Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-09-20
POLITICAL.
rrTER FROM JUDGE CHEvEs.

ID ress, al all, VIC must Surrender uilS ueii"i"s,
lear OF the dangers Inc Union I. oihci fears ana
dangers much more important, involving interests
sill, dearcr 10 us, ani which Immediately 'tIinc
HON, n our business an bo>cms" Thatno cltcc-
tual resistance will be mad" without lie UNION -
three or four States rha, therefore the great oo
icct of cxerion is - effect ;aat concurrence IN"
that as often as ys'l shall attempt separate 1e''i
YOU viii fail. and more and more weaken I'v lio ,
raj power of resistance 10 which The pbfsicai WI!
ALWAYS be obeiicnt Nevertheless, adVlSe no ilo'-
spur rashncsS no immoderat" haste, .hoaS'' "i'.1
csssarv delays are dangerous. lou siecP 4 No'-
cano The figure no more than expresses YOU,
danger Bu, that danger, unlike the great ha'''iai
phenomenon with which have compareu H. hia!
be controlled hv human powcf-ycu may cA''i-
sush il, bu. ii you wait till il exro'cs and covers
you with lis lava, The metaphor again occoines cA-
prcssyc and indicates the awful ruin in whichyo"
will be involved. -,
Thcre are some incidental matters on wn'ch
purpose 10 dwell for short time.
There i, one measure frequently rccoinihehueo,
which think decidedly wrong, and therefore can
..roIS. Imean the call Of State Convention.
| think i, wrong for the following reasons, among
many others: 60,
Isl. This IS proved in the very outset by The TACT
hat many, perhaps all, propose ii under Inc sup
position, that Convention possesses some power
applicable o,hc question, which The Lesisia,cLe
doe, NJ possess. which is gross mistake. nc
Legislature possesses all the power oi sove-
reign people, rxcept where II IS erPrrSSy restrain
ed ~ The Constitutions. Now, there is no restraint
raou !, in he Constitution. which bears on any
measure tn: has been Or snS San 3 'Ths e %aG i'
efficiency and power of Government is manly
founded in stability. uniformity, and even me
established forms with which lis powers are exc
cuied Il presents a well known legal person to
ii, ~. .pIt M tho hole world
inc under jus; responsibility and with the great
eSt wisdom the country can supply, II the re-
personalities he properly chosen, as they ought
always 10 be and probably viii be Il the PR
sent crisis especially. 3r \ Convention has
The character, more or less. of revolutionary
measure H. more or less shakes the foundation
oi Government l. is a comparatively clumsy
machine. substituted for one o! great skill ana ar-
proprlatcnesS, Instituted by the wiscsl men in the
SAFE, with orea, deiberation, in the absence OF
I'll excitement, for the express purpose ot ailihe
powers granted 10 il by the Constitution Con
rcn,ion cannot be called, under the Constitution
OF Ibis State, for special purpose. Wien CON
vened il has all the power oi the people, visi''-
ally superScte> he Government, and II II chooses
.naY absolvc il. Such a body ought not TO he
constituted unless Absolutely receSsa;y. ltisnot
enough 10 say il viii now 10 no ham. The
example Of converting il, is Itself an evil. Though
there be now no danger o; Tic abuse ci II, II
NAV hereafter become terrible instrument in the
haniS o; Z ilctiuL or dcrla9oguc. ith, III ne
action the State. whatever II may he, must,
Immediately or ultimately. look 10 he co-opera-
ton OF other States and tor the reasons | have
mentioned AID o:hcrS, il may have 4 torbidein:,
aspe1. in the eyes .: those States. If this Stale
shall only act iontlv with other States, that &c
ton will pyab.bly be nlore harmonious and 10
moSrneous if We einp!oy the same authorities
which they, in all Livelihood, will employ
There is another incidental subject which
seems 10 embarrasS The writer's Of the day, aad
vet !; is extraordinary that i! should do So II Is
said the State is pedyelto resist. Ii that pledge
ouct u he redeemed, il will he only because i;
right anG proper that We should resist. | shall
no; stop i, enquire what the precise terms oil the
pledge are because it is Impossible that the State
can be pledged 10 any course inconsistent Will is
true interests. among which, aud the head OF
which | admit, vii! 'aal its un,arnisaed honor
rlelg of Stale, Ike tho>a ol an iaIividnai,
mus, b. 10 iiselior Ia Others Pledges oi the last
Kind mus, be inyioiahly performed, however dis
advantageous or impJ.;tic, unless they inroiye
nora. guilt. Pledges 81 the state 10 it,ci, how
ever IRE very different. They can never mean
NOR, ;han wha, is always required, Independent
q. anI- pie yc: that she shall act with wisdom,
irmncss and consistency, according 10 The circum-
stances .. the time aud iha occasion when she is
CALI - act. II the plet.ge be rash " u3wiSs.
will il Ne argued tha She s hvUnd TO actl The
question will always be, pledge or no pledge,
what i wise, what is eyncliea: unless il t." dis
honorable When the p.ejs- IS n; to a tniri per-
son >ur.ly i canaot BE- ob.ig ;ofy or reputable 10
do 4 ching which is un"Se. r. :, nex2edieHI, and
perhaps dcs,racli:e O! the very ohicc' which the
pledg, Was nen Del 70 advance A pledge - ones
Ill Is no more tnan giving publicity 10 il, il Ii
h wise and proper and honorable not 10 execute
Il; shows wc,..ne>S and instability. ant therefore
il is tiSrcpGah.a no. - do So On he ohcr hanf
il wouli display weakness or oDs,inacv 10 90
what was unw,s., rash or dishonorahlr, bccluss
one nal p'2ig.d him,e.i 10 do ST. Il therefore
Sce u 10 me- thar lie question before Us is entire
Is free from any embarrassment, Of pledges Bu;
there seem 10 b. a difference between the pledge
o.. IN Individual and that ola Stale by is Repre-
>catative> The pieig, Of these cannot Involve
the free deliberations OF future iunctionacics,
where there is no third party concerned II The
plei:e be wise and proper, j, i the duty oil the
sucr,S>oiS 10 redeem il. but s.,:"lv not Otherwise.
The question, then, seems to ne as free as i! no
pledsc had eyer been made; and is, ought me
STATE 10 resist, AMI what shall be the mode and
thu" 81 ta2t resistance!
Much has been said abou, leader Iou will
bc mucl ic,:cr without oae-such a leader may
bc tit Instrument, 10 dictate the movements OF q
faction. but not those of I people or nation. Re
>>iancc, 10 be effective and reputable, must not
De d.nagogical but national. 1t is paltry and
icebl. in this great question: affecting so many
safes, 10 talk OF a leader The nation must
moe, and you mast have many leaders. No
people prepared Tor great achievement Will ever
van; leaders. You rant 4 d1c preparation ~ Tie
naiiliai a,:ad ami spirit for ercat norcmcnt.-
Yoa e.aat, ciso n se!l.d priacipic ant dctcrm
7lqt ,bjcct of actioa, which no individual should
be permitted 10 dictate The people, acting i'm
plicitlv under the dictates oil leader, dcbasc
themselves, resemble mob. and exclude from
their ranG> az the sober deliberate steady, good
Sc,l>c OF the community, which cannot be expect
cd 10 iviiow the authoritative dictates OF leacer.
Tn" principle and object o. action should be es-
lahiished By the people themselves (who should
not surrender The character Of thinking beings
hy the advice and assistance of the leading men
in their respective States. Ii the States unite.
this vii; be best done in 4 Convention 0; the
Sta.cS--ani II they act separately, by their Lee
ciSla'vcS. When rrinc.pll and object OF action
shalt be thus established it will be national, and
Won will have leaders enough, and thcr will bc
ii, and appropriate leaders, embracing all the
gool sense, talent and character OF the country
The Congress which declared the independence
at the United States was not gogenicd nv n lead
C The Congress which declared the l9te war
,igaii,,; Great fritain was not governed by
leader. Both these acts We're brought about by
leading men, who knew and spoke the will OF
their constituents.
The last incidental circumstance which | shall
no.icc is The servilc adulstioa which is paid u
the Union at time il would he natural, and,
;hin,, inst, to feel reSentful. Il does indeed ex
cite my special wondcr 10 see Southern men
howins down before the iol. and shouting hosan-
mas Ia il, as il il were in the &C, O: saowerng
blessings upon them. These arc, confess, music
hateful to my ear could as much respect the
spirit of 4 man vino had allen under the hand OF
an adversary ana who should choose that mo
menr 10 eulosizc his virtues, his humanity AM
his bencvo,cncc. blame 10 Just respect 10 the
Union have loved The Union as much as any
man in il I still respect ii, and wish 10 preserve
il; ba' i, is no, in my heart While my country is
snar,ing under is lash, - pour ont my dcvolions