Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-19

performed the required To be done: 10 iWpeach,
therefore, the motives of lhase, thus acting under ~
sruciions is direct attack the principle o ''s'Fuc
linu mud in effect denial OF the right to instruct
But in order 10 have oil doubt removed as to lie IN
teni'oD OF those who passed them, Ills honnrao'e CO"
league and himself had addressed respectful c"hhu
nlcaiion 10 The Legislature OF their Stale asking 10 "
informed If the resolutions were 10 DE taRen as s'"e
tons. We had publicly declared that we would obey
or resign if instructed We considered that TO nave
done either under resolutions not containing lnst'uc
tons, rot required by pledge aud wou'o naVe
been manifest drlellcon Of public duty under all me
circumstances We desired, them proper ground 10
s,aud If gued, wished to do so unaet Tue
girat Prnc pie Of instruction and mol under rPsoiun"S
in "irh il not recognised. The Legislature, mus
candidy aud respectfully appealed to, have teins"
terms not very courteous give any further intofma-
ton as 10 the question Of instruction.
When the issue was thus fairly presented, We had
right 10 expect, every principle {" candn an eihPha
lie expression Of opinion way or the oher III esafu
To the int ncns OF the Legislature the question OF IN
sruc;On It they had asserted their intention TO instruct
prerurrd, is know 10 many OF my frlends IN
SANITY la lave surrendered 10 them .,,s 1rIic Ernst
! whch h"ld. They: trwGveG 5gain decline To assert
:he principle u INSTRUCTION. in the resolution passed by
them, ana lhGs afford char ard esonable pGoi mat
they do not intend 10 COMMIT themselves lc The doctrine
Which Of the parties haG acted in good aIlh-tose ac'
dressing the communca n aud soliciting expression
of opinan plain question, 10 which an answer was
easy and which! they deemed impo Iant 10 the public IT.
berry well I" the regulation OF their own conduct
those who had d, cl:ntd 10 answer II: lie would ap
peal 10 the honest aud intelligent lud Iment oil his coDs
luents 10 decide.
Whcn IhCrcfrre he took into view the circumstances
which formed part Of the history q" The resolutions,
the guarded caution with which The party passing them
avoided committing themselves on the record 10 inc
right Of instruction, and the open and avowed hns'i'y
of Of those voting for the resolutions to the doc
rine Of instruction. the dire attack on that great pI
cipe Itself the face OF The resolutions ard the refusal
Of he Legislature. a candid appeal made to ihrn, 10
u,
hy positive ac,s that they (hc Leg's'au') d'd not ~
uG 10 recognise the right OF instruction. aud II not on
VIA. principle of honor by what right, either moral
political, can it he expected that 'sey VIII be consin-
! cred and acted on by others as instructions:
The resolutions profess Speaa the will OF The people
r they were instructions. lie admitted that they would
lie bical.rv in the fullest sense OF the term; but ey
were not and did profess 10 be. and therefore The
question respects public opinion as well rs every "lner
in relation them. open to the ifecst inquiry tie
dad not himself believe That they expressed public OPT
nion to of the important topics on when tity
undertake 10 lare it, lie believed the people OF lhe
State had heard with utter surprise, That the SUBJECT OF
Tie px3unriHr resolutions had been introduced IL was
topic that had not been brought before them the cleo
lions and therefore could not have been anticipated
Again he did believe they expressed pubic opnlon
rs no question had been brought more directly and
immediately before the people Of North Carolina than
was that, al The elections in 1894 involving the course
OF President jackson in regard to the Bank 0! The U S.
and The Justice Of e%pungIng the sentence pronounced
!
Tie Leg saiurP, al It's session 81 1884, IN obedience
10 tina, public will commanded their Senators, by cx'
press instructions: 10 vote for II The people eirc'ed
@c successive "gsnlures, which ratified and re affirm
ed in effect that DECISION, the resolutions remained
unrc voked by them. 1t would therefore, he IN deroga
! ton Of The we'll known poca! consistency OF The Pco
pie of North Carolina TO suppose that decision so well
considered, and deliberately made had been reversed
! by them No President had ever beeen more strongly
sustained Than President Jackson, at three
sire elections. By the people Of that State whose we'll
earned fame the resolutions which the Legislature had
passed. aimed 81 strong a blow at tie could not there
foTc. admit that has constituents had abandoned ,heII
long cbeshsd political attachments and were prepared
To aid in sacrificing The pubic character Of the honest
soldier and patriot Statesman. lie could Enl consent
therefore, record by his vote. sentence 50 deroeatoy
10 the people Gud 10 the Legislature 0i lcJi TO whose
favor he was indebted for his reelection To resign
wrud in hs opinion, be q taci admission, his part
that the people had changed their opinion an this ques
lion, and cuieccnie III the charge OF inconsistency
arains, them, Lch il involved, " hIcb hr should cons
der il departure from his duty 10 do, unless acting un
. der Instructions thai left him other alternative.
! lie had declared in his speech the Constitutional
Treasury and other occasions, that il instructed by
his Legislature, he would obey resign. lie had used
the word in that sense which conveys meaning UEIve
sally acted on and understood BY the Republican, party
Of this Country, and had like wise asserted II in his
speeches. he duty i" the absence of Instructions, 10
pursue the dictates Of his own Judgment. In the "6-
sane If instruc,iJHS therefore, his decision TO the
Dr.,cpi resolutions which did recognise in any part
Of them that right, enl're consistent with his Often
| rereattd declarations on that sbt ret
The course which his colleague and himself fr bound
10 take from high ui public duty, on this
SION involved mol simply the question Of what YVES due
10 themselves and their princip!esn no, simply a
a., stiun of party ascrndancy, but it involved
questions Of Tar lranscendan Importance II in.
vo!vrd great piimcP pie nj p"pu al liberty ii they re
signed their seats they indirectly aided in attacking the
eta rndse nal right Of instruction, winch hr irsoIu-
lnns on their face, not oil attacked he had already
shown hui hy their UNIQUE onatle tendency, went 10
overthrow They, IN effect as he had shown contained
, uuir f a. doctrine. For therefore, 10 acqGlcsce
in Ihrr by obcGioE;t tssynG,."" would aid IN sub
verrinn principle long nsscrntcd in line Dcr"iirai
creed II t su red IhCms ives by Indrecton. 10 be
driven from The post which HE public had assigned them,
he could not permit himself 10 doubt that the very party
ba, had raspd The regulations, would point TO them 10
nroy That tier Eoiiice frcnds had admitted the
doctrine Of instruction We should thus be accessory 10
the establishment Of the doctrine tia; the people through
their Legislature, had right 10 instruct We should
thus contribute establish The d"c,rine that Senators Of
The Fedora! party if hereafter elected from The State,
would be- licensed 10 dsVbey nstrnc"ns and should be
irresponsible la The people they would no doubt quote
these re'y resolutions 10 prove that instructions WIRE no
part Of thtir political creed. 1t would, therefore, (rcpeat
ed Mr. Is be, in effect attack the doctrine Of in
s,rucon if acqucsced in them either by obedience
or sigma nn and would be surrender oil great ques
ton of public liberty. Thus should be placing in the
hands of political party, nrcady denying the right Of
instruction. aud asserting other dangerous doctrines in
regard 10 popular rights an immense engine 10 beat down
those rights II vas placing in their hands an iGsITu.
menl which would sword 10 against their
paticaI adyesacs and would The time be used
as shield shelter and protect HfmselreS. when in pow
err from instructions. He, therefore, should consider
the abandonment of his post under such circumstances
as abandonment Of his duty 10 the people whom !Ie
represented. and belrayng want of irmress 10 meet
the crisis lie could not respect himself if he were 10
do it, and be sincerely trusted that his hig-mindsd and
Intelligent constituents would appreciate his motives and
the decacy Of his situation He had been sustained by
them with nness and fxedness of purpose, for pc
riod of than nine years. through many trying and
difficult events in public affairs that Impressed him with
an indeIibe sense Of gratitude.
lie had never sought office desired it for himself;
nor had any of those connected with him ever through
his means. enjoyed Office under this or the past Admin
isiration He therefore appealed 10 his constituents to