Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-03-23

NAV next preceding 20 80
ne reason clearly approves wha! has heretofore beer
deemed wise and Just, and we deem 1t on all ground
highly impolitic and aexpedent 10 disregard The ex
Il psrence of the past Even the Wings, whom we &C
cusc of hcbtua disregard CT popular rights have beer
constrained TO yield considerations so anesty rea
snnaJ; and propcr-and shall VIC, the proessed part
of the people, show less confidence IN the good seas
and sound judgment Of the Denocracy:-a greater dis
trust oil their intelligence and ability TO understand,
of their disposition 10 do what VIII best secure thei
rights advance their interests:
i Another reason, not without weight, 49, that ths
Convention of the Wing party meets at Baltimore OF
the first Monday May, when they will put forth theI
nominations, and the grounds on which they will CLAIM
the support OF the people. By assembling after them
we shall see the whole field OF battle and be enabled Il
make our dispositions TO meet them on more fair
equal terms, and TO join with them on grounds tina
cannot he misunderstoodthose great issues OF prnc
pie involving the asccndancy OF our respective cfeed
and policy.
Besides this the State OF Alabama has called hei
Convention to meet in December next, and Mississippi
hers assemble in January, to consider the time foI
The Genera! Convention, ana 10 provide tor the ap
pontment of their Delegates to the General Conven-
| ionic meet IN November will be discourtesy 70
them, and exclude them from all participation in It's
proceedings.
For the reasons above forth, and for others ably
and clearly expressed in the report and resolutions oil
the Democratic members Of the Legislature of Mary
land, and in accordance with Kentucky and Michigan
which we heartily approve and adopt for ourselves,
think the earliest time at which The Convention should
assemble should be May, 1874; and we express
firm conpctlon that pressing any earlier day than this
40 established p,eccden and usage, and contrary
Tie declared wishes of large portion, IT not minority,
will create well founded dsirus oil the harness CT such
proceeding, and greatly endanser the harmony and
consequent success OF the party.
In speaking OF the organization oil Inc Convention
we have already stated it opinion, That 1t should
be composed of delegates elected one TO each Congress
sional district and answering IN number to the votes
the State ented to vote for PRESIDENT, and we now
add that the voting in the Convention should be per
capa,i each delegate casting his vote severally and
pendent. 1t mas, in the State of Virginia, been
proposed 10 conform To these principles, so lar as TO
elect by Districts but 10 elect many rs five delegates
from each district, and that these unwiedly masses
shall after assembling IN such numbers, however d.
vded III opinion give the whule vote tue state rs emit
tied to- precisely as though they were unanimous.
The first and most obvious objection ~ the unweld
less of such body. In tie Congress OF the u. b, the
House of Representatives consisted tor The last ID years nj
2i2 members, and was found sn unw'edy and incapable
OF proper debe ration, that !; was reduced TO 20 THIS
scheme if acted on in every State, would create Con
vention of l67 members-a body utterly incapable Of
consultation or deliberations But il is manifest that it
conld not be acted on generally The distant States,
and especially the South and West, would barely be
able 10 encounter the expense and 10 procure the al
tendance of number Of Delegates corresponding 10
their votes while the States near lhe place OF meeiing
could. without difficulty, send their whole quota and
nvcrwheim then, with numbers Indeed, II we depart
from thu far and eqaa rule adopted for representa-
ton in Congress, al sea, without, chart
pass and each State may determine for herself the
runlber of Delegates she vii send, with the convic
,ion that the she sends the greater WI! be her
chance control the procee dngs and ultimate decision
OF The Convention Indeed, 1t would practically be-
come a Convention of numbers, which the States
might multiply at will, and Maryland, IN whose limits
it meets might send her thousands, aud half the ct
zens of Baltimore be constituted Delegates to the Con-
vention
Blu. the better to illustrate the proposition let ii be
RENE INBRED that when, under the Constitution, the
States vote as States for President leach States vote
counts only ciie and the of Rhode Island is the
same as that of New York. This gives security to
the s,na, and weak against The greater power OF the
large and sroar States But this scheme violates this
principle entirely, by allowing the great States TO cast
their votes not bat for many the State
is entitled 10 vote IN tie electoral Colleges, and as
though they unanimous, although they may b.
nearly equally dvided-thns New York for instance,
entitled 80 the electoral Colleges, may cast
the whole for one man, although II of the districts
should prefer and vote Tor another. Dangerous and
destructive of the just weight and influence OF the
small States as it is in this aspect, when we remember
how much the danger s increased II the large States
combine, loss to know how 10 give expression
the full extent Of alarm eel for the future pros
poets Of free government, such principle shall be
sanctioned.
The ohec, of popular Convention is 10 give the
people the opportunity TO express Their wshes-but
constituted these principles, would from lis IN
ception to lis consummation he continual series OF
management and machinery from tn caucus, 10 nomi.
asa a-aias Gar zach district Ia The hnal can
Gus, hich entombs in lis own vote the voices OF ma
jority and minority IN each State. ]; substitutes eau
Gus for the people, and makes OF them nothing more
than instruments and victims II is mockey 20 say,
tha, their wishes consulted by taking from all who
do agree with the majority of the State, not merely
their right 10 vote they think, bat, by an act OF
l,lo furan hair
TO vote By States in the manner proposed, instead oil
voting by DISTRICTS is 10 disiranchise minortes, and
to deternine, that whole districts OF people, who, IN
tie aggregate, may constitute large ma or,y Of the
whole party, shall h. This system of management, be
robbed of their dearest privileges frcemcn, and TN
der the forms Of free action, be reduced 10 P!ess sub
lection. in u Confaderacy Ike ours, composed oil!
strong ard "eak States the greatest security of The
weak States consists III the divisions Of the strnnrthe
min"rties Of the strong, uniting with the weak States,
check the undue exercise nj power in the strong But
the operation Of this system destroys this secur;y-no
only because IT takes from their large mnorites, often
almost equal 10 the majority, their dearest brhrght,
but turns the strength thus stolen from them, the
weaker States, crushing them beneath this mighty
power, and making them, in all further times aP.
penGaCes 10 those despotsms
/ Strongly impressed with these views, we, the people
Of the sixth Congressional District of South Carolina,
will select for ourselves delegate To attend and re-
present At the Conven,ion Of the Democratic Re-
publican party. And we DO hereby invite our Demo
cratic Republican elIowc citizens Of this State, and Of
the United States, 10 take such steps for their beng re-
presented in such Convention they may deem best
calculated to insure the mos, true faithful and lair ex
pressun of the wishes OF the people, III the selection
OF fit candidates for PresIden, and Vice President.
And 10 such selection, made by Convention or.
ganized On these principles, pledge cordial
support Should that selection fall that statesman
who has served long and faithfully, and who
pre- emIrenty the choice Of s. Carolina, shall
feel the highest qualifications but should the people will
otherwise and the Democratic party decide for another
we shall be prepared to yield preference and dis
charge our duty faithfully, for him upon whom the
choice ofsuch Convention falls.
Having given views IN egard 10 The Convention
and acting in conformity with the principles have
avowed we are prepared to express preference for
she Presidency of The u >, and 10 make known our
reasons for that preference In selecting the candidate
We present 10 the Convention for this nomination, we
are governed BY one wish, which is paramount 10 oil
other consider atons, ard that the Federal
Government thoroughly relormed-to have ii restored
to the good OLD Rrprblcans of the days of Jefferson
-puTged and purified from all the mad, mschievous
Rod fud,