Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-01
.a..,. ia csar,,,,gn .strss,y. Jan. ss.l
Rooa G, rms CEgrRAL CoMHirfEE,
January 3, lsIi.

w, ,nrluse ID you, tor publ cation, letter 10 US,
and an address from the Hon. ). '. Iaih"nn, y u'
friends and supporters, g'vi"g hs reasons lot wiz"
hala,ro his name as a candidate for The PRESIDENCY
o tie Convention which is to assemble IN Baltimore,
on the ! II Monday IN May next. ,,;
In o,c,oo th,s document in your hands Tor pno',cA
,hi Conm,,tee TO be through them submitted TO Inc
nub,;c the absence Of many Of It's members Preveht"a
Inc assembling of quorum until this day, wheh It's
publication was directed IN accordance WIN tue WISHES
of Mr. Calhoun. -, 1870
Ceo,lemen herewith enclose you, as the organ OF
,..a ,,bo have nominated me for the Presidency 10
This State subject to Convention tarly constituted
nm address to my political friends and supporters, as
signing NV reasons for not permitting my name u 60
bsfnre The proposed Convention, TO be held IN baltimore
N Mav next | transmit it to you, because deem u
rasnectrul and proper TO make II known to those 70
whom i, is addressed, through you and in order 10 al
ford vou an opportunity to take such measures VI e'
,on 10 IT, as you may deem proper, II, indeeo, you
should deem any necessary. All have to request rs
that lis publication should not be unnecessarily delayed
lc;,osdl C. CALHOUN.
Hon Jacob Bond On,
and other members Of the Committee.
Tue ADDRESS OF MR.. CALHOUN TO HIS POLITICAL
FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS.
I have left il to you, my friends and supporters
through whose favorable estimate OF my qunlhca'ons
| nj
tod States for the office of Chief Magistrate, 10 conduc'
tb canvas, on such principles and IN such manner as
YOU might think best. But, IN so DONG did ho'
waive my right 10 determine on my inovidua iesPon'
siby, what course my duty might compei me 10 Pui-
sue ultimately, have been an inateneVe observer
of the canvass and the course you have taken
affords me pleasure to be enabled to say tha' on
all leading questions, growing out OF tue canvass,
heartily concurfed with you, IN tAe GROUNDS you 'ooh
and especially in those relating to the mooe III "n'cn
a. n,ad ION
Baltimore, should be appointed, and how ihey shouu
vote You have, in my opinion, concluslveiy SHOWN
that they should be appointed by Districts and vote per
copitG- but your reasons, Us conclusive as tuey "e
have proved in vain Already New fofh anu SUM h
other States have appointed Delegates en- masse by
State Conventions, and State (Virgina) has re-
solved that the votes OF her Delegates shoua oe g'e"
by the majority, aud be counted per eoPtM. heif
course would necessarily override that which you nave
so ABLY supported should you go into Convention ana
would leave you no alternative but TO yield yours and
ADOPT theirs, however much you may be opposed 10
il on principle or TO meet them on the most unequa
terms-with divided, against united and concentrated
forces.
The question then is what course, under such c'f-
cumstances, should be adopted And that question
YOU will be compelled speedily TO decide Inc near
approach of the time for meeting OF the proPosea co
venion will not adm, of much longer delay, Su.' az
your course may depend in some degree on ,hal wnch
have decided to take deem II due 10 Tue fe'al''n
subsstlng between US, 10 make niue h"o"" " J0N
without further delay
then, after the most careful and deioerate survey VI
the whole ground, have decided, that cannot permit
nv name 10 90 before the proposed Convention, con-
STUFFED i, mus; now be- consistently win tne Pih
cipes which have ever guided my public conduct. MY
directions are nsuperabe As it must be const tuted
il is repugnan all the principles, on which, IN my
onnion such n Convention should be formed. Wha'
those principles are, shall now proceed briefly 10
state. ;,
,.th hat ha finn
be 20 constituted TO utter fully and clearly the voice
Of the people, and not ihat Of political managers, or
Office holders and Office seekers and for that purpose
hold II indispensable, that the Delegates should be
appointed directly y the people, or, to use The IAN
oraoe of General son should be "ftesh from the
neooIe also holG mat the only possible mode tc
effect this, is for the people 10 choose the delegates by
Districts and that they should vote per edptd Every
other mode Of appointing would be controlled oy poll
/ teal machinery, and place the appointments IN 'hs
| hands of the few, who work H.
object, then, TO the proposed Convention, because
it will not be constituted in conformity with this iun
damental article Of the Republican creed. The dele
gates to it will be appointed from some OF the states
not by the people in Districts but as has been stated
by State Conventions masse composed OF delegates
Amounted in all cases. as far as nm informed, by
County or District Conventions and In some cases, u
not msinforned these again composed OF delegates ap
pointed by si smaller divisions, or lew interested
individuals. Instead then Of being directly, or resr
from the people, the uplepdteS 10 OOh
venton will be the delegates of delegates; and OF course
removed all cases, at least three It not tour degree
from the people Al each successive remove, the voice
of the people will become less foil and distinct, until
at last it will be faint and imperfect as not TO be an
diLle To drop metaphor, hold it Impossible to form
a scheme perfectly calculated TO annih'ate TIT
control Of the people The Presidential election, ant
vest it those lo make politics trade and who 1--we
or expect TO live the Government.
In this connection, object not less strongly TO thu
Il, .arI ata ateac nj
vote With all due respect, must say, can imagine
nothing directly in conflict with the principles
our federal system Of government or, to use bfoade
expression, the principles on which all coniederate'
COMMUNITIES have been united. hazard nothh!
IN saving, that there is not instance III our Poutca
history from tie meeting of the first Revolutionarl
Congress 10 the present day, Of the delegates oil n
State voting by majority and counting per eapia no
do believe instance OF the kind can be Iouha "
the history OF any coniedeIaed community mere ~
indeed something monstrous in the idea OF giving TN
majority the right of mpressng the vote OF The nno
rity into its service, and counting them as It's own
The plain rue-that which has ever prevailed, AM
which conforms to the dictates of common sense, Is
that where State State by majority OF 1t
delepates the votes one, be they few or many
or the State large small. On the contrary, wher
the votes of all the delegates are counted they vote Ia
dviduay and independently, each for himself count
ing one And II is 10 be noted that wherever TINS lat
Ter mode of voting exists among conlederaed Sates
is in all cases founded on compact, to which the con
sent of each State is required. In the absence o
compact the invarabe mode of voting, in such States
is in all cases. by the majority, their vote counting one
The which Virginia ha, resolved to take IS IL
violation Of this plain and fundamental rule and If
should become settled practice, would be destructive
of the foundation which the whole structure OF The
! State Rights doctrine is reared.
hold, in the next place. 10 be an indispensable prin
cole that he Convention should be constituted al
10 give each State the nomination of candidate
the same relative weight, which the Constitution Sc
cures to ii in The election of the Pres dent, making
due allowance FOR its relative party strength. BY The
election, | mean the whole-the eventual choice when
goes into the House of Representatives., as we'll a.
The primary in the electoral college. The one Is
much part Of the election the other. The tive
make the whole. The adoption of the one, in the con
veniion which framed The constitution, depended on
the adoption of the other Neither could possibly BE-
adopted alone The were the result Of compromise
between tie larger and smaller States, after long and
doubtful struggle whish threatened the less OF the Con-
stiiut,on itself. The object of giving 10 the smaller
STATES an equality with the larger in the eventual
choice BY the House, 10 countepolse the prepon-
derance OF the larger in the electoral college. With
this, the smaller would have voted against the whole
provision and its rejection would have been the con-
sequence Even as il stands, Delaware voted against
it, In confirmation Of what state, refer TO MIR Madl
n. on tbo dino softh no