Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-03-18
RICHMOND. SATURDAY, MARCH Is.

/ Charleston
.from distinguished source, to show chow the Con-
yo,.;on has been 1ranqgcG al Richmond. (And the
Mercury adds by way OF mnral) IL remains TO be
whether the people of the Old Dominion will be
AGED by a Convention managed we shall correct
sor,e nj It's statements in calm and respectful manner
|, ;sa du,y. which we owe the Convention, well
n ourselves The letter purports TO he written from
I sRichmond March 7th" Ii commences as folows:-
"S;r-The result of the State Convention of Virginia
which assembled here the ID instant, will doubtless
have reached you before you receive TINS mat result
wonld eeem unpropous TO the prospects OF Mr. CAL
boun hui we his friends here, atter ourselves that it
ia NOT even far Of the sense of the Convcn-
,iou itself Much less is accurate index to the
feelings and preferences of the people OF The State.
l THE Convention was organized on the call nf MIR.
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 20 nominate
officers and that committee by one majority proposed
Van Buren, President and Secretaries ana : OF Vice
| Presidents. ,
The Convention was called to order by Mr. II. in
the same way as he called the last Convention (of
lsl2l 10 order--but it was mol organized oy him. tie
did not nominate the temporary President nor appoint
i , Committee to nominate officers. lie was probably
=, lule arouainted as any member of the Assembly,
yith the preferences OF the several Delegates as
the Mercury Correspondent says con whom he might
| relv and whom he sh ould avoid Mr. X had taken,
il * true a deep interest in the Convention before it
an Addrcss-one friend Of Mr.. Van Buren,, another a
friend of Mr. Calhoun and third gentleman who
IS IN no way pledged 10 either candidate lie had
zone further. He had invited number OF genicmen
members of The Legislature ~ well as Special Dele
yates 10 the Cunventon gentlemen Of various prefer
cnces To come together free conference two
nes before the meeting of The Confen'lon TO examine
the Addresses and TO compare notes with each other,
for the pnrposc of their understanding each other and,
if ucccccsary conca,ing their views But after the
| no took
procecdnGs lie not put upon any OF the Commit
tees las he had always been on previous occaslons Be-
ny requested by OF the friends OF Mr. Calhoun to
py 10 the President for the purpose OF having of the
most able and active friends of Mr. Calhoun the Ad-
dress Committee Mr. r did take the liberty of writing
4 note 10 the President, tn beg him not TO put his
On the COMMITTEE he had any such idea, but 10 sub
s,itutc the name Of the gentleman IN question. He
was nut upon IT, and took more hcliVe part than any
other delegate all the proceedings of the Congen.
.inn Mr. II did not write line Of the address-nor
did he see one line Of il, of the substitute, until
they were both publicly read in the Convention. But,
of what use ali this management, which has been
ascrbed to hm (tor, near lurlher the Correspondent
of the Mercury)
1.-THE next step was 10 appoint committee of %,
one from each Congressional District and two for the
State at large TO draft Address to the People
Tins COMMITTEE was appointed by the Chair OF course,
and was over the address that determined to give
battle feeling entirely confident of having the vantage
ground. We succeeded IN committee, after warm
contest aud Repo,, adopted. II was perfectly
obvious however, that the struggle to be gone
on Il larger scale the Convention, yet many Of the
Calhoun delegates, thinking The question virtually set
lied as their Committee had decided for Us, left
The city We still believed we had the strength and
fell 40 fear for the result.
1t seems, then, that in The packed Committee OF %,
they succeeded after ALL and, understand, that If
all its members had attended, the iates ttme which
was the great question nj issue, would have been de-
cded in favor of Mr.. Cahouns friends. But they
were beaten in the Convention itself by large ma
ioriy--both ptr capa and bg counties. The writer
indeed tres 10 break the blow, by saying "many of
the Calhoun Delegates left the City" No doubt some
few Of the Delegates both SIDES left the City; more,
perhaps, of The Van Buren,, than Of the Calhoun men;
because the Van Buren, were probably III greater
force from the beginning.
The writer goes on TO assign another cause Tor tAs
he says5 "lrom our men It was that the vote
should be taken by counties, instead Of per capita =
and this he ingenlously ascrbes the ultimate
disaster Of his forces for, he says:
"Altcr that, IT possible TO exhibit our
strength ana every thing was carried agains, US II
reduced the number OF votes IN the Convention al 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 Legislature. lie
alone commanded some 20 votes IN his person.
and majority perhaps were members Of The Lcgsla
turr mostly deyoed To his will and direction Many
of the distant counties, unable 10 be represented by
their own county Delegates, because Of their great
distance from Richmond, and ignorant Of Mr.. RS pre-
ierences equally that any question would be agtated
which would call for DIVISION had very naturally
Gerued hm 10 represent thcla.'
The vote by counties was less tiian 13i but then it
was necessary to collect tina. from al least 26D
delegates. The writer says, that this "esi false move,
las 10 the mode of vctIng) made by one of Mr.
Cahouns friends. The Richmond Wing comments
upon this remark, and repeats, that s'this was
made al the suggestion of General Dromsooe." The
mover Mr.. French Of Chesterfeld and We have a
.1,,t,. ttatr ttap,a .nrx- =
asse rlion "as false, and without foundation and says,
the resolution referred 10, suggested by his
Elections dis letter will publish in our next) But
what its efec, on those who preferred Mr. Calhoun
Certain it is either their force was not rallied, or
they had not The force 10 ray-Lut it is most bcral TO
crcisc MIR. Il. in this fashion, after the conciliao
course which he wished TO pursucand after he had pro-
posed two compromises, two questions the waving Of
the manner Of voting in the General Conyenion-on
the principle of which, he thoroughly agreed with &C.
neral Dromgooc-and the time Of meeting, which
be proposed to extend TO the ih January though no
man more deeply impressed with the importance Of
holding the Convention before tic meeting Of Congress
II is begal and shameless to speak Of "h par
iicuar satellites Ct Tie legislatures for, there are
uonc such-to speak e "a ma ority. members Of the
Legislature being mostly devoted 10 his VIII and drec-
ton. 30 member but would scurn such mputalion.
, Anl with what face could any man say it, who
saw, too, both Mr. Ritchics suggestions elected -
The very fact OF his voting alternate, too, is
most grossly misreprescnie Instead of twenty votes at
his command, he only voted eleven times, and not
of these votes was single shot. He voted as Of
The twehty-four delegates Of Richmond. On other oc-
casions, he voted with five or three, enc colleague,
and never, in any case, voted against these latter asso
GATES attempted in The slightest degree 10 influence
their votes We regret 10 any delegate Of the Con-
vcnlon capable Of carving his disappointment far
10 rite such hasy letter against any of his colleagues.
For one, happy oassure him. that there better
and more harmonious spirit among all the Republicans
of the Legislature, (whethcr Calhoun Van Buren,
men, sine the Convention, than before IT,
viii the Charleston Mercury suffer lis make one
observation further, Upon Is column OF remarks "tc
timc and organization Of the National Convention
and on the Of Convention: We pass over It's
arguments upon the time and manner Of voting. il both
which il is misfortune differ with the Mercury
But il in coed taste or in good temper 10 speak Of "the
men abou; Richmond, who managed the late Conyen-
ton: Why speak Of The desperation and sense Of
weakness" which prompted the members OF the Con-
vcn,ion recommend the ilh Monday o. November
We say il, with not the slightest wish to give offence