Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-04-07

II -. n l"
,ne Legislature felt called upon TO check. in
~ mnoe:t manner, that rashness in him of vbich
s.,' nae been guilty. The Legislsturs hsvin. de-
Tvs act thai the period had arrived Cor alb.
Issuing prospeetively the Constitution OF the ~.
o'stes, The Governor seems TO have thought h was
pvpee ior him TO 90 step farther, and to set Il,
sue AZ once, by refusing to surrender to the de.
Cn ana Oh inc Governor OF New York man named
ou,ty, who had committed forgery in New York
no ned to Virginia, and had been arrested and
ou'n'tted here-admlttng, in the act that he wa,
rr,usng 70 comply with a constitutional requisition
s1oJeo. was brought to the notice Of the Legs.
uIe oy one OF the gravcst and most shtened
memoers OF the House OF Delegates, and by an al
os, unanimous vote that House declared its opin.
u 'na' Jury should be surrendered. The reso-
S"n containing this declaration was sent to the
| Se"a'e' anu oy unanimous vote that BODY con.
| Sur'eu WIN the House OF Delegates and Instantly
.ne governor resigned his Office, although there
were nearly fifty members absent from their seats.
no 'ne Legislature hurrying rapidly to its close,
sc u" unusually long session. Although long
'he personal and political friend Of Gov Gilmer and
one OF ms most ardent supporters when he was
e,ected' could not approve his course. hold nv
anegianee TO the Constitution Of my country above
NY personal, and much more my party attachments;
anu while could not, being in the Senate originals
wy measure upon the subject, could not con.
seiehtiously hesitate as TO the vote 1 should pi,s
| Muen the subject was brought before me-and I
musi IN candour say, that regard the act of the
Governor in refusing to surrender Curry ms n,,s,I
| noeiens'ole. The improper act of the Goyernor or
| New York could not be cured bv ano,bcr ;nnrons,
aeI oy the Governor OF Virginia. The violation of
the constitution OF the United States by the CO.
vernon OF New York, could not Justify another y;o
auon OF u by the Governor of Vrginia-on the con-
uary, furnished the occasion for Greater c,u,io,
anu iotoearanee, and for appeal to those who
arc superior 10 the Governor of New York, to wit;
| me FeopIe and Legislature of that State or tbs
congress ct the United States, to heal the wound
.ne view ork funetlonary had inflicted; and il IN
| became Virginia. while the Constitution was bleed
ng unuer one parrieidal blow, to infict another
| WIN equal propnety might IL be contended that
| "hen one man in society abrog,tes for a ,ims an.
penal code, intended for the protection of ali hy
taxing the liie OF another, the friends of thai ober
are aosolved from their obligations TO the law and
may, with propriety take the power and a,,r;,n,as
OF vengeance into their own hands and sl,v tre ~
sanant-thus always putting il in the power of one
'a"'ess man to abrogate the law, and making one
murder Justify another.
As a measure of State IL wns who,I,, L.,., #,
constitutional power of the Governor Rc,,i;a,;on
the hrststep to, and most odous form of war md
| IS JUSTIFIED only by dire necessity-and the CO.
vernon OF Virginia has no authority to declare war
| upon any power much less upon a sister S,,,s "
Useless and worthless is your Constitution il other
wise. IL exists no longer by force of its own obl;
sauons and the will Of the People, but dependS un.
on the tastes and tempers, or warlike propens,iss
go. uV'erhorso OF the States, any OF whom
may violate II, and by doing so, authorize any and
every other one TO do the same-for if the Cops,i
luton no longer exists between New York and Vi,
slnia 1t exists not at all. IL must eYiS, az ~ ali
e o'a'es or none-and | cannot but regard the act
~ 'me 'a'e governor OF Virginia as an extreme of
Nulllhcation never before thought of. fur ill., &C
vernon OF New York thought, or prott ssed To ibnk
ne was not violating the Constitution. That Gov
Shner thought himself right, and was actuated bv |
,".,; ana patriotic motives, presume not to
queston Ills resignation Of his Office is To he ,,ken
as proof oil this. But cannot hesitate to saw thai
sou'u nave preferred any other form of proof and
81 sue aG' OF resignation is most unfortunate one
a"u VI evil example If the Governor was right i'm |
'oSsnihg, the Legislature were wrong in their re-
solutions and If they were wrong in their rasolu,,on
Ien the uovernor was right in refusing 10 surren
uer Curry unless indeed it will be contended tbs,
i-es's AZURE nave no right power TO correct an
erroneous act OF the Governor and must SIT op;a,Iv
| oy, and behold the Governor commi, ,ny 80
however great, or perpetrate any wrong how.v.r
enormous, Tor tear of offending His Excellencv =
Such doctrine, If contended for would be. in NV |
humble opinion, Observation-Disclosures prnctice oC !
would I've criminal IN the Legis ature-aud in re. |
sPectt New York, it would place us in the incon
ss'eht and silly predcament OF wishing the Leois
nature oil New York to do what we deny III. ,i,b,
our own Legislature TO do, to wit; TO revise the
acts OF the Goyernor--the very thing which she |
mas Jailed 10 do, and which we here Gov Cline, |
ahu alI, condemn her for not dons. while the ey.
ample oil the Governor of Virginia saws 10 the Go.
vernon OF New York-"lf the Legislature does wbS,
we ueslIe, you ought TO resgn.p
The Legislature failed to elect Governor in the
place OF MIR GilmeT. ! cannot presume 10 assign |
a'i Tue reasons which influenced the Legislature in
ths' Out there Is one, and II seems TO me all. suf
sIn' reason, which must strike every one, and
mh'eh, know, influenced very large numher of
the members TO great extent, To wit that so MANY
members had returned to their homes under the he
| iei mat The session about TO close thar the
WIN oi the People, as manifested at the spring cleo
uons. could not be expressed in the eiection /,
could not have been SAID of any man who r,,L, |
nave been elected, that he was the choice oG ,he
Legislature properly constituted | had another
anu more weghty objection, in the opinion formed
AFTER careful examination Of the question and Win
Just deifbnce to the opiaions of those who differed
win me- That the Legislature had not the con,tu |
uonal power 10 elect Governor until the term, n,
which Gov. Gimer was elected, had expired-that
OF his election. NV '
uu l. fellow citizens, that this controversy with
view YORK, will not in the end produce the mis- |
Ch'e Which II seems TO threaten. The PROMPT and
Just aeuon OF Governor Patton has done much 10 /
prevent It, and 10 the good sense of the peooe of
Virginia and New York, | trust to avert II fnIlv
ana preserve unmp1ired or even defaced the bean.
tiiu fabric which our forefuthers reared ior us and
cemented with their blood and under which IN. peo
pe nave oeen so long happy, prosperous and free.
IL II be your pleasure to bestow your confidence nm
on me again, shall receive il gratefully and To the
best ofmy humble ability endeayour TO sustain vour
interests and principles.
Your fellow citizen,
JAMES LYONS.
- 'SIHSS AulS dyuTeSS was written. lUug ed in
Inc act Of closing It, the appalling and distressing
announcement has been made, that the good. the
venerable and lllustrlous man, whom the peop'e
hau so lately elevated TO the first office in their gift
) no more cannot but regard this event. my
couhtrymen, under the circumstances under which
IL has occurred, as a national calamity. Itisan
event which, more than any other which probably
could have occurred, calls for the exercise of virtue
ana patriotism by the people, and doubt not they
WIZ meet u as they should. There is some conso.
aton to us however, and TO you my immediate con.
suuehts more especially, IN the fact that the DOW.
ers oil the Government are by the Constitution de-
yolved upon the Vice President, Mr. Tyler. who
was elected by the Slmo people who chose Genr
Harrison, who has been often elevated by your free
suhnge', and whose first pleasure twill be am
sure, TO carry out those great principles which
brought both him and Gen Harrison into power
man who his served his country long in d,fFerent
stations, and always ably aud faithfully.
JAMES LYONS.
State Dsbt-Loeo POGO slar1.