Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-05-31

when they asked the good people Of Virgins, whether
they would have Van Buren, or Clsy-a friend OF the
Virginia State Rights doctrines, or an enemy-a strict
or aiitudnnus CuDstructionist-an opponent or q
champion OF National Bank and The other questions Of
| that great category.
Mr. Leigh now makes the Issue hmself-and declares,
thsthe ecion the grea, question: which
involves and absoTbs all others In this point Of view
he calls upon Mr. Rves 10 out and declare an "un
compromising hostility 10 the election of Martin Van
Buren, he Substantially Ills him. tho, unless he throws
of his reserve aud unmasks he cannot gire ... re-
confidence Here Their, the "aw and Tie prophets
Such Will be The 10 The Wings Of Virginia Such
certainly will be The cry Of ell thnse, whr have spoken
with such indignation OF Mr. declining TO vote at
all tie 23d : Thy will !ongsr submit 10 his non.
commt;al. He must AXE sides. Unless The Wigs
have distinctly sscerained, mot by indirect inuendo
by which have received different interpretations
by Procamalinns from the houseiops that he opposed
Ia Mr. V. q s election he viii! not receive the conf
dence nhe hgs votes the orie election
in December nexl.-Mr Rives has then 10 choose Equ
vocation will undo him With The Wings he mus, come
out against Van Buren,; and of course for the hig
didale He must stand by The Wings, or they will not
stand by him MIR Leigh has made UP the ISSUE on The
Presidential election, wbch we have al! along insisted
vas the just ISSUE and MIR. Rves cannot much longer
rvade it. The Richmond Wing too Of yesterday morn
| ing, commenting upon this letter, gives MIR Rves some
very significant, hints of what is expected from him.
1--WE hnld it (says the Whg) TO be very improbable
that Mr.. Rves should not have made up definite OPT
nun as 10 his future WehaVe never DOUBTED s:
a lnoment-we do not doubt-what lha, course must
and will be But there those no feel or fegn doubts
and whose cavilng is colorably sustained by his omis
sion 10 vote al The A!bemare election statesman OF
Mr. Rives abilities and sagaa.y cannot expect 10 orga
DIE third party in the present circumstances OF The
country. Tile position If neutrality must be abdndontd
Of necessity, as indeHsUe. he slaughter OF The Con
srryatives Of the last Legislature shows that the post is
untenabe and liable TO be rak-d by the guns Of both great
conflicting parties f any future attempt may I've sue
cesslul snd Reorganization Of political parties
! IN mfr he time I'm knui kaaD Otc
The attempt 10 oym third party, while il must be
signal and ridiculous faislre will infably expose
authors To The eproach Of being walters upon Provi-
dence and deprive iirm Of the confidence of both.
+! Mr. Rivps, must Then come out. or the Wings Will
abandon hm.-Bnt here is the difficulty Of the position
he has assumed IF he comes out against Mr.. V.
| and gors for Wbig, from that moment will the calm
and discreet Conservatives, who will never go for Clay,
quit MIR. Rives Such is the position he has now as
sumed II full Of tlorns endorsements and prrs
"Rirhmond, May l6, 1882
"GrS1LEMEs: Your letter Of The 10Th inst, inviting
10 The public dinner be given to the Hon. William
T.. Rves, at Amherst Courthouse the 2Oih has been
della, ed on The rvad ant did mol receive il Till yeslsr
day.
Il thank you Cor The polite terms in which you have
communicated the invitation. Business, which requires
my CONSTANT attention at home, would have prevented
from avang myself Of it, if it had bern received in
time But. candnr compels me 10 add that that would
mol have been The only or indeed The principal reason
which would have induced me to decline II.
respect and approve. DESTROYS 10 every
sustained against that darpolsn of party, welded
by the patronage Of the Executive, which allows no in
depe ndence OF thought action, and which alter hay.
ing destroyed many public men is now leveed against
Mr. Rves in his turn with it's usual rurhessness n ven
geance And nfIer having the Senate OF The Uni
led States BUNDLED and degraded 81 the Presidents feet
by the Expungng Restitution, and it's influence IN
stucS Of political system, Ii has afford.
ed particular pleasure TO see Mr. Rivrs asserting
and maintaining in tina, body, his independence OF
Executive control and. al the time The ndeprnd
ence lhs dignity, aud the just authority OF The body
! itself Such conduct ought In redeem Inn from The
blame Of lnany former and faults Il even dis
posed 10 admit il partial nt"nrincnt for his cnncur
renee in the Expungrng Resolution. He IS now an OBJ
pct OF 10 thr faction whose barfu power he
has contributed TO establish and am really happy TO
public honnrs upon him by others who take
different view from mine of the present slate of politics.
Bot so long as Mr.. RIvrs holds himself wholly uncom
United on the subject Of The Presidential election can
not IN honor aud conscience commit myself to the sup
port Of Mr. Rives-A: the same time, am aware that
my support or opposition utterly lnsi Incant and in
conse quenlia him and every bndy else but myself
While the doctrine stands admitted, that the Pfpsi
dent is entitled by The Constitution the custody Of The
public treasure, Isl in my humble opinion, question
oil comparative nsgnihcance, whether the system q" sno
treasures, the select State bank system, with general
special dc poses, any Other scheme tor Keeping The
public treasure, which the wisdom OF the Legislature or
the ingenuity Of the Executive devise shall be adopt
I'd; for in fret The custody OF the public money VIII
still be in the President alone IL is he doctrine itself,
which il uf hnnyps The people 10 explode and condemn,
as The most false, the mpudsn and The mos, dan
gerous, IF all Executive pre,ensions.
II regard The Presidential election in truth the only
important question, the great question of national nte
rest which involves and absorbs all Others in the pre-
uncure ofofairs Nothing, in my sense OF things,
stop, check, the transition OF the Federal
Sovernisnt into a elective monarchy, and mo.
unrchy elective through the fundamentally OF the most
malignant faction and the fullest corruption, but the
dsrIsson Of our present rulers from Ee public councils
and confidence forever; rulers call theK for they
our masters iaci whatsoever they ought 10 be in the
nry hard masters too, who MAINTAIN and pay the
my of parzans on which they depend for power by open
y and avowedly dealing out the honors and enolumens
m Office without The least regard TO any merit but party
zeal and party services 10 one instance at least and
believe in many mUre) officer, after having received
and appropriated public money 10 his own USE has
been knowingly permitted to retain his Office, ana TO
eroy the spos, in order 10 secure The continuance ol
his own apd his friends support OF the Administration
and the Cabinet Minister who President Jacksons
instrument in this gross and indecent abuse D EIpcu
i've patronage is sill President Van Burens Secretary
of The Treasury Corruption raising her head with
out shane without iear aud 10 FAR The dominant ac
ton and The reignug dynasty IS concerned) without re-
ptoach The stimulus 10 the Agraran spirit administered
hy the povernmpn Washington, through all lis organs
the cry OF The pnnr against he rich, which has been
wiIrully and successfully rasfd.he clamo against oil
nee the administration of justice. which Is
bul The prelude assault the principle o! property
those disgusting professions OF ultra Democracy, loud
and 6uder. always in proportion TO their conscious
rnsincpy--and The Of these odous and disho
mes, srfs these symptoms of dfgenfralI"n from our
Republican institutions, the nature and tendencies OF
which are MT be mistaken by any man who has be.
slowed the least attention TO the history OF the progress
and downfall Of Republican Governments And unless
the practice of these be gnay rebused, by dis
cardng from Office the unhappy The guilty man, who
willingly by cnmpnsion' Is the leader or the to"i OF
the faction which pacses them, for shall cease 10
have any hope Of the Republic In fine, mustn's that
Mr. Rives md every honest man thinking as he thinks
Of the measures Of this Administration ought 10 stand
forth with Mr. Tsllmudgr, ond proclaim 'uncompiomis
np hostility 10 the election Of Martin Van Buren,
hayr written this letter, 10 avert the poss'bIi'y OF
any mi.undpr standing of my opnnns by those who
have thought proper 10 honor me with ihe invitation
which you havp communicated 10 mr. Whether 'hese
npinnns are right wrong entertain them, II is bnt
honest to avow them But i am hyeno means desirous
thu, you shall publish them though have no objection
LII xauhr