Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-09-14

WIZ did Napoleon introduce his gems ddrmes into the
House of Deputies. Was II not because he feared
their circumstances and appeals 10 the people, against
his meditaied usurpauns: Could these tyranis have
made the Representatives of the people dumb, could
they have silenced debate by rule, what mnre could
they have desired demanded For their purposes, per
hans il better such representatives. should nave
remained than be expelled. They both had "bseqn"us
and slavsh mnjorities TO carry out their b, quests
BIZ, they, unfortunately, did not live in day, IN
the GLORIOUS light oil our example They dd not com
pych.nd the fist great reform of Federal Congress
IN these United States, to gag by rule; and there
fore they found necessary to gag ny the sword AND
have you lived so long III the atmosphere "f this Ca
ptai as TO suppose 50 far liberty concerned that
the one form OF suppessiug debate less Objectionable
than the other, if equally effective: Or do you ma
gne be possible, that il the one is submitted To- The
other, it IS convenient, Will not be resorted
10: How have all monarchies arisen from Republics:
Do you know-can you imagine but two steps FIRST
the control of the majority; and, second, the silence
and subsection of the minority. And can you CONCEIVE
dexterous method Of destroying minority than
by destroying lis use' Hi is SILENT what use IS u
| How the abuses Of majority or the designs OF
tyrant against the liberties OF the people, be exposed IN
deliberative body, if the minority is gagged: Is
the want of majority OF an ambitious pretender TO lay
bare before the eyes of the people the true character
their measures, do they not rather seek 10 commeh
them by all the arts and sophstres that me ngehu
ty can devise? To do wrong is the great dihcuty.-
loprnp to us is easily accomplished. 10 destroy or
silence n minority in popular representative Govern
meat is to destroy liberty ITSELF The minority IS Inc
great check the sole restraint on majority, and II
majority is unreslrained, what IS u Dnl desPolis
Can there be better dehniloh VI uosPotist lnah w"
restrained power
And then. have Won thought Mt all, in connection
with this subject, of the people these members OF
Congress, composing the minority, represent: How
come they in the Capitol, They stand the embodied
| e nd In fhptn.
selves. MS men, they comparatively nothing but
as representatives they may WELD power, "as tern
HE az an army with banners" When you silence
them, you silence the people they represent For what
purpose were they sent here Was It not by speech,
and specch oniY endeavor to preserve the Consttu
ion-to protect the people they represent from oppres
sion and injustice, and promote equal liberty TO all
Why should they stay, if speech is denied them
Why should the mockrry Of representation be preserv-
ed when all It's power, lis vitality is destroyed Why
should the people send them, merely 10 subserve the
purposes of majority, ano give the air Of authority to
cdicts which they the dumb instruments of regis
lering: With such power in majority, exercised
only as ii has been when yet not three months old,
the very object Of representation is destroyed The
people represented by the minority do rule them
selves They ruled absolutely, without the poor
privilege Of rcmonstrance or complaint through their
representatives against laws passed Tor their govern
ance in their opinion, unconstitutional IN principle,
and, if unrepealed, fatal 10 their Liberties.
have no doubt you have been astonsled at the pa.
tience with which the minority in Congress have sub
United 10 this state Of things tell you il were easier
10 have deluged the Hall of Representatives in blood
than have submitted 10 this imposition II not
ticult TO have stopped utterly all legislation until
that rule was rcscndtd But, after due deliheralion,
il was determined To submit at least for the tme be-
cause we believed that the people would come 10 the
rescue We looked the whole scope Of the policy
of the party in power-ther tyrannca proceedings
here-their unconstitutional and corrupt Legislation for
the country and We have not doubted their speedy
overthrow Our policy therefore has been, with calm.
ness and dignity 10 await the coming nt the people
that people, whose rights through have been invaded
and lnsulted-to whom the Constitution and the Co
vcrnmen, helonGs-whose we are, and whom
They sufficient for themselves: and II they not
who can be sufficient for them Who but the people,
can make the people ircc3
I Should People and Representatives both submit IN
such legislation needs prophet 10 foreicl the
summation. Let no man suppose that good can result,
from The practice of evll 10 those who practise H. The
Almighty often scourges nation for lis Offences and
he may permit the utmost criminaliy in the instrumen,
OF his chastsemen but in the end, the instrument and
4 the chastsed suffer both alike. Suppose The minority
in Congress SO debased submit entirely and for
ever 10 the tyranny Of the minority, and the people
they represent, acject they, acqrcSce III mere
nominal representation, mGe, meek, s'avish instfu-
mcnts for recording The mandates Of maturity,
hatc,ed III whispers and cngcndcrcd in
ners will the matter end there Can pure and
free majority, (adIit'ng them Ia BE- pare and free
whilst practising rcssion,) coexis with debascd
minority: VIII not the corrnptors soon become cor
ruptedtle cnsiaycrs cnslavrd: Do you not see, TIA,
al every turn Of public affairs, new parties are formed
or new combinations from the old parties, created
And how long do you think that corrupt ma oriy
under the continual shifting of parties, Will remain 50:
DO Gppraved adhere to principle, and avoid pow
or; VIII they not upon the differences OF tine
ioritr elevate Themselves And when tie power 0!
the State is in tier hands, hnw will II below must
it necessarily be used; Sclfcspcc viii be gone. Re-
sprct and reverence for lar people will be gone. With
the absence OF representative responsibility, destroyed
in tie useessncss of rcpresenlaon all moral respon-
sbiliy vii! be merged III numbers. The love Of self
and the lust for power will prevail Combinations VII!
be made 10 suhserye tie objects Of each and mutual
concessions, a the expense OF all principle Tor natua!
interests. Then, when the harvest of corruption is
ripe and universal dstrust exists amidst general de-
pravity, Cromwell or Cesar vii! be hailed de-
liverer. II every other maxim in Government shall
fail this shall remain for true-to be free our.
selves, We must permit others 10 be free.
''lfi were done, when lis done, then I were well
II was done quickly
THIS is the motto by which the ma jory in Congress
have driven through their the present
sion but remember, these thr words Of mur-
drrer, who, whilst stealing 10 his fell purpose, could
/ Whisper
's1'lnn sure and firm EARTH
The very STONES pirate If ms nhereabout."
The Constitution may be murdered al this session.
murdered III your Distribution bill-twice murdered in
your Bank bulls, but the people may yet arise, with
twenty mortal murders on their crowns, and push us
from stools lie who thinks that by multIplyn
wrongs, resistance to them Will be weakened hat by
haste in execution, guilt be d,sguised-ias but the
wrrchcd morals aud poor policy of fearful robbcr
In mighty country like ours, whose step is the ad-
vance reirogrcss'on Of nations, whose every deed
should look 10 the ages nj uurlty-to eternity Itself,
so far this world concerned when they are to be
developed in their consequencesto suppose that such
people, with such destlnles 10 be caught in trap
Of accidents, tied up by the willow whites Of precl
plate legislation, gagged by rules il too ridiculous
to be even contemplate, were II not that all wicked
is TO be pted or despised We great-and to
be made far grea,er-mghtier than our thoughts can
grasp if true to desllnrs, by weighing cooly and
cautiously every act Of legislation by faithful observ
al the Constitution, and by holding fast 10 every
guarantee Of Liberty transmitted 10 By ancestors
or discovered in the of our own experience
Ours viii then be the greatness ofus,lce, truth, and
liberty, combined
TIE WINGS DONE ~ WOOD
\ series ot historical designs in preparation, and
will probably lie to be engraved IN i icyy days. 10