Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-06-30

by the most unreserved frdnkneSs, upon all subjects IN
relation 10 which the constituent body has a right 10
know my opinions. Indeed, have ever rcgardeditas
a mora! obligation upon candidates for office freely and
nnrrscrvcdly to avow their opinions upon all public
questions, on which they are likely 10 be called TO act
It IS IN this way, manly, that the people can Judge Of
The fitness OF those who propose to become their public
agents.
But on the occasion to which have referred, was
restrained from taking tins course. | was prevented
from roinhtecriH@ any declaration, that under certain
contingencies might vote for Mr. Rivcs, lest the ILL
bcra! aad ccnsorlous might ascribe this declaration 10
the unworthy hope Of c0nciliating the favour and sup.
port .! Mr.. Rivcss political friends.
But whsle this course was pointed out to me by n
sens" OF duty and OF dclicacy, | did not consider myself
at liberty, when directly ln,crrugatcd on the subject,
whether by friend or foe, To seal my lips and refuse 10
answer. Accordingly, to the one and the other, when
directly catcchiscd, ] gave the same answer:-That
being a Wing in principle, should Of elected) vote
for a Wing as |. ;. Senator, and that would persist
in my efforts to elect HIM rs long as there was 4 shadow
OF hope for his success. This pledge was, at every
moment throughout the session of the last Legislature,
prepared to redeem, if the opportunity Of dong 50 had
ever presented itself. Nor viii my failure 10 vote FOR a
Wing on the first, or on anr given number Of ballots,
be- taken asa proof of want of sincerity by any candid
or Just man, who knows the cIrcumsta nrcs under which
the election was gone into. None will doubt, that your
late Representatives oftlic House of Delegates, sincere
Is preferred a Wing 10 Mr.. ltivcs; yet Mry, and crGry
MIR, except three lnpractIcablcS, rotCd for NJ. RirfS on
~ ~ Ltba ~ ' eh s"s . ~ " rs
that no opposition man could hc elected without the
vote of the Conservatives, and that that vote, besides
iorty-ivc Wings, (morc than a majority of the whole
opposition would be given 10 Mr.. II. at the outset.
certainly wa" not one OF the .f"rty ~frG-ior, ! attended
a caucus composed ofthc lmpracticahlcs, and some three
or four others, called for the purpose of selecting 4
Wing to be run on the first ballot. The selection was
made and the candidntc agreed upon; but before the
election came on, the facts above stated were distinctly
asccrtalncd, and neither the Imprac,'cables nor !, who
was Just nat an lmpracticab.c, chose TO be guilty of the
childish a%ticctatlon of supporting a candidate who We
~poSitircg kncT could not be elected, when we had an
unlicsitatng preference between the other individuals
in nomination.
Those who, during my canvass fox the Legislature,
required me to say how should vote On the Senatorial
election, upon receiving the answer above given, inl.
lowed up their enquiry BY a demand 10 know how
would vote, If | found a Wing could not be elected.
This enquiry, Ike the other, did not feel myself at
liberty TO cvade. and answered by saying, that as, IN
the first instance, should, in obedience 10 principle,
prefer a WIG, 50, on the last, If reduced to the alter
native Of deciding between Mr.. Itivcs aud a thorough
gong Administration man, | should still be carryin.
out my principles rs far rs was practicable, by support.
inc the former, with whom | agreed upon all the pro
miuent questions %; the dav, although had differed
from him radically upon many vital questions under the
reign OF Jackson, III preference 10 the latter, with whom
J held no one opinion III common, IN relation to the
prominent acts OF the late and present administrations
These, then, are the pledges gave during my can
' l--, anu NV ms VIII ItNF sttiI - ll u
faithfully endeavorcd to redeem them.
Having given this preliminary explanation, necessary
10 4 correct understanding of the statement am about
10 make, | now proceed to give Il direct answer to the
lntrrrogatorles you have thought fit To PROFOUND 10 me
! did receive n letter from Mr.. Garland, addressed 10
him by Mr.. RIves, in which the latter avowed his deter
minatton TO sustain the clecti"n of Gen. Harrison 10 the
Presidency. THIS letter was procured from Mr.. Gar
land under the following circumstances:
When II was ascertaIned, as before stated, that there
| was no prospect OF electInp Il Who Ia the Senate. II
was earnestly desired BY many, both Of the practicable
and impraclicablc portion Of the Wing party, that Mr..
RIvcs would, by an unequivocal avowal of his purpose
To support Gen. Harrison. relieve th"'. - ~ a.
barrasSment IN which they were placed, and enable
them TO Justify themselves IN voting for him as L. 5.
Senator. With a view of obtaining such avowal, let
tiers were addressed to him by several members Of the
Legislature, desiring Inn TO say, explicitly, whether
he wonld sustain the election of the Harrisburg nomi.
nee. In reply 10 these applications, he stated that he
did not feel himself warranted in abandoning the ground
taken by him during the tendency of the Senatorial
election at the preceding session Of the General AS
sembly, and referred to his previous acts and speeches
as furnishing the means OF asccrtalnlng what would be
his future course.
Now, while agreed with hose who believed that
the position he had taken was utterly IndefrnsIble, aud
the reasons he assigned for declining TO give a cate
gorical answer 10 an enquiry, which those who made
it had a right 10 PROFOUND to him, yet was satisfied,
from his letter, Published in the Spring Of 1879, from
his speech at Nelson Courthouse, which heard, and
above all, from the relation in which he stood towards
the administration party, that he mWSt ~co-opcrat" with
us in our efforts 10 transfer the government 10 the hands
Of 4 new set Of agents. llavin" denounced, IN un.
measured terms, every leading measure OF III" Admins
tration, openly declared that he would not vote for the
reelection of Mr.. Van Huren-and moreover, been bit
tcrly denounced and abused BY the mouth-picccs o, the
party. conceived it impossible that he could fall back
INTO their ranks without degradation and ~debascmcnt.
l., therefore, was prepared 10 vote for Mr. Rives, the
moment found there was no chance OF electrng a
Wing. Not 50, Tie lmpractICabcs. They had de-.
clarcd, that they would not act upon Mr.. r $ advocacy
of Gen. Harrison as matter of Inference, from a gene
raj expression OF his opinions against his competitor, or
from the circumstances IN which he was placed. They
took the ground, That nothing short of a positive decla.
ration, under the hand Of MIR. r., that he would support
the election Of Gen. H., would satisfy them, such cvi-
dencc being necessary to their own vindication before
their constituents.
In this state Of things, seeing there was no hope, al
before stated, of electing a Wing, and fearing that il:
the opposition could not be brought 10 unite, a portion
of the Conservatives might be induced to 70 over TO the
Administration party, and thus bring about the cleo
lion of 4 Loco Foco, did not hesitate to apply TO Mr..
Garland, 10 ascertain whether he could furnish such
evidence of Mr.. Rivcs' purposes, as 10 the Prcsid"n'
tial election, as was required by 4 portion Of the I'm
practicablcs, apprisimg hin, at the same time, Of
the purpose for w+lich such evidence was required,
and the use | should make Of it. In answer to this
communication, received a letter from Mr.. Garland,
enclosing one from Mr.. Rives, in winch, after 4 free
| NIIfSshfI VI liAl'Df 'I '''A t'J'''S 49, '''N1
clarcd his determination TO support the election Of
Gen. Harrison, and assigned various reasons for that
determination. It IS due to Mr.. Rrvcs, To say that this
letter was not written, as has been insInuated, to oyer
come the ~scruplcs of the lmpracti,able Whigs-f0r il
ras wriiea amt reccGrrd By .nr. Garjaad mnny days BE-
forc the d"te IF my letter 10 Mat gc"hcmaa-so that he
at least Is exempt from all blame, if, indeed, any at
tacEes IN this matter.
In forwarding me Mr.. Rs letter, Mr.. G. authorized
me TO make whatever use Of il ! thought proper, while
neither saw nor felt any IIlnrODrIetv in rsinv /. for The
purpose in my letter to Mr.. G-yct out Of abundant
caution, and from a lively sense Of the ilIberality and
consciousness Of party spirit, determined to iortity
myself by the judgment and opinions Of some Of my
most intimate friends. And when say, that my agen-
cy in this matter had the sanction and approval Of such
men as W. Gilmer, Y. W. Southall and James Ly-
ons, | can have no fear Of condemnation IN public
opinion. It is proper to say. thu, neither Of the gentle
men Just mentioned, were appraised, beforehand, OF my
intention to call upon a confidential friend Of Mr.. K. for
such proof of his readiness 10 cooperate with the oppo-
sition marty in the Pre- idential election, MS would remove
the scruples of themselves and their brother lmprac-