Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-21
FOR YHE FNQUIRER.
Miscellaneous Reflections on tie .ipoStacy IF WMiam {.
Rircs-Dedica,sd to the Democracy Of Tirginin.
I'm
sob. for 4 strong sten,o.ian voice 10 chaunt
Thy praise, Hypocrisy. Oh for hymn
Loud a> the virtues thou do>i loudly vauut,


Not practise. oh for trumis Of cheruhim!
Politics. wlthout principle consistency, renders
man al once odous and contempt Bile; and there is
a more wretchrd character, because there is
selfish than that of political adven'nrcr. Some
and toblrs NAV be paatcd forgiven forgotten; hut
there is that of spirit and lltlenrSs o. soul ~
SefShnCss, which defes the power of oblivion to
oblterae destroy, and our detcstaton of the dpspI-
cable object only w!th lt'c itself There ~
one trait however, belonging to this too remarka-
bic to b. passed over in silence" When man has
himself up TO the unrcstraned indulgence of self
ishness he much transported by the intensity and
promp,ngs of this evil and ruling passion, to become
himself affected with fatal blindness in his rndravorS
to UindtoId mankind This species Of mcnti blindness,
which is frequently the doom of unprinciped men,
to have been wisely and prnvIdentIay intended
efficient safeguard to protect us from the malice
and wickcdncss of those, who acknowledge II" other
rule Of action than the indulgence Of their own norc-
nate ambition.
Never was this truth better illustrated or more clear
IL proved than in the case of VIM c. Rves Thesys-
trmaiic dupcity pracsed and attempted I" be prac-
tised by this individual is without parallel in the hrs
tory OF this country but, like many other unprncprd
who have gone before him. he has evidently 0rer
shot the mark and has fallen and failed IN consequence
Of an abundance and over-refnement Of cunning
and intrigue. For, his self and crupulons policy
has bfaded him that wonderful degree, that he thinks
to think every in Virginia an idiot, and
incapable nf detecting rescntlng the most shallow
able attempt to arraign Mr. Van Buren,, for and
opinions committed promulgated by him many years
since, and previous to 1896, when this pseudo and
gowworn patriot voted for and zealousy advocated
his election to the Presidency; and hence, too, his de-
nunciaons against some of the drnt cal doc
trines and practices which he did not hesitate defend
during Gen Jacksons administration And indeed,
the hypocritcal can't and dsgusng shameirssness and
levity with which hs throws off old principles and pr"
iessinns and attacks his former rnrts has brought
to nv m nd the following anccdotc which IS related OF
Lord Th1rlnw, most proiigae politician, and who
vas Lnrd Chancellor of England during tn" ndlnstra-
ton Of the second Pitt AZ the time when George lHc
Third first became insane, Thro,c imagining That p's
ministerial career and influence were al an end, deter
mined to chance sites and saw himself by striking
barrain with the Prince of Wales, and his friends,
and he finally formed corrupt coalition (whose nti-
mate designs weTe however, subsequently, trustatcdJ
with the Hhg opposition Of that day-who, like the
Ghigs of our own tunes always ready 10 sacrifice
D-jnriDle for the oavps and fishes equally regardless
Of all dpcency shame. Upon this circumstance the
historian remarks, that LGrd Thuro,rS rcGchcry md
ifrgiorrSaton did not remain long secret. P0i'hcm
prints exposed at The time in hc shops Of the metropolis,
r,prrsend him stripping eff his cont aad turning IL
inside ont; accompanying The net ,ohh appropriate
obserration, hat 'oNE WOULD 10 As WELL y
THE OTHER! ], therefore, respectfully submit 10
my Democratic brethren, the proprety of ordering
appropriate prints TO be struck as emblemacai OF
the bareaced aspostacg of VIM G. Rves: for, IN strip
OFT and turning ms Democratic coat, III us
suming his Federal Wing livery, ne hasernced time
serving reckessness and dextery that would do no
dishonor to Lord Thurlow himself.
The auibbles, misrepresentation and gross perver
sion of facts which this miserable aposate has embo-
died in his late letter, are, IN reality, so numerous So
phstical and contemplate, 10 compel us to conine
our animadvcrsions only to The glazing OF his ta
aces and inconsistencies This dull and Improbable
task I now propose to undertake, and SHALL for the
sake of greater ccarness and dstnctness, cnumernie
his ridiculous bubbles and their reuat'on IN the saine
order in which they suggested themselves TO mind
lat He druounces the President, because he has
deemed it his duty again 10 recommend to Congress the
Independent Treasury System But let IL be horne IN
mind that the argument hitherto urged by VIM. {.
Rives and his plant minIons was, that majority Of
Coneress opposedto that system and TINT the PrcSi
dent had acted improperly recommending it, knOhrag
this 10 be Mc fact. Now, however that the people ct
the United States have spoken in voice OF thunder in
its favor at the late elections where this system const'-
tuted the true question at issue that there are
naioritcs for it both Houses of Congress, we still
behold this " little great man endenvorng to "strac'sc
our Democratic President, because he recommends what
the people themselves have commanded to he dome
Verify verify this Mr.. Rivrs and his Bank arst"cracy
are difficult to please; for Mc Chief hdgsrate IS 70
blame for recommending rhat Congress IS not ." Juror
of-nnd he is equaiIy to tiame fer rseom"e"dt"s h"f
Congress man md do approve - THIS may De wing
iustce but Rhadamanthus himself would blush at such
shameless ethics
ID He arraigns the President again, and for the third
or fourth time because in his Message of Dec. 53-,
he suggested sthe cxpcdicncy Of leaving discretion
ary power with the Executive IN certain cases. rs 10 the
places ere public monies ought 10 be d-posilcd and
vet this the self doctrine, which this shameless
and time serving politician did urge and advocate in 81
in his speech the Removal Of the Dcposrs for, he
then told most empatcay that 'the public interests
might, in certain cases, require DISCRETIONARY
POWER to he lodged with the EXECUTIVE, with
regard to the proper places where public mon es should
be deposited and kept Yes, these his own words,
People of Virginia. This doctrine of "a discretionary
power" against which VIM: c. Rives now hypocrt'-
cally decaims, was advanced and supported BY him ~
1884, and do hereby challenge this brazen-fac"d aP"s
tate and tegversator satisfactorily to answer or deny
his eharps | now drag him before the lar Of public
opinion and brand him as political lmposor and pre-
varcator he knows that these charges are true; be.
cause they have been preferred against him before now,
silent and str cken under