Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-07


Tor the Presidency order toprocure his election And
ne ADDED, that he believed the principle sto be intimately
connected with the preservation and ynd:caton Of our
zee institutions. If, therefore, Mr. Rives has given
ne piecge which was required by last winter AS
nor oil Their support he has violated prnc:-
PIE which nc declares to be intimately connected :.ith
ue preservation and rindcation Of our free nst;tu
"o,,S u nc has not gwen the pledge, how they
without gross inconsistency, support him. Eut does
Tie !rttcr pledge Mr.. Rves? sav i; does not And
as Inc letter admitted to be ambiguous nothing farther
= necessary TO sustain this denial than the fact That
if r'V's gentleman, and That he has soemnr said
'sa' ms determination founded principle, was fixed
not 10 give any pledge. But, lest some may be Dis
poscu TO different opinion, refer TO the letter itself
IL IS IN these words:
"CAsTLE HIN, Dec 4, 1899
;"9 Hfar Sr-My engagements nave led me to d.
lay longer than intended my acknowledgements .,ir
principle and 'pafit.rstf y @'h pu.. conveying 70 re
sraon of the yet unimpaired energies Of lofty and
virlnous public sentiment in the country, which, cons-
dcrng the extraordinary influences which brought
to bear upon the eemen of your State, is as full OF no.
nor TO them of hope and consolation to their
patriots elsewhere
Sncercly hoping that the deliberations Of this day
at Harrisburg may be such will be most suspicious
10 the continued ascend2ncy of the same feeling in
your State and to render its fourth expression as eff
ccnt the three last have been; pray you to ac-
ccpt the assurances of the cordial esteem and respect
with which am, very truly yours,
WEI G. RIVES
This letter is sufficiently diplomatic; and is suscepti-
bic Of variety of constructions. But | cannot col
lrct from its Delphc phrascoogy any distinct pledge
He expresses the hope that the deliberations OF The
Harrisburg Convention may be such Us will be most
alspicous 10 the continued nscCndancy of principle
and patriotism. Why, Sir, that is what ninety
men in hundred of every party would say; and II
contains no pledge Of any Sort much less that he would
abide the nomination. Now that it is made, Mr.. Rves
may say that the hope he expressed had been d:sap
pointed
Ifths letter docs not pledge Mr.. Rives-and surely
it does notnnd if he hns not the required pledge
an any other fnru--and have never heard il limited
even that he had ask how can those gentlemen who
insisted last winter upon the pledge qma
vote for him without Is there less for
curing the pledge now when the election IS approach
ing than there then On the contrary, cannot tint
pledge be insisted OH with much more prcprlcty now
Then there improperly in requiring an IN
definite pledge of Mr.. Hves to support the HARRISBURG
! nomination. He could not know who would be th,
nominee. And it mnnilrs'ly improper to require
HIM To pledge himself III the dark. But now III,
nomination IS made, ard The nominee, IS general!
understood, is less obnoxious 10 the Conservatives
than The Statesman who, it was supposed, would &C
III" nomination. Thry, it is said, opposed To Mr.
/ Claws nomna,inn-itCy were too deeply cnmmtrt
against HAM, and they desired "tertimr, q,ud' cand
date. Their choice was Gen. Scott; but Cen lIarri
Understood 10 hr !.lCT@ arrtptAbt 10 NtI
! Mr. Clay. With better show Of reason, therefore
could the pledge be insisted upon than last win
ter. Yet then it required IS have SAID, as Stn
/ qna non. I
But, Sir, never have admitted and never will ad
mt that The advocacy Of tic claims Of this or that can
didaie for the Presidency, the proper test in the choice
Of Representatives. This practice, in my humble OPT
non ono of the greatest evils of the tines and on'
which bids fair to destroy Tie best features IN our re
preventative Government. THIS is the great error o
The times; and Il is becoming greater and greater on
every Any The question OF the Pres ;!encr IL absorb
ing all and every other question Let candidate pre-
sent himself for any Office high low, and The cues
ton asked is not what his princples-Ch! no, Sir
the ccctor who asks that question is laughed al as benz
behind the age. Principles Princ rics ! il is at onc
exclaimed, Why, what have principles to do with tn
matter Under the banner Of which Ci The Presidential
aspirants do you Ggh' That is the question, and In
only question. And if tho candidate cones up TO TIL
test. matter how deficient he may be ia every Guaii
cGon 10 TT HIM for Tie trust lie seeks, no matter how
selfish his purposes, how impure his life, how niamGu
his character, if he be the partizan Of the RICH
Presidential aspirant, that is enough! That compen
safes for the want Of every thing else. And Sir wla
is the most lghtful part of the matter is that tins les
is not confined 10 political Offices but is extended TO all
from that Of the most petty municipal office 10 the high
est from, the constable Up! All this is inconsistent wit
free institutions, and will later If not re
formed, destroy th'm. And of all political reforms
in my opinion, this is the most important
If the Presidential question is 70 become it is as
becoming the sole test in clect;ng members the lie
gsiatuTe and other Stale officers will do to pro
Guce practical consolidation Of the Government thai
any thing know Of And what is TO become Of Sta:
Rights, which much talked about, 80 t'e Under
stood and still less appreciated, if their guardianship
to be committed to the blind follower of the fortune
of this tr that candidate for the Presidency of the
81 repeat, the practice is consolidating in lis ten
denotes and ouoL Il be reformed And that can on
be done by good mems setting their faces agaifst H.
Mr.. Speaker, heartily approve every word Mr.
R;vrs said upon this sub -ct IN his Louisa speech; an
i cannot better show M appreciation than By adopting
as now do, what he sad on this point. He thu
speaks:
uprofcundly impressed with the conviction that thi
practice cf holding up tho Claims OF competing cand
dates f"r the Presidency the sole test III tie coc
{ popclar Representatives, and requiring them uncon
dtonaly 10 enlist under the banner of one other .
the rival chcitans, is practice fraught with mint
danger to the Liberties and public morals of the country
and must inevitably terminate in claiming the Repre-
sentative branch of the Government to the Of Exc
cutive supremacy, beg leave in aid of my own tecbl
warnings, to recall to you, fellowctizcns, the solemn
admon,tion Of one, whose voice wont to be heas
with respect by the Republicans of the land. meal
John TAYLOR of Caroline-the co.labcrer CT Madison
;he rrca struggle of 90 and 90, and Of whom Nj
Jefferson has said that cvcry act Of his life and
} word he ever wrote, proved him TO be a Republican
i This distinguished Republican statesman, IN his Boo
ston the Principles and Policy of the Government G
The United States, speaking of the practice of ole
rislaturcs parties and individuals cnsting under can
diatcs for the Presidency, this instructive an
tha did do Mr. Rvr injustice in this criticism, s SIN"
his letter Mr. Fontane published in the Wing on hc am
February four days after this speech delivered; but WINCH
the date shews, was written before the election: -
C,srIE ILI, Jan. 22d, -
My Dear Sr-1 find that entirely private letter OF mine IA
in this land Of universal neory found ITS 10 the fIe-la
lrdc 4 letter Of Albany, which has been published
The Evening Journal Of That city lenrlosc you ett"r IRON
,ta; he has taken this responsibility without any e"c
of mine will, doubtless endeavor {" hia IKE out OF
something most horrible and rasonaSic 10 raise an9 rane
the 9itrmGrr becoming rather stale But n"gt ~ le
patriotic and irdysndt 81 srerg pr
into witt that the people o' ~ OF