Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-07-21
To rms EpIrons on rur yyy,o

nicai'on from him. addressed to John III. Peasants
ESQ., containing, AZ II does. but iteration and en-
lateement OF the Ideas set touh IN his "Card,
would not now I've the subject OF comment. Ia,
those views have been. think, fully and success
Iiul'y oombatted,j but that | chanca to be one o
those who tn employ the ALTERING language Of the
representative, display "morc disposition to Great,
excitement against him, than ability to argue III,
question" Nor should this sweeping dcrosatior
nave provoked reply f,om me, aItributins It ns
do To that sense Of Importance and e'fSnifciency,
winch residence IN Washington is apt Ia enecn.
DER; but that | 0m m,de, by mCa.re and garbled
quotation, TO agree entirely with him in opinion,
when my avowed purpose was, and is to differ with
him. We heard very much, duiins the late can.
VasS a1out gareled extracts, speeches and letters
ans, TO my knowledge, none were more clamotouS
IN denounciug them, than this gentleman. Yet, un-
mindiu OF this, he separates portion OF the argu-
ment advanced against his position, from its con.
text, usin;, only much rs suited his purpose and
leaving that portion % the sentence remaining which
explained the pat extracted, aud then dcTidinsly
asks. " In what 10 we ditf,ri Can he be right,
| and DC wrong THIS is fault finding with ven
| gClGce :" sc.
| Ii is never pleasant to be placed in a ridiculous
altitude, more especially II the occasion should hap
/ pen TO bc public; aud the irritation | felt at beng
thus maircaied, will, hope, form sufficient apo.
'oSy Tor AGAIN troubling you and your readers h
bret review oi the representatives letter. The
extract alluded TO above IS this The right to Pc
luton Tor the redress OF grievance, real Imlgi.
nary, IS lnconIrovertbe. The petitioner is first to
determine II the grievance exists, and then apply
where the Constitution points for redress. The
Legs aior, the party TO whom the petition is ad-
dressed, Is TO decide whether IN his deliberate iuds-
ment, the grievance exists, and II II does then 10
exercise his power and duty 10 redress" Then fo.-
lows IN the original, the important part of the
clause, (Which IS connected with that which nee
cccCs - the parcle out, and Is omitted by the re
preventative IN his ci,aIion) IN these words "But
u, on the other hand, he determines that the sun.
posed grievance IS no grievance, or but an inagi-
nary oGe and fheH the petitioner dCcsedly persist
n.frf .t.h
nliy becomes an annoyance, a contempt OF the
house-whlch can only be remeGied or arrested by
the application OF those rules of order which shou
govern all dvlJOeratve bodies" Does the rcpre-
sentative SgScc with me IN lhis last fusion of
which tue paT; cited by him was but the prcdictte2
Why, let me ASK It he exercised his CRITICAL scru.
unY 50 rear the main poIut OF difference between
US, he Old not attempt 10 reconcile that fference1
lhat, presume, would not have suI'cd his pur-
pose. pat these questions 10 hun now distinctly:
Wou'd he, If the Abolition petitions were consi
dsTcd and reported upon 10y committee OF ADOLF
tOnlsiS, who OCclucd the prayer OF the pelilouerS
20 be constitutional. and the grievance 10 xs, sun
vote Toe the reception OF those peIlJionsl Or would
ne, II the same petitions wee ret rred TO on anti
Abolition committee, and lie sided To I've unconsti.u
Nona or insufficient 10 call lr,h the exercise of the
power 10 redress sill Tor the reception of hose
petuonsl Let hun, OF his friends for HIM answer
these ,So enquiries, and snail then see how con-
s's,eri and 10 Grant the gentleman Is who publ. his
10 tie world the supposed folly OF his native Sruts
~ pursuing distractions, tSee his letter 10 the Com
mlltSe u! Invitation to he Iamadsc nntrl and If
found fighting for the mere shadow Of an abstr,c-
ton, Tor such, conceive, Wi! the right of petition
then become, II the answers are As [ supposs thsv
wi. be II to The first Of these enquiries he epies
IN the gti,mStive, then what Is his posI:lorl II i.
his: lie admits the existence of a cr eysnce
because ne allows the petition, and not hlyIny
the "Irc nltIUn to redress" where accnrnins 10
he report o! the COMMITTEE, he has tie power
he Is false TO the constitution in not atlJrd;ng
that redress ami false TO his constituents in ac-
know cisin- the existence OF a grievance lin an.
swcr TO the second inquiry, lie replies IN he affirm.
alive, then he PAGES himself IN the position of one
who, unable and unwilling to Weld a favor vet
suffers EinS,. 10 be annoyed 10y constant requests
This msY, think, be called defending absr,c.
tons % Whist name does he give this shldowy
rISh' ne concetes DC what me anIng has abs,rac-
ton ~ his vocabulary Then, with slnt grace or
consistency, does . ilmeniauUn over the tendency
10 abs racilgn ana ransceuGcrla ism in our glorious
Cd Dominion, poured into the of a Northern
State, the home and harbour Of Tappan and Carl
son, come ttOm one who advocates a right TO which
he denies the least practical utility While upon
TINS sguIsct lie, me gress Tor br.,f space to ex.
press my Iud En1ton against those " hu COMM, the
uupafLJn IU.e, though too general crime of pul
i.snEg the errors OF mlsdeeds Of our own State TO
the world, and who hold up the venerable Old Do.
mInton, the mother OF US all, the scorn and mock
cry Of other States. Such Iagmtiude deserves To
be visited with the undyng reprobaiion of all Vir-
sln!ans, and he who, holding public s,ation-the
gift Of her sons, would expose her, should be made
20 feel tina; Stale pride, the mystery OF all our ma,
uonai greatness, IS not yet dead within US, and
''an'cendenia! rs we may be, we can yet s;oop to
anniniate our serE ants Who seek to degrade US
But 10 return. In whot do we differ, asks the
Rep esentCtve? We agree IN thinking the right of
petition absolute, unqualified, and IN supposing II
the duty OF Congress to consider those petitions
We differ N allowing the petitioner the fight TO re-
new a petition which has been rejected, and there.
10y claim q reconsideration Of the opinion of the
House before the INK IS dry which recorded its re.
lection
There is no limit to the right OF petition and the
obligation to consider; but a consideration being
had, the paTty's right 10 petition IS determined n
the petition is granted, his purpose is attained: #
rejected, It IS folly and mpertinrnce IN him TO re-
new his petition and II Is idle waste of time in
the House 10 allow the renewal. If The COMPLAINT
Of the petitioner Is really grievance has lie no re-
counsel UEquCsuOnaUy, the most ample. II
the grievance be Iniolerahe, his recourse IS TO
those natural rights, Of which no form Of govern
ment or society can dvest him. If the grievance
be slight, he must blame the form Of goyernmen,
which proven redress, ana not annoy those WHO
reject his petition Ii he is in truth the victim of no
grievance, Why he loses nothing, nor has he reason
20 complain that his petition is denied. These are
the only three possible aspects the right VI petition
assuu {; and hold IL 10 be prcrOscrUus in the
extreme for party who petitions for any one Of
the above mentioned causes and whose petition has
been rejected to apply 10 the same body for redress
And | further uphold, that tJr the same body 10
entertain, and 10y consequence, reconsider those me-
t'iOnS just r. iec ei, argUCs wat Of confidence in
their Own opinion, aud want OF that dignity and
integrity Of purpose, which should cllracterize the
/ representatives. Of the American People Let the
represent tIvc's friends argue the SUBJECT in the
trltUrm manner u is here presented, aud show if
| they car, wha, right tue petitioner has or what
reason there ~, 10 allowing HIN O renew his nett.
/ ton, " rejected IN either OF the three cases I
would not here DC understood rs advancing the
opinion, that should there be change IN the opin.
! ION Of the House, ihat general rule excluding pc
uuOng upon any subject, ought not 10 De- or could
| not ue, rcscGdcJ. ] mean only 10 say that unless
there s a change IN favour OF the petiticncr there
can be Justification IN removing barrier erect
l ell 10 exclude him, hIs pc ton being once consider.
] 81 and rejected. In the $50 before u.s. then where
| stands our consistent "na;IOntI Tcpresentatiyc3n
lie has admit ed end considered the petitions Of the
abolition st7 and VIC have his opinion that there Is
no power 20 grhutth prIyer IN him, and that there
l7 DO ruth no grievances iOr II lie had the power he
has not tho inc nation 10 exercise o., and imagine
% fair 10 prf-urne that 81 hc had the power and the
| grievance DID cEs., common humanity aud Justice
lie hl5 aided IN passing this rule, excluding pcu
lions once Tor ALL AMI wIl.ou, undergoing the east
change u opinion, he y1'Cs tO rssri.d It. Here VIC
differ, and here o, mg atk what reason can be civ.
| en- i1r this change Of conduct wthou. the cores.
pondng change o. sentiment The reason assign
cd o., tllt ,ll night tD petition is un.im,cii And
the position occupied by the representative is his
VI" has considered the petition, Le denies the cEIs
tCnce pi the grievance; he asserts hg want OF rover
% redress, l The grievance does exist and tells the
petitioner 10 petition lrcClyl What mockcry
Why sIr,, the thing is flrri.Jl. can hardly treat
the subject grlvcy. lie puts himself armed with