Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-06-28

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sine, cf human ,,!a There is no actual neonFen''
whatever. uncer the present sysiem,-t al IN
na,srec,iye Thia bill provides remedy against what
the States NAV possibly do Hereafter, not against any
thing Which ll.ry have ever done:
r., S,- This remedy for an ev! which never hasex
,aI ,. i,elf move TO be an Infinitely greater EVIL
tn Ina, y hch i, proposes to prevent lou WIZ most
,snrrdly have TO endure The penalty for nermeddilns
without the as sSy with The domestic AFFAIRS VI
IN, States in matter of such VITA! Importance ana 10
violation If the sPI II moi o.r 'et..f, ., Tue
tn,iop TINS will hereaiiet; though |, Tor one,
~ 40 wl, can TO avert 1t. But, Sir, all The States
wu nn,aud some of the States cannot, they would
obey your mancate. hold, they are constitutional
Is hound 10 OBEY II. ,,.-, ,,.: r
ho snh;c, and determine to try the constitutional
na,;,n before The next House Of Representatives,
ul;cb i the only tribunal competent TO decide H.
Sn,,osa they should say Congress, GU have acted
without any authority whatever, and, notwithstanding
r,r command We choose to elect, by general ticket,
ar IN farm double districts, as we have Gone Hereto
cr vhsr. the convenience OF the people or the pre-
vo,,,on # fraud may require i've choose 10 MAINTAIN
h, vo believe 10 BE- constitutional rights, III con
ti,,onaI whist will then be The consequence
rt ,-l of tins question before the House OF Repre-
cotn,iyes ,,is esGr'iy be o such character as
Ia sl.ka ,hs U:cn 10 lis centre. The difficulty OF
cons,i,u,pr that body for this Judicial purpose Will BE-
If Tho mos embarrassing character VINO shall be lEe
r;ers There IS no law in existence prescribing what
shall be the OF the prima tdctc evidence OF cleo
ion ia eu.,e member to take his seat III the trs m
stance Twenty or thirty members appear at he par,
;,b certificates of election under The laws Of their re-
s,ec,;vc States and demand their seats. Who shall say
In these members, before any House has been Iornen
You shall not participate IN the organization oil the
H,use, 4 scene OF confusion. worse coniounded,
INNS, necessarily )llow-the country Will be az ated-
on,ba of the lime Of the body Will be occupied in set
limo this queston-and the people OF the country Will
be divided into highly excited parties. Those VINO
have witnessed the delay, and the agitation Of the pn5
lie mind in consequence Of the proceedings oil The
House on the New Jersey question: VIII De ao,e L"
form an idea-and hat iaiat deaot the scene winch
must inevitably be presented should you pass The PIE
sen, bill. Now, admitting the law TO be consu
tutonn let me appeal 10 Senators whether thcy Will
wtIou, The least necessity whatever, place the coun
try in such position.
,rhe States have no other mode of trying the ques-
ton Without the slightest disposition on the part oil
Their Legislatures 10 resist any constitutional law oil
Congress- but merely for the purpose OF having TINS
most important constitutional question settled they
nav and OF them most certainly VIII, continue
/, elect BY general ticket They may deem /; nccessa
nv 70 assert their constitutional independence OF the
commands of Congress; and If they do, human inge
nu,y cannot devise any other mode by which the ques'
ton shall be decided II they obey the command lhey
thus nconiesce in It's cons,lulonahty, aud establish
a precedent which may hereafter essthta''y 'h'ia't Tux
us, rights of the States.
Raj, in the case Of Missouri it is now physically
impossibe that she should obey your law. You have
nermted six months Of the session to pass away With
ont performing what was your hFst duiy-that OF APP
rortloninG Representatives. among the several States
Sou have DELAYED mt, late period, that her ne t
congressional election must be held under her pre-
sent law. The question must then be raised by MIS-
sour, whether she will Or not.
Nov. why should you involve yourselves in such
difficulties: Congress- undoubtedly, possess the power
10 district the States for the election of representatives;
and however we might complain Of such an act as an
abuse Of power, we could never contend that 1t was a
VOCATION &c the Constitution 1t you, then, Deem the
exercise of such power 10 he eXPedent, why do you
No, pe form the duty yourselves AMI 20! impose 1t on
The States, when all the dangerous consequences OF
soch a measure are staring you full III the lace
You say that you desire 10 prevent the large states
from establishing the general ticket system But IS
tis the best mode of accomplishing the obJecG My
oc,n individual opinion is decidedly opposed to this
svsten and so, believe, is that of large majority OF
the people of Pennsy lyania. We have elected by DIS
es for the last forty years; but have, for the sake OF
convenience occasionally formed some double districts
IF left 10 ourselves venture To say That we shall al
,,,ys purs,ie this course. Your impolc and unne-
ccssary agitation of the question may produce that very
effect which you intend 10 prevent The people oi
PENNSYLVANIA NAV begin 10 reflect that either New
Jersey with SIX Representatives., or New Hampshire
with bat five, under the gencraickct system, exer-
cises greater political influence IN the House OF he'
nres.n,a,iycs than the keystone State does under the
s,,ict systeul with lie. twenty ght Representatives,
and with d Democratic majority OF more than twenty
thousand EACH! o. these two small States enjoys an
eGuaty representation with Us u! The Seng'e and
snperor political influence IN the House beware,
them Of how you ngitae This question The very tact
of violent party action The side naturally pro-
dsces n corresponding action the other. Should
this cxrene be adopted las It probably VIII
bel by strict party vote the natural tendency VIII be
towards the other extreme when we obtain the power
Ny own npnon therefore is, with that oil the Senator
,Ln, . 1aat h,
subec. 10 The States where IT has been LETT for more
tau half century there will be danger OF the evils
which Won an,cip pate. But it, on the contrary, you
pass the prrstn: hll you may arouse desire among
the people OF The large sta;es to establish the general
ticket system That the second section OF tins bill viii
lie repealed inevitable, should the Democratic party
again Obtain power; (and that they will do so at no dis
,ant day. is a!nost certain For one, shall then be
glad we shall be ehIe TO stop at the mere repeal with
out exciting spirit throughout the larger States in
favor of the general ticket system Let the, therefore,
nnpeal most soennly to my friends this side of the
House not TO involve themselves in serious difficulties,
n order TO avoid Imaginary evil which never has
existed and most probably never Will exist unless
,i.rr unwsc and inpoiita Legislation should give il
b.;i.
Is there any danger that the States, if left to them
selves will generally adopt the general,cket system:
What has been past history this subject None
of the larger States elect by general ticket, and
the tendency of public opinion everywhere ~, as
Tim. ought to be, towards the district system
THIS has been s:;kingly eyemplGed IN the State oil
Alabama Such is the peculiar position Of that State,
that with large Democratic majority in the aggre-
gate, she would probably elect majority Ct Wing
Representatives. to Congress under the district system
Her Legislature, therefore, passed law TO elect by
general iieaet: and yet powerful is tie aversion in
the public nnd 10 this system, that it has overcome
political feeling, and decided nnIor;iy OF her people
by their votes, have determined that TIE district sys
tenn shall b. restored. And will yon, in the face C.
suc demonstration, sci about conquerIng windmI!s
wI;ch NAV, o. your own conduct, be converted into
giants You may the sumherng lion, and
BRING npon yourselves The very evil which you mos,
anx 10 avert
These cumside; atoms onsht 10 make rather
- '''rn hear t!iGSe lis we iiave.
Than 4, cii,eIs chat We know not oil;
could say great dca! more; bu; desire 10 bring
the debate to a close as speedily possible desire
that we shall not render ourselves still odious
The country than are at present, by compelling the
Legislature Of Pennsy vana, which will meet on Thurs
dag nex agln 10 adjourn before Shall have passed
ant bill