcsposm, which every good man and patriot should
sIsi TO the last extremity he values his moral
and fteedom or the liberties and happiness
OF his country.
There is another topic, intimately connected with this,
fellow zens, 10 which desire 10 invite your serious
consideration. 1t is the attempt which IL made 10
hold up, every OCCASION The Presidential eectOn
the sole and exclusive test Of political orthodoxy Under
The driil OF party managers the moment candidate for
the sutfages of the people presents HIMSELF the demand
made OF him u.s. not what are his opinions upon the ques
tons Of public policy which, it elected he will have
to act but "6at cho you for PrtSident-are yon
for ia" Buren, or for Ciay"' What is this, fellow
ctzens but to destroy The dignity and usefulness OF the
Representative branch Of the Government the peculiar
Of The rights and interests Of the people, and
to degrade into miserable and vassaage
I, Executive power The practice Is q, war with tie
fundamental end and design of Represe NATIVE Govern
ment II is 10 Say 10 your Representative in the very
act OF choosing them, we send you 10 Congress or 10
the Legislature, no, TO take care of oof interests
10 guard rights, 10 10 the general good oa
nda pendent and responsible SCENTS of the people but
we send you there, as the svo@ed and pledged par.
lizans of political cbetain 10 direct your
sells and abours 10 the great Object NJ! lis Gle.
cation or maintenance in po;0cr. And ID there -y
warrant for this perversIon nnd degradation oil me
Representative trust, (Which party tactics Is so asst
duousiy lubourng to produce in the actual provisions
OF constitutional charter Absolutely none, gr.i'
tie men The rsopo hove wisely and properly, n
The establishment oil our political system reserved we
choice Of President in their hands There IS bot
single contingency, and that OF the most remote ara
improbable occurrence, in which any portOn OF 'neie
be called such TO lake part in The
election of President refer, ocourse, TO The deVolvng
Of the election the House of Representatives IN III"
failure uf choice by the electoral co!eges ond IN mt
case is the universally acknowledged rule OF action,
Iha, the Representative whatever be his personal pre-
lerences is To give the vote which his constituents haG
given at the Presidential polls.
The Representatives OF the people, then, having no
participation US SUCH in the eec0n President, anG
some of them THE members of both Houses OF Con.
gress being moreover cIcluded By positive constu
una prohl ion, from being electors of President rs i
not an Obvious violation Of the spirit OF The Cohsun'
ticn, well as gross and most m'scheVous psfVeF
sion Of the repreep NATIVE trust that they should Ge IN
pcriousIy summoned under the mandate OF this neT
system party TACTICS 10 pledge themselves TO the sup
port of this that candidate Tor the Presidency The
vide sphere of their constitutional duties the other
il,ap
ing the public policy of the country and the vital inter-
ess Of the people, in regard TO which their opinions aud
principles should be known and unreserved!y dec!aIea
On tAer rotes Representatives for example, may de-
BEND lhe success defeat oschemes (seekIng The egsa
iire sanction for the enl OF Executive
powpr-o. the increase Of public expenditure and con-
sesuenlly taxston-for unconstitutional encroachmens
the rights of the people and the Staes-ior "ys'en'
Yesterday Of artificial protcc.on to-day OF unndtufGl ana
sesirucre warfare upon The interests of industry aud
,rade-measures all involving the most important cone~
ouence the public prosperity and the public liberty
and depending ALL co.: their consnmmaon or defeat 0"
the Representatives OF the peop- Such questions as
these especially those which actually pending before
the public councils of the country, are thu legitimate
and appropriate tests in the election oil Representatives.
Bot no, fellow czens The tacclans OF party WIZ not
have il 30 All these great questions are uncerenion-
ously showed aside, and ere magis,erIny told thh
the only issue ia, "aIc you for Van Buren, or Clay ~
President This is Aaron serpent IN the hands o.
the political magclumo oDalnwng up all the resi-.
party jugGery Of The Rc~s-a Enouirer and lis schoG!
of political casuss regard 10 The only real so':r"i
issue which is at this time before the county, mean,
of course, the Sub,rpssury scheme and is dependens
tron Of measures. Why, that while decided majority
OF the people confessedy opposed to this odoua
scheme, is altogether possible tha' majority Of heir
Represent are in favor OF H. eno may yet put !,
upon the country How has this happened, you will
naturally ask fellow citizenu- Why thus-by sysema.
,c.lly holding up the issue which ,aey have made Of
"Von Bu:en Clay, n tnosa portions Of The country
where the foner SEEMED to be preferred, while his po
hcy was condemned, many persons, warmly opposed tc
he Subtrecsury scheme have yet voted for candidate:
in favor OF that measure because those candidates hep
pened oe Van Buren, men, and necessary the
said 10 support ir. Van Buren, for the Presidency =
Have not in State, every where seen decIc
ed opponents Of the Snsessuy scheme, under The ~
suence a ,his deceptive issue thus strangely voting
against their opinions great question OF nation
al policy Is j. not moskery gentlemen TO call sy
tenn Of political management, under which so eatraod
nary result is worked by party tactics, free Rer
NATIVE syses in which th2 opinions of the pcop