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

GHy right, M ner trial sciH be grantcd, although there
D"y lure bc"n sum mistakes committed, IT remains I'm.
decided by the President, and unsanctIoned ny elther
him, the Secretary OF the Navy, or the Attorney-1ene.
raj. Examine the opinion, reader, and then say what
excuse do you find for the conduct of John NJ. Bolts.
The facts show, that Lieut.. Hooc, by his agent, The
lion. john TalIAferro, asked the President to exercise
the high prcrogative Of setting aside the judgment Of
ms peers OF Ave Wing officers and 4 Wing Judge advo.
cate from slave Slatcs-lo stay the operation OF the due
course of law-to avert the penalty for an unauthorized
act OF severity inflicted upon Il hel pless seaman COM
United to his charge. He invoked an exercise OF the
President extraordinary powers. What was the duty
of the President, when the record of the conviction and
the evidence was laid before him: Simply to examine
and see that no injustice had been done, 10 ascertain
whether the finding of the Court was sustained by COM
pctcnt, legal proof. Was he, as an officer, sworn to see
the laws faithfully executed, at liberty to depart from
the acknowledged rules which have been settled for
centuries, which have passed n review the acrutinizlng
d~isccrnment Of .uarshalt and met his approyal-rulos
that cveryluwycr recognizes as obligatory-rules, found.
ed upon reasons So plain, that every man of sense APP
preciatrS their propricty, and arbitrarily to nullify a Judi
cinl sentence Does any man clam that the President
has 4 right thus TO exercise The power contided to him;
But this matter deserves further comment and more
serious reflection. Why it has often been asked
why has Virginia lost the proud rank far intelligence
and political sagacity that once was hers: Why do we
no Longer see her, SHE .uohcr IF ShdrS,' looked up
20, and her opinions and actions watched With a fond
ness and respect, but little inferior 10 that which a
child exhibits Tor Il beloved and honorrd parent Have
her people dcgcncratrd: Have public virtue and intcIli.
ernce deprecated with her years; Or is it because the
r!It" Of her sons have become occupants OF, the more eS-
ub"rant soil of her young sisters OF the South and West,
leaving only the refuse OF a noble race to watch the
graves and dwindle upon the fame of our renowned an
crstrv; OH ho-1'hcsc questions are lIbels upon the IN
telli.cnt people ofthc State. The time never was when a
better or more intellectual, more honest or more patri-
ntic population gave tone and character 10 the old Com,
monwcaith. 1t is because otthc conduct Of her delndrd
representatives, who, led astray by the false zeal for
parlixan triumph, treat her people, as if they were bat
children IN capacity, or men whose oncc proud intel
lccts, diiaGlcd by the wear OF ,!mc, we're reduced TO
scuit,tv and dotdrc.
What, we ask, is the direct effect Of such pucrilc at
tcnpts US have repeatedly been witnessed during the
present and past Congresses: The Representative is
supposed to be bcs, acquainted with the character Of
his immediate conslituency-no other is supposed 10
possess equal knowledge upon the subject. II, then,
effort after effort is made by their Representative 70
palm false tales upon thcm-to impose upon their Gre
dulity, what IS the consequence: Does not this con-
duct warrant The belief, on the part Of the impartial
observer, and is IT not natural To infer, that all IntellI-
gent Representative would never hazard the attempt 10
deceive, unless well assured that his people were too
degraded 10 resent the insult, or too ignorant and dull.
minded TO detect the imposition: We maintain, that
this is the course nj reasoning adopted by all mankind.
The consequence is, that every effort of the nature Of
this affair Of Lieut.. HOGC, has, so far rs the agent IS re-
c"gnizcd by the people as their organ, a direct tendency
10 tnjurc thrir reputation and destroy their influence.
II = conduct which pre- suppcscs their want OF either
virtue or capacity. 1t says to the world that, in the
opinion of Mr.. Bolts, who ought TO know them best,
The Virginia people may be gulled with IMMUNITY
they wlIl swallow at a gulp the grossest crror-they
have ncitlcr the spirit TO resent an insult to their ua-
dcrStandings; nor the capacity TO discern when one
has been offered. Can conduct, leading directly 10
such differences, fail TO produce uniay orable opinions:
Fail In DESTROY the ilppp N winch IL all tepl an honest
pride; But one answer can be given-How then does
Virginia stand in account with her Federal Representa-
tlvcs, What other State IN this great coniederacy has
been equally played upon IN this way Let our people
look 10 1t, and tell which Of the twcnty-six States
has had an equal number Of scare-crows manutac-
,urcd Tor her domestic market. Virginia has had but
one continued succession Of false tales, one offered af-
ter the other, and the new conner treadlng so close upon
It's predecessor as TO occupy lis place, even before the
smoke Of lis explosion d~Issipated. How long is IT, since
the extravaganza of the public expenditure was present.
ed over the signature of tins same }. Nj. Bolts, IN an ap.
parent guisc oitruth, and yet how shameless appears the
attempted imposition, when the truth became known
How long since our fears were tried to be played upon
by the false clamor raised upon the militia bill, and the
pretended danger OF an union of the purse and sword
Were these causes of alarm real or groundlcss' nc
intelligent person regards them as other than the low
est, the most groyelling efforts to gam political prose
lytcs. And yet how gam them, but ut the expense OF
reputation for capacity: At the expense of dIshonol
10 our pcople--at the expense OF chasing them IN the
lowest grade of American intelligence This, we re-
peat, is dong djshonor TO Virginia, and, Mr.. Bolts, We
brscech YOU to forbcar. You undcrrate your country
men, your n~cighbors, your friends. You injure them
you wound them in a most sensitive point. You rob then
of ;heir fame by castings suspicion over them, by treat
ing them with wanton coutumcly. Labor to advance
your bank NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. III the cause of the Wings
with principles or with no principles-for The Wing
cause defined in any way-but for Gods sake, So dc
your work as to bring no stain and cast no imputa.
lion even b. Inference, that you estimate Virginia a.
a iii theatre for the FRANKS Of political hacks, for CHI
cane-ior deception and %quackcry. Otherwise, yor
Will sooner or later find the retrIbutlon, and be visited
with the Indignation OF an outraged, insuI,cd and high.
minded people. W. x. NJ.