The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-21
Majority

Ia the announcement of this result, muir
mur oiapplause ran through the galleries, which,
the Enquirer says, were filled with ladies and
gentlemen. The Compiler, from which we have
copied The proceedings in another column, offers
its congratulations TO the country on the OCCASION,
with the hope that such condition Of affairs
may never occur again in Virginia, (the State
having been two years without a Senator) to
which, we beg leave TO cordially add our own
This is no ordinary triumph. Above all per-
sonal considerations, il has derived an interest,
at least, if not an importance, from the principles
which have been involved in the contest For
an individual of superior merit and character, to
be driven into exile, and rebellion il you please
is not Of itself unusual Such has been too fire.
quently the course Of things from the days of Ar
taxerxes down, Nor has il always been the case
that truth and justice have been indicated in
the end. But, in this event, we think we see at
least one principle asserted, though very tardily
indeed, and that is, The principle Of senatorial
independence. For while it has been doubtful
whether freedom of debate and independence Of
action are allowable in the Senate Of the u. S..
"i'Hout sut toHStIt VI OF the neaQ
of party. Entertaining an honest conviction
even anterior TO the Inauguration of Mr.. Van
Buren, in 1897, that, the doctrines of Mr. Ben
ton and the Loco-Foco school, were visionary,
and destructive of the interests of the country.
MIR. Rives, both as Senator and as private ndi-
vidual, did not hesitate TO caution Mr.. Van Blu
rem against them, and to warn his friends and
countrymen of their danger. For this he
was Observation-Disclosures Under
the lash Of party discipline the anathemas
OF the party press, and the over-awing
influence OF the Executive, the Legisla-
ture Of Virginia was broken into factions, and
rendered incompetent either TO sustain Mr..
Rives, or to elect any body 10 fill his place after
the expiration of his term. Mr. Rivcs freely re-
ferred the case TO the people, as matter of inf
nltely more importance TO them shan to himself
Again the same causes biased the judgment,
and neutraliz ID the will of the people. The Exc
culive, with the power and patronage at his com
mand, conspired, with most diabolica malignty
and energy, to defeat the free choice Of the peo-
pie, and 10 destroy character, whose only crime
had been an honest difference and free ex-
preston of opinion. For two years the Execu
tive held the people at bay, until, in the last
spring election, they threw off his shackles, beat
back his agents, and returned majority of indie
pendent delegates 10 the Legislature "Rives
or no Rives2' was the inquiry they proclaimed
and the people, from one extremity of the State
to the other echoed RivRsl The choice of the
Legislature last Monday was a faithful response
TO the voice ofits constituents The result is
be TO the multitudes in the u. S., who, with
Rives, Tallmadge, Clark, Garland, Legare, and
others abandoned at the threshold an admins
traton that early proved faithless to lis original
principles and pledges, and inimical finally to
popular rights and public interests. This pride
is elevated still more by the fact that the period
of this last triumph finds vast majority of the
American people in the very position TO which
the Conservatives indicated popular opinion and
common sense TO be tending. But il should not
be matter of JOY for the Conservatives so
called merely every friend Of correct principles,
every friend of Legislative independence, and all
who desire to see patriotism triumph over fac
ton, and purity and virtue succeed over vice and
corruption, cannot fail to experience an emotion
of satisfaction, TO whatever party he belongs, |
when Mr. Rives enters again the chamber of
the American Senate. In that elevated BODY /
we trust he may long exercise those fine facul
ties which nature has given, and study and ex-
perience improved, for the best interests Of his
country, and the benefit OF mankind