Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-04-28

THE DEMOCRACY OF V1Rs1NIA-CoNs1s-
TENcY'-Our readers will remember that Co.
vernon Gimer, Of Virginia, resigned most I'M
expectedly TO all parties; and that an attempt
was made by the LocofocoS, (who were most
Unexpectedly in a majority, owing to many
wings lefl for home,) to elect Locofoco Gov
ernor.
a law was suddenly passed, changing. the
time ofthe Gubernatorial office, this the
Enquirer says was the work ofthe wings
The Enquirer,and the Wing, differ most mate.
rally in their statement of the facts of the
case,but we have to take the one made
by the first, as tie correct one, and we mean
to show that, even according 20 that,the Loco
focos Of the Lower House disgraced the
name Of Democracy. The facts as stated by
that print are these the bill TO sschanpe the
term of the Gubernatorial office" was offered
by wing, and carried no man." saws the
Enquirer, " objected to it--no man mooted
a constitutional scruple;" both parties suppo-
sed themselves in possession of a majority, but
It proved that so many ofthe wings had left
the city, as to leave the Locofocos in the as
tendency; both sides sent off messengers for
absent members, but the Locofocos were
found, the wings were not the last day of the
session arrived, and in the words of the En-
qulrer, "An unexpected tram of circumstances
had left the Democratic party in possession of
a majority in both Houses" the resolution to
go into an election was called up, when the
wings wished to discuss the propriety of the
election inthe absence of so many members, but
the Locofocos moved the previous question:
the purpose of the previous question:" saws
the Enquirer is to cut off all debate; the
wings made speeches on the proprety of put
ting the previous question, and were determin-
ed to postpone the election until the whr
members could arrive; the Locofocos finding
that the day would thus be spun out, proposed
to repeal the law changing the term of the Gu
bernatorial office, and to allow the duties of
the Office to devolve on the senior councillor,
to which the wings agreed, and the election
was thus passed by; these are the facts, as
stated by the Enquirer; now for comments,
We ask any man of common sense, and
who has any love of justice, if it was not an
open violation Of the principle of representa-
ton, and an act of great injustice to the people
for the Locofocos thus to attempt, in the alb
sence ofthe representatives of the people, TO
force the election of a Governor, who they
well knew would not have met the approba-
ton ola majority of those representatives, if
present. Saturday had come; Monday was to
be the last day ofthe session; the wings know
ing that they had large majority, if all the
members were present, proposed an. election,
but finding, afterwards, that so many members
had leftthe city, as to render it impossible for
the will of majority of the peoples repre-
sentatives to be carried out, proposed to let the
election pass by until the next term of the
Legislature. It was at this time that the Loco
focos,-who were by mere accident, in posses
sion OF a majority, and who were afraid ofthe
spring elections--came. forward, and did
what carried out the wishes of the people,
carried out the wishes ofthe representatives of
the people ?-were they even willing to make
some show of decency, and wait till the people
themselves could be heard from ?--no none of
these things did they debut they attempted
to force an election, inI the very teeth of the |
peoples wishes, and when the wings, the true
opponents ofthese wishes, cried out against the
iniquity of this course, they in the words of
their own champion, attempted ato cut off all |
debate"
That the wings at first wished to go into an
election, alters not the case; for The Legisla-
ture had large majority of wings, and, that
majority being present, it was their duty to
elect Governor; but in the absence of that
majority it was equally their duty to defer the
election. Virginia win long remember this
scene. We have here relied entirely on the