Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-05-19

Return Judges. Sir OF the Wing Return JUDGES no"
over held separate meeting, threw out the votes OF
- ~, of seventeen election Districts and thus get
tno rid of the Democratic majority made out return
! for the Wing members
!, would seem hardly credible, that proceeding SO
bareced would have been countenanced Tor moment
by any one in authority in this free country, however
and reckless. Yet the Wing Secretary OF
State whose duty it to communicate inc returns
to the House, at the time OF It's annual mee'ihg re-
solved for the purpose of retaining The power OF Inc
STATE in the hands of his party, to withhold the true
returns and send in the false In this desperate resolve
he was sustained by all the leaders OF the Wing party
Nor did the design stop here. BY the aid OF majority
an secured in both houses, it was determined on the exa
minuon Of the votes for Governor Dy tne
n reject enough of the votes given for Gov Porter to
Mace him in a minority declare Gov Rltner reelected,
and carry on the Government of the State under inns
usurped authority. The evidence OF this Design Is
found not only in the circumstances OF the case, 6ut
in the published letter of the Secretary of State, after
The results were known, advising his wing trends 10
| frrat The election as If 1t had not happened.
The legislature met, and the Secretary OF State with
holding the true returns sent the false ones pom 10 tue
Senate and House ofRepesentatves The Senate con-
tanning Wing ma orty unhesitangly admitted lle Two
Wbo candidates for the city and county Philadelphia,
upon these returns known be false and fraudulent at
the time In the House of Representatives, the true
members presented themselves produced the proofs OF
their election and demanded their seats The Nhigs,o
n man. were in favor Of admitting their own partzans
Notwithstanding the notorious and palpable fraud on
which their claim was based. Finally, the two par
ties organized separately, each party choosing It's
speaker and clerk, and each, with the claimants
from Philade phia county, having quorum tor bu-
siness. II now became apparent that the WINGS nav
ing the Governor and Senate, intended to sustain this
u usurpation and 90 on with the government. such
an outrage upon liberty and the elective franchise, pro-
duced lis natural result. The Democrats, like their
predecessors in the Presidential election OF 1901 avow-
ed their determination not TO submit 10 the usurpaton
appointed committee of safety, and appealed 10 tire
freemen of the State to rally in support OF their right
to be governed by their own representatives The
Wings, determined even than their Federal pre-
decessors of 1901 resolved to sustain their usurpatIon
by force, Troops were ordered out and marched 10
Harrisburg. Gov. Ritner called on the General
Government to put down the rising spirit OF Tree peo
pie; but he called in vain The capitol was IN posses
sion of the Governors troops: the people organ
zing and armng through the Sate and every thing
seemed to portend boodshed and civil war. In this
state of things two Of the Wings proved too honest
for the OCCASION and seeded from their friends IN the
House of Assembly, leaving them without quorum
Thus deprived of their power TO go on with the govern
ment, and consumnate their usurpaton under constr
tutiona forms, the Wings denonncng the scceders as
traitors and the Democrats rebels, reluctantly gave
t up their des gns.
n After this exhibition, let say there IS not n
party in the country who would put down the right OF
the people to govern themselves by fraud by force,
whenever they have the opportunity the power, and
if the same party had then welded the power OF the
General Government, and commanded It's armies, what
might not have been the fate OF Democratic Pennsyl-
vania
An exhibition similar in principle has lately been
made BY the same party in the House of Representa-
tves of the u s. Members of Congress are elected in
New Jersey by general ticket At the last election,
one of the Wing and five of the Democratic candidates
had majority of the votes. But the Wing returning
officers at Millve and South Amboy took the liberty,
in papable violation of law TO withhold the votes of
those places, leaving all the Wing candidates IN ma,
jorly Ii the duty of the Governor and Council
examine the returns send for any votes not received,
and give certificate of election TO these who had ma
iorty of the popular surages Though the Governor
was informed that the votes of these places had been
withheld, he refused to send for them, and gave the
certificate of election TO all the Wing candidates. al
though he knew the returns TO be fraudulent.
With this certificate, VIGOROUSLY obtained by fraud,
the Wing candidates presented themselves at Wash
ington and demanded seats in the House, with view
TO vote for speaker, other officers, and printer well
as in all acts Of legislation. And strange it may
SEEM they were sustained in the attempted usurpaton
by the whole Wing force in the lio use.-l was grave
" maintained that the "Broad Seal of the Governor
obtained in fraud, sufficient TO put down the rights
of majority of the people Of New Jersey, and give
laws 10 the Union And week after week the House
was kept in anarchy and the business of the nation
suspended, by desperate effort Of the Wing party TO
consummate the fraud, and accomplish the usnrPat'on
and the Federal Wing ma jory III the Legislature OF
this State have deliberately sanctioned the fraud by the
adoption of a concurrent resolution
After these evidences, who will venture to say, that
there is not party in the country which has as
deep contempt for the rights of the people as was ever
expressed or felt by Adams Hamilton which does
not hesitate take from them by fraud their right TO
govern, and which would not put it down by force if
the could do without the hazard of their necks;
Are the leading Wings of our State better than those
of Pennsylvania Did not nearly all their presses and
orators defend and applaud Gov. Rtner for his attempt
ed usurpaton, and join him in denouncng rebels the
patriotic citizens whose courage and devotion defeated
the nefarious scheme? Do not all their members of
Congress- their presses and their leaders, sustain the
New Jersey fraud and denounce the Democratic majo
rty in Congress, who have maintained the rights Of the
people against fraudulent usurpaton endeavorIng TO
project itself under abroad seals and legal forms In
deed have seen frauds of similar character, on
smaller scale, prucsed by the same party among our
selves In addition to the intimidation of dependent
and laborng men, openly practised by rich and over
bearing Wings in our cities, we know that men have
been brought from other States, and sent from city to
city under pay, 10 neutrase the suages of the true
people, and throw the Government of our cities and
E our State into the hands of minority
| Democrats of New York, have recapitulatcd
: these facts show you the character of the enemy
you have 10 encounter and the importance of the du-
, ties You have TO perform There is much reason 10
: believe that in 1888 general combination of the Wing
leaders formed to carry the elections by talsehood
and raud-cheating the people out of their right TO
: govern-seizing on the State and General Govern
ment and changing first their principles and then their
forms why else are lhe attempted usufPatohs on
Pennsy vana and New Jersey so universally defended
> by them, There is to believe that the same
plan has recently been revived and extended, and that
La struggle is before in which honest Democracy
will have 10 encounter the powers of fasehood, the
wiles Of fraud, the errors Of power, if not the blud
geons of violence. Already the gigantic machinery
Of purse proud Aristocracy every where in motion
Almost half of the House Of Representatives has be-
. come eeconeering club with their Secret Execu
tive Committees, levying contributions and carrying
: on correspondence throughout the Union.
When public station is thus abused and law and
order outraged TO mIsead the public mind, becomes
!; THE PEOPLE to take affairs into their hands,
and provide for the security of their invaluable rights
\ The foreign influences brought to bear upon them
by the great cabal at Washington, they must counter
act by efforts at home. The money of the Treasury
and the freedom Of the mails recklessly put in
QUESTION to deude the honest and unsuspecting and
make the people instruments of their enslave
Il mcnt must be conneraced by association and discus