Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1840-04-07
LETTER OF THE
HON. WILLIAM c.. RIVES,
OF VIRGINIA.
CASTLE HUI, FEB. Is, 1910


My DEAR SIR:
You inquire of me what are my views on the
subject of the pending Presidential election,
and what course think ought to be pursued
in it by those of us in general of the Republi-
can party who have been opposed to the lead
ing measures of the present administration.
While my name was recently before the
Legislature, by the act of my friends, as a can
didate for reelection to the Senate of the U.
States, ] declined, in answer to various COM
munications from members of that body, to
give any pledge Of support to either OF the
Presidential candidates, as the condition of my
election. did so, because while it is clear that
under the Constitution, Senator of the United
States can, in no possible contingency, be cal
led on, as such, to give any vote or perform o.
ther act in the election of President, believed
that the practice of requiring of those who
might be brought forward for the Office of Sen
ator, pledges to support this or that man for the
Presidency, however it may be otherwise view
ed by many honorable and patriotic men, is
practice fatally calculated to destroy the in
dependence Of the Legislative Department,
and to PROSTATE it at the feet of the Executive
power, whose nordinate growth and overshad
owing influence already threaten the very eX-
| istence of our state Institutions. ln.regard to
| all those questions of public policy and legis-
| lation which were likely to come before the Sen
ate of the u. States for its appropriate and le-
gItimate action, my opinions were fully known
or ifthey were not so, was ever ready to de-
clare aud explain them to the best of my abii-
ty, in answer to any inq uiries which might be
addressed to me-. had, moreover, been very
recently in the public service, and my acts in
the discharge Of the trust confded to me which
were neither few nor equivocal, nor unatten.
ded with circumstances Of peculiar trial, were
before the country, afording, as II seemed tc
me, the most authentic Interpretation of my
principles, as well as the surest guarantee o
my future course.
For these various reasons, I felt that ough
not to give any pledge Of support TO a4y of the
Presidential candidates, as the condition ofmy
election to the Senate of the United States
and accordingly declined to do so while my
name was recently before the Legislature, II
connection with the election for that Office
These motives of reserve have now ceased
My name is no longer before the Legislature
for that or .any other office; and as, in tim
past, it has never been by any act or soicita
ton of mine, so, whether it shall at any tim
hereafter be, will depend on the ;ree will o
others, not mine. And, in the event, even, c
my name being again presented to the Legs
lature by the Partially and generous confdenc
with which my friends and fellow citizens hav
been heretofore pleasedto distinguish me, tn
2 Presidential election will have been determr
ed. and we shall all, Of necessity, have take
our equal and responsible paris In 1t, befor
the Legislature, according to their recent de
{ cision on the subject, will proceed 10 the eiec
tion of Senator of the United States. Unde
q these circumstances, | can no longer feel th
. slirbtest decacy, as a private citizen, IN e.
e nressino TO Won. freely and without reserv
q nv opinions on the Interesting question yo
proposed to me.
Your INQUIRY naturally divides itself into tw
\ branches. The first is, can we support tn
S reelection of the present Chief Magistrate
those of us, I1mean who have been IN earnest
cur opposition to the leading measures and pl
vailng policy of his administration? And th
: question would seem properly and plainly
d resolve itsefinto another. Has he abandone
;. or withdrawn any of those measures, to whic
= we have been, and are still thus opposed!
far from it, we have seen,in hlsrecent Messas
% to Congress, he has again brought torwa
1t and urged, with increased determination OF p
re pose, his now cherished Sub-Treasury schen
: which, at the time Of his election, ali his poll
" cal friends believed to be fraught, and Whl'
IT, WE still believe to be fraught, with the dre
,e. evils to the country. He has not only aga
E. earnestly recommended this scheme, but
i has urged its adoption in the most obnoxlo
and Objectionable of all the forms 1t has ev
at assumed. Irefer, Of course, to what has be
ne commonly called the specie clause,ssor requi
ID ton of the public dues in gold and silver aloI
10 This rigorous feature of the scheme had be
= pretermitted by the President, his more
Vi cent exposition of it, and was believed to be
oil nally abandoned by him; but is now broue
rfe forward in bold relief it il understood, as |
he sine qua non ofthe new political alliance, VIII
has been announced to the country. And
ne President eren tells us that he achieves no
VII Rod will be more suspicious" for the introd'
;al ton OF this hard money policy in the ope
on tons of the government, "than the present
=, when we know, that in two thirds or thl
'' fourths Of the States, specie is at an avers
vs. premium of ten per cent above the comm
lse currency! Most "auspicious," indeed, for
nlv interests of those who are recipients and be
D., fciaries of the public contributions, but SUI
not for the interests ofthe people, who are
ce payers, immediate or ultimate, of all theee
my tributions.