Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-10-24
From the New York Tribaas.
r.IIE nrrcI. A.nn

In istt. the Wigs carried tho State Of rennes,
see by 3.ssa majority over the strongest and mos,
popslas Loco Fcso in II, eieesing their Governor
anu |. @sles'y OF the legislature. t'rhsv had 10
to ~ IN the Senatel Ga this Legislature devoived
III, Imperative duty Of eleeling two Members al the
u.St,les Senate, both seats from the being va
caNt, and Tcnnessee without any representation In
tina, body. The uniform usage, " no, the positive
law oil tbs State, prescribed an election by Joint
Ballot Ct the two Houses; ard besides it vas OBJ
vious that an election co ij be ma lie by ous po-
lnicaly opposed in no other way. Accordingly the
Wing House promptly passed a JOINT Res tuition
IL 20 into JOINT Ballot on specified day, and the
SENT, after much delay Ultimately concutred in il
the Loco Fo,o Speaker Islo represents a Wing
District voting with the Wings 10 citry It. The
dy came; so did the Wing Memb,rs Of the two
Hoses, NJ did some OF the Loco Focos; but the
mt's Of their Mombers, especially OF the Senate,
refused 10 be present or to 20 into election; and
ali~ OF the State requiring two thirds OF each
House TO form quorum 10 Joint Ballot, no bust.
ne,s could be transacted. no election made. Re.
pei,ed attempts were made, with this identical 10
suit, and tho Wings had to give j, up. and leave
the State without representatives in the Senate OF
the Union. where mevuies vitality aft citing her in
teresis were constantly under discussion. The
Loeo Focos would do nothing unless the Wings
woI.d give them one OF the two Senators, an take
FOE the second such quasi Whis as they had So
iec,ed
Every effort to secure an election, based on the
rights Of the majority, was con,emptuously reject
ton OF the Senate and appeal to the People. The
Wings agreed to u; but then the chalcngers chang
cd their ground. and said tae House must resign
also. well" said The Whig-, Suppose We con.
sent TO give up the clear majority in the House and
Joint Ballot tina, have-to stake all against
no,hin:-wc demand NJ condition OF you namely,
II We beatyou again, YOU must assures us that You
will then come into J,nt Ballot and allow us to
elect our Senator'S mo, sirs,' said the Locos 'wo
will make psomi ses.' "Then, what use in our
resisnlns7" said the Wings: 1--WE will stand where
We are. and insist that you perform your duty"
Here was a simple resistance OF the minority
calling themselves Democnisu to the rule OF the
majority, both Popular and Legislative. There was
no rcsisnins-no appeal to The People. The minor.
iiy, elected for two years, determined 20 keep the
State for SO long unrep'esenIed IN the Senate I'M
less the majority would sue ;umb to their dietiiion
And how much has this anarehism hurt the Loco
Foco partyi Not the frs, vote, locally, or any
how.
case no, wholly dissmiar has since been pre-
seated in Ohio. There the Wings were in a minor
ty ia the Legislature, az TO 10 IN the Senate IS to
81 In the House., though claiming ma iority on
the Popular Vote. This Legislature assemblies to
District the State for Members of Congress. The
maj 'rlty, themselves majority only by virtue OF
IN ist unfair Legs Arportonmen',) devise with
great labor and trbulation pan which will give
them, with less than half the Popular Vo:e IL to
OF the Memtors oil Congress. To do this, they are
forced to make the ID srics grossly unequal in Po-
puation and shamefully distorted and mons,rous in
shipe-some OF them nearly a bundled miles long
aud!of slender widih-mnny crooking and skipping
here end there in ORDER TO pile the strong wEs
Countie' together, and bury the weak ores under
stronger Loco Foco. The Wings, after resisting,
protesting, demonstrating against this hsgtant injus
uce-this Virtual subverslon OF the first principe OF
Republican Government, were at last driven TO the
extreme step oil reSgnng their seats, and thus ltav
ing each House without quorum-of course, in
competent 10 consummatc the medltated inquiry
They argued-"rhere is no urgency about this
matter; the Districts may jus, vel be made by
the next Legislature so s>on TO be chosen; and the
members elected at the next regular election, two
months before they will be required TO take their
seats We simply appeal from fraud 10 the Peo-
pie, and by step which VIC have each right 10
take-thsi OF Tesisrng the trusts committed 20
10 the People. What harm can there be IN this 7"
Nov we see in this precedent which may he
grossly, dangerously abused; yet think the hsI
ard OF the step mus; always be great that its
petition is lutte likely TO be frequent. We might
might not have counseled its adoption; having been
done without our knowledge, we wished Ohio
i1iends well out of 1t, and would have helped them
through II IN power. Yet this step, so little |
exceplionable in ITSELF has cos, the Wings the S;a,t
The cfy Of "rreason!" so fercely raised and re |
echoed by our opponents has alarmed thousands of
Wings they dreaded TO be drawn into sanciionng a
dangerous or nnarchc al preceden; they have said !
lttle but withheld their influence aud in many cases
sinid away from the Polls-and there.y gwen a I
triumph to Locoiocoism.
Such Is the radical difference between the par
ties. The Locofjcos would not have lost vote by /
taking such course under similar circumstances; !
The Wings have los, thousands, and thereby the /
State. Hereafter they will he very careful how |
hey do anything which even be tortured into |
The appearance OF resisting lawful authority.