Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-12-01

homer 10 the interests or the tactics of corrupt nar,r:
Shall VIRGINIA be made, among her sister States Ia
speak w:ii iyae toagac.' shall she there ikc The
proud stand which she has held, calm, consistent
dgni!i"d, !nnorc aad rcvc!ed even by her enemies
ser ready In resist ins"lcncc oppression, PR
aps 'S"'n 10 save The Unnn' Upon you, -llow.c:ii.
zen@' anl upon y"m alone, rests the responsibility the
glory or the rcnnrsr Of deciding this question! To you
her children, Virginia smppant looks, and asks you
shat she b" sniiecird 10 this unhca.d-of Injustice this
infamous degradation. You are misrfpreseuiol b. IL
wing delegates 10 tho St1te Legislature viii you
quietly submit 10 Their forcing this commonwealth
10 be lisrrrresened for the next six years in The Ma
ona Senate: or, VIII you instruct them, TO give her
her Just, true ard constitutional representation -
! he tate OF Virginia is in YOUR hands alone. She
calls upon yoa 10 her, and tn sdrc nurseries
from oppression and from degradation Shall she
call IN van:-It is true that your efforts will he met
at the Threshold only BY The opposition and abuse
OF our enemies, but by the doubts and fears of ,mid
or responding friends. BY the Wings will every art
OF ridcue and deception be used 10 deter you from
the exercise OF this essential and constitutional right Of
treemen lou will hear much clamor raised and many
attempts will be made, TO attach odum 10 what they
VIII sneerIngly and falsely call sihus instructions -
But tellowczens shall ,rc be deferred from doing
duty by the sensccss clanor the snccrs Of those
whose interest alone prompts them to such conduct,
and who well know the effect il has produced before
More scrupuous than they in the means of obtaining
success ice have already suffered enough BY retaining
from the of upon which their misrcprcscnta.
ions have cast temporary odlum. They know their
interest well; and We may be assured, that they will
never cease 10 this policy towards us whilst they
find that il succeeds so we'll Bnt It's our rlory fe-
ow-ctizens, that never have adopted measures upon
which even the slightest suspicion OF uniirness dis
honor could be justly cast, however might suffer by
It; and were these instructions Justly liable tn such
pcion we would be the las; persons 10 advocate or
adopt them. The Right of Instruction has ever been
held sacred by the best and Tie abcst statesmen
land. IL is essential and fundamental principle Of
Representative Government. Nor can this be foreed
~ mcnn instruction at the poHs by The election cf The Re-
prcSentatrc: For, then it would mean nothing. But
docs mean, that whenever, at any time during the
Representative term Of service, his constituents may
think that he IS inclined 10 pursue, in relation 10 any
subject, different from that which they, at that
hmc wish him TO pursue, il IS their original and
ienab'e right TO instruct him in their present wishes
and is equally his original aud UaaroidaLc duty to
obey them II is argument against this proposition
to say, that by his election he directed 10 pursue
course, and BY the instructions to adopt contradictory
Many are the causes, even in times Of greatest
political excitement, which induce voters to elect
ddac, but which have relation 10 the subject Of
the instructions. And surprising it possibly
otherwise, still the instructions the most recent cx
preston Of the peoples will and even thnugh they
shonId contradict his instruction at his election, yet If
he dsobeys their LAST directions lie may indeed la re
been their Representative al his election, but he
TO be so W! en- he disobeys them Conscious then, is
low Citizens OF having every principle OF right add
Justice on side, lei calmly and rcsontcly pursue
the line of duty uniniuenced BY the camor or the IL
dicue of interested enemies. Procaiming our intcI
ton thus boldly and publicly, let US have our insruC-
tons duly signed by our brethren and properly auihcn
catcd: present them in an unmpeachabc form IL our
Representatives, and see who among these "Democra-
tic Wings has any regard for the will Of The People.
But, fellow citizens, it is from the iimd,y or de-
spending ethargy Of some OF friends, that
have most 10 fear Among these, there are not want
ing sumc who think that instructions would be nm ci-
fort part entirely uscless-slnce no Wing &C.
egatc, (say thcy,) who would not consider Inns ali
instructed b. the vote ut the late election, would
pay any regard to instructions in any other Tor ~
Bnt is this true let beware, my friends,
lest we are too easily persuaded TO adopt this
opinion, which may indeed be congenial 10
Incidence and disappointed feelings; but winch
NAV hereafter cost years Of bitter reco!!ecte IL
and remorsc when it shall APPEAR that our vene-
rated old Commonwealth might have been saved the
shame and the injustice Of the blow That threat
ems her integrity and her rights, had her sons he.r
but true 10 her cause Is not chance OF avctt
ing this calamity worth every effort Of every Denso-
craft Bat there much more than chance prorIctd
We do our duty 1t is unreasonable to suppose that
even Your Wing representatives will see no diit:r-
between general vote, given for certain IL IL
vidua to be President, aud your express written III
slructons addressed 10 them with your own signatures
and properly authenticated directing them 10 vote i"r
certain other persons 10 be Senators OF the L. = Ii
Their they were so instructed by your recent vote,
suJrrn,, the matter beyond all douLt. But even
structions 10 particular point, are no more eA-
plicit declarations OF the Peoples will, than such &C.
neral vote ut the Presidential ccctionat least II must
be looked upon as n confirmation of the former Ca
PRECISION Of their WILL further warrant ana security 10
the representative in acting IN accordance wth IL ana
AZ an additional obstacle 10 usobcdencc-an obstacle,
to crGde which, would be cownrdy act 81 treason 70
the ueonln But there IS difference between these
two modes of instructions; and were that difference
less than it is we might well expect, that III the 40
sence or cypress institutions, party, skilled IN P0-
cal qu;Lbing, and rendered more unscrupnious than
usual by their recent triumph will not be SLOW TO ava'l
themselves of IT, Let then leave them no room LOT
erason or equvoca,on but bringing 10 these Delegates
the incontesblc expression Of their constituents WILL
leave them alternative, but full and satisfactory
complance or disobedeuce. Perhaps there may be
some of these who may venture TO d'soory you. bu.
these cannot be many. Few noC deny the right
of instruction; and those who believe III II, must WIN.
out IN Abandonment OF principle, obey yon. onouia
there possibly be any among them who do not peie'c
in the existence of such right they as well as ih'sc
who maintaining such right IN the a6Stract feIi'',
to acknowledge it in practice, must, by such deha
or :insa forever seal their political condemnation
No man can hope for the favor of Vrginlans, who De-
MICS or violates the sacred right Of instruction. but
even it. for any cause, under any prctencr some Oh
these Delegates should disobey your Instructions tee
would still he enough rofss i ,rhcn transerred from
tr onc side to The oer IL secure our great aa gofo"s
oticrt. . . .,
But, in the apprehension of some, the time is Too
short 10 procure instructions Fellow 'ct'zehs, ine
time is not too short, if will exert ourselves as our
duty demands Upon you depends the snihclency o.
the time, as we'll as the responsibility OF not improving
IT, We have indeed no time TO lose but thai should on,
Is stimulate US TO increase exertion The Senatorial
Election cannot possibly take place before the lo nI
December and then, the contested r'ccto"S "'''
not ave been decided and it s to be hoped and pre-
sumsd that there is enough justice among the wing
members of the legislature TO deter them from gong
into the election of Seno TORS till Tiny are decided
cam be, for moment doubted that there are many
highlnnded and honorable men OF that party III "ul
Legislature, who would to make use OF shci
fragrant injustice, such despcable treachery to Obtain
success And, it otherwise, we would nave IN lns
Senate, (Which is equally divided suillc'rnt check
upon such unworthy designs. In the mcantl'''e you
viii be enabled by active e1el0n to prepare ye@i M
mitteesle every Democrat apply himself to the task
and do his duty in procuring signatures, 49,; and
when once your instructions are completed Mey m"y
be conrcpcd 10 he sem Of Government IN tee hnurs
from nearly all Of your counties, and III two or ee