The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-03-20
From the Charleston Mercu,u

Our readers will see, by the following letter from
managed at Richmond 1t remains to be seen who
Their the people Of the Old Dominion will be man.
aged by Convention so managed
CoRREsPoNDENCE OF THE MERCURY1
Extract Of a letter dated,
RICHMOND, March It'll, 1843.
SIR.-The result of the State Convention of Vir-
ginia which assembled here on the Cd inst will
doubtless have reached YOU before YOU receive this
That result would seem uDpropous to the prospects
Of Mr.. Calhoun, but we his friends here iatter ou-
selves that 1t is not even a fair expression of the
sense of the Convention itself Much less is it an ac-
curate index to the feelings and preferences of the
people of the State.
The Convention organised on the call of Mr..
Richie, who had previously informed himself alike
upon whom he might rely, and whom he should avoid.
lie placed as the temporary President known Van
Buren, man. He appointed Committee to nomi-
nate officers and that Committee by one majority
proposed Van Buren, President and Secretaries and
two Of four Vice Presidents.
1t was not deemed prudent to offer opposition to
this proceeding, after the first move, knowing that
such opposition must be made q great DISADVANTAGE,
The next step was to appoint committee of 81 one
from each Congressional District and two for the
State at large, to draft an address to the peop]e
This Committee was appointed by the Chair OF course,
and 1T was over the address that we determined to
give Dditic, ItclnS eHircIy cObuucDt oil having the
vantage ground. We succeeded in committee after
a warm contest, and our report was adopted Ii was
perfectly obvious however that the struggle was to
be gone over on larger scale in the Convention vet
many of the Calhoun delegates thinking the question
virtually settled, as their Committee had dec-
ded for us left the City. We still believed we had
the strength and felt no fear of the result
We had to contend against one disvantage which
finally proved insurmountabIe, to-wit want of Par
liamentary skill and discipline. The first fatal move
was from one Of our own men. II was that the vote
should be taken by Counties instead per capita. As
fatal as was the move utmost effort could not
rally our party against it, Perhaps our moiety united
with the Van Buren, strength and voted the PROPOSE
ton through. After that it not possible to cx-
hib strength, and every thing carried against
us. 1t reduced the number Of votes in the Conven-
ton at the most to 1874, and placed the majority
without the hope Of successful resistance in the hands
OF Mr. Richie, and his particular satellites of the Le-
glslature He alone commanded some 30 votes in his
own person; and majority perhaps were members
OF the Legislature mostly devoted to his will and drec-
ton Many OF the distant Counties unable be repre-
sened by their county Delegates because of their
great distance from Richmond, and ignorant Of Mr.
KS preferences, equally that any question would
be agitaed which would call for DIVISION had very
naturally deputed him to represent them / am
thoroughly convinced that the Committee imbodied
farer expression of the opinion of the State than
the Convention it was selected from every part of
the State, and far better understood the subject.