Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-01-21

ELDN II,F
had never bowed the knea TO dai. such dc Buren,;
he left behind him all hope of cico and distinction 10
and proclaim TO his people that rum was al manu.
that their liberties were being prostrated that The Con.
sttution being undermined thai by tue conduct OF
the party with whom lie had co-opcrated the far tenn
pie Of liberty erected by their foreiaers and The pill
lars of the Constitution, Keeling and lettering to
their base; and with the assistance OF gallant ana nope
spirits, with The Constitution in one hand anu Harrison
in the other had driven from the citadel OF their liner
ties the Gohs and Vandals VINO had infested It, lie
now took this man from their hands, and gave him his
hearty, his free his willing support
Mir CRorrEn was almost afraid to trust himself IN
addressing the House upon the present occns'on lie
should not enter into the merits or demerits OF MI
Riyes For more than two years every principle he
entertained-a his acts and every thing he had done,
had been fully discussed both there and elsewhere IL
was not his object 10 make speech, but to oler lew
brief remarks and 10 reply to some OF the ,hsnuaons
thrown out elsewhere; TO the motives That INDUCED
him 10 oppose Mr. Rves, and TO desire the election oil
some other gentleman 1t true that he wished tins
cup could pass from him. The friends lie had acted
with heretofore and with whom he hoped and expected
act in The coming trying time q" the next Two years,
had desired that he should record his vote Tor MI hves;
but one OF the strongest which would induce
him 10 vote for that gentleman was the fact that no
other Wing could be elected. 1t was slid by ms con-
sttuents that he was playing INTO the hands OF me
Martin Van Buren, party in the course winch ne mao
pursued in joining the lmpractcables Tue Searcner
.
day Law his whole heart open that all his feelings
might be SEEM would be found that he opposed Mr.
Rives, because he did not, in many respects, agree
with him in political opinion. No: whatever might
have been the impracticabe which he had pur
sued he had never had thought in his mind, or wish
cd or intended do the Administration party any ser
vice. That party had varied loo long upon the lns
tu,ons of their country for him to do them service
He had witnessed the proceedings of one OF that party
lately and fhereofore he might have had procllvliy
a.. hat hny yinccd i'm he
wrong The friends with whom he had acted, had
determined 10 vote against Mr. Rves, and, IN defer
ence 10 Them he would have hls support-not wiling
one but nos he could not do better. lie must say,
shat il Wing proper could have been elected, which
he found there was chance doing for many of the
Administration party had refused to vote for wing,
Mr. Rivps would not have Ind hls vote. lnesc, and
Other reasons which he would not now give, would
induce him to pursue the course he had determined on
He would no, play into the hands oil inc enemy, as
there was now chance of eccting Wing, he should
r.yc his vote Mr. Rives lie could rot say that d"
should give his vote with much pleasure; but the con-
nued) you that have brought US, my wing friends, I"
This pitch, must take the responsibility upon your
selves.
Mr. BaYLY said that he did not rise prolong The de-
bate He had presented his views 10 the l1use on two
former occasions; and they had gone TO The country
He satisfied that the propriey al his course soulo
be tested by those views. lie would not dein the
House 10 add any thing 10 them But The refusal o.
to answer the undergraduates Of his friend from Monroe
mir. Chapmnn,) and the ground OF that refusal mace
proper for him TO shy few words. The ground had
heretofore been taken that in the election oi Senator
the party connection OF the candidate sh"nld be ,he
ruling considerations that the great inquiry should be-
which Of the candidates for the Presidency does he sup
port, and that the response TO this inquiry was salts
factory there was no propriety IN gong ar'her ana
inquiring into his fundamental principles. u Is
known that he never acqnesced IN The lcg'tima-
| of facf On flp
ced it the Of the partizan, rather Than the
Statesman. But whatever proprety there may have
been in this course, prior to the Presidential Election,
II seemed to him that nov, when that election IS over,
it was manitesty improper. Surely principle now ought
TO be the test
Ii is known that he opposed 10 the election of
General Harrison. But he had been elected 10 the
Presidency by large ma oriiy Of The people OF The
United States and MIR. d. did not hesitate 10 say that
his administration ought to be fairly tired. Pfedetcr
mined support, or opposition it, equally fac
lious. For himself he was determined TO give It
fair trial: He determined to support It II ne could,
or oppose it If he He should neither give it
fac,ous support or & factous opposition. We hive
been told that General Harrison would conduct the
Government upon State Rights aud Democratic pTin-
ciples. Should he do SO, he would receive Mr.. Il.
support. Blu, if he conducted it, us he feared he
would, Federal principles, he should oppose IT, lie
was not only himself determined TO support tine Adj
minslration of General Harrison, if it deserved the
support of State Rights men but he was ANXIOUS
that men should be sent 10 Congress who would
support it in that event. And on the other hand,
he unwilling to send those to Congress who
would support it, il it conducted upon the prln.
cples of the National Republicans But aboya all,
he was unwilling TO send any man INTO the councils
of the nation, who would be governed IN their opposition
support Of the Administration by selfish considcrn-
tons growing out Of their personal advancement.-
He wished General llarrsons administration fairly
tested But lie test which he wished 10 be applied
was Virginia principles and doctrines. We can
only he assured tina, it will he fairly tried by these
tess, BY elec.ing men 10 Congress whose principles
are known to be orthordoS. lie wished the men who
were TO test Gen. Harrison, TO be themselves sound.
Hence il was that he much regretted that his friend
from Spotsylvania had refused 10 respond TO the en-
1uiries Of his friend from Monroe. But the gentleman
from vana had PIT his refusal upon the ground,
that if he answered satisfactorily, the gentleman from
Monroe would not then vote for Mr.. Rives; and
he inna,ed that il otherwise, he would respsnd.
MIR. b. would take from his friend his Preext for not
answering the gentleman from Monroe. lie would
come mp 10 his rrGusiiion. He would assure the gen.
teman that if he would satisfy him tha; Mr. Rvcs was
sound in principle, and give HIM satisfactory assurance
that Mr. Rives would carry ont those principles he
would vote for him. lie wished TO be explicit He
disirusted Mr. Rivcs. lie did Mt agree with him in
principles, as far he knew Mr.. Rives' principles
Nevertheless, if lie were convinced that Mr.. Rvcs
was sound in principles and 4 satisfactory guarantee
given that he would carry them ont in practice,
he would vote for him. Having said this much,
he would put these questions to the gentleman
from Spntsy lvania, who the intimate and
fden,aI personal and political friend of MIR Rives-
Would Mr. Rvrs under any circumstances vote for
T. S Bank, Were his constitutional difficulties
that subject Of such character, as that III won'd not
sure ndpr them under any circumstances Was hr
opposed to Tariff Tor protection on constitutional
grounds Was he opposed 10 Internal Improvements
y The General Government on constitutional grounds:
Would he 70 against the distribution OF the proceeds
of the sales of the public lands' would he vote for
pcnl Of the force BILL and to ecnd III" expnnging pro-
cess: had he changed the opinion which he had express
ed in Congress, that slavery was moral sncial, and
political evil and ought 10 be abolished at once in Vir
ginia He put these questions to the gentleman from
Spoltsylvana, and if Mr. Rvcs could come up 10 these
State Rights tests aud he could produce satisfactory
evidence that he would act upon Stale right principles
he would vote for him. lie dlstrusted the principles
OF Mr. Rives-dd not believe him to be sound, and
should vote against him, unless these questions were
satisfactorily answered. Ills worthy colleague told
,laIr IN nj ola