Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-05-10
Richmond, May 9, lsli.
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.

Richmond May 9, 1874
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
ADDRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA
Fellow Citizens We should disappoint YOU. ",
know, if We should mar fl! 70 address you You hav
right TO expect that all these, TO whom any portion
of you have delegated the important trust Of guarding
10 any extent, your rights AID nlsresis should III
feservedy communicate 10 you The information the
posspss and cundIdy express The views they entertain
re:tan 10 the present extraordinary posture of the
cs and political parties Of our country Event
have recently occurred Of character so strange md
mposng call forth Tie oGes, patriots from the,
reirem nj arouse The most nd rent ffon their leha5
gy, sare the las. obsefvant a:tound the sentines
freedom, and almos, drown the shouts and cries of part,
zan warfare Every cay is marked by some ne deyr
opment, and every individual anxiously watching tn
result Under these circumstances, whit we cheer
| fully respond to The call made upon By pnror
Of you, We should scercey have waited the prompting
Of that call, but should have deemed ourselves dere
c' to our duty IT We had failed 10 commune with you
about that which deeply AL 10 urge o.
on you calmness and deberallon, and to encourage
you TO stand Arm and undsmayed, resolved to nam
tam your rights aud secure your interests at The hazard
Of all but your country and your Constitution and the
sacrifice OF every thing tut your patriotism ard your
hopor.
For months past il had been known to the whole
in treaty with the government of Texas, for the pur-
Pose of eatctng the remuneration of that country to
our Union. The first public intimation OF thu fact
produced some excitement to the North which, howe
yer, seemed very 10 subsde, and called forth the
expression Of dissent from one of the dstin 9shed
statesmen of that section Of the Union, which, howe
yer, seemed very be nearly forgotten On the
other hand, the proposed treaty appeared 10 meet with
very general acquescence from all the people, and 10
the South, at least, cordially and almost un,ver
sally approved Certainly IN State, so far
any manifestation Of public opinion made, except,
perhaps, the occasional expression OF sngularly
died objections BY two three of the public jour
nails, Zone Of which, al last was rebnked Tor It's folly
by some Of its subscribers) our e!low-ctzen s
appeared to be Of mind and one heart The news
papers for the mes, part concurred IN expressing the
public desire that Texas should be re-annexed t. the
| Union Pumnry assemblies Of the people, without
distinction Of party, held IN of the counties,
10 their appreciation OF the design; andtrom
Others, me morals made TO Congress, signed BY
men of every political CASTE praying the Senate Of
the United States to rat;fy the proposed treaty. No
candid man could have dIubted that large maj ory
Of the peopl Of this State in favor of nexaon
1hs melancholy death of the amented Upshur, the
late Secretary OF State, suspended for short time,
the progress Of the negotiation and the appointment
of his successor for the avowed purpose
of COMPLETING It, hailed with satisfaction, It not
with delight, on all sides, and by all parties Under
such auspices the treaty Tor the xaton o Tex
to the Uned States progressed to It's compie'ion-
was accepted and signed by the Texan EnVoys-nnc
as transmitted 10 Senate for lis ratification BY the
| Pre- sd-nt Of the United States. The most contradict
tnry rumor, in relation the anticipated action Of
Tint "dy ws'e, from timesto time, uous.rous'y CIR
culated Sometimes heard that the treaty wonld
be ratified by almost unanimous consent ut Others
tod tnat The rat fcation would be rejected IN
the Senate by large majority.
| During this whole period, The canvass in Virgin q
for The selection oil Delegates to her Legislature, was
carried with patriotic zeal aud ardor, upon the issues
uade up between the two great parties which un!or-
tuna,ely, so nearly DIVIDE her people-snd with the
almost universal understanding, that however they df
frrsd other respects and on other quer;ons large
majority o both concufrcd IN the DESIRE thai
Texas should be reunited TO Us, and in the ANXIOUS
hope that The Treaty in progress for that purpose,
would be ratified. Under these circumstances, ard
with these impressions, the People of this good old
Commonwealth called upon 10 cast their votes IN
their recent State eectIons potential the result o!
those elections oil hands admitted TO be-, IN
the approaching Presidential contest. As hsse
important elections were over-in the course Of two
days after the people OF this Snte had thus voted in
the contest between these par;les so divided on oil
other questions and understood TO be generally uni
ted upon thus two leters were gwen 10 the public
one from the selected candidate of the Wing
Party for the Presidency which had hitherto been
withheld from The eyes OF the people, and the other
from the mos; promine candidate of the Democratic
Party, for the Office To the asionshment Of ell
red expressing decided hostility to the Treaty for
annex atom now and then pending before the SENATE
aGreed IN opposing the present acquisition OF Texas by
the United States in any manner-and al least, in.-
mated opinions, though different terms, and perhaps
to different extent, against the policy OF embracing
that country within the limits OF our Union, at any
anticipated period, or, fear, under any probable
state OF things.
Amos, simultaneously with these unexpected de-
velopmens, copy of The Treaty itself, with the
campaigning documents, communicated by the Presi-
dent TO the Senate of the United States, under The
bond of secreSy imposed by the Constitution, was
published to the world in violation by the parties
gagged in it, whoever they were of their sacred
oaihs in disregard of their most solemn ob!gatione
and IN defiance of the faith and honor of the Republic
These movements appear TO have been the signals for
arcuslng the enemts OF The annexation Of Texas, and
fear, portion Oft them at The North will also Prove
IN effect to be- the enemies OF the peace and perpetuy
of glorious Union, into OPEN bold aud instant
action. Next all the elements of opposition To
the Treaty at united the effort compel its
lection by the Senate, and crush at blow the HOPES OF
It's friends Public meetings are held, wherever they
could BE- called for the purpose to press their
hostility to the Treaty, and their opposition TO the
QUESTION Of Texas; 'ndugng sometimes some OF the
fanatic madmen engaged IN them have ventnred 10 90,
IN covert attacks the domestic institution, OF The
Southern States, and in unfounded and insulting impu-
ations against The conduct and motives o. their citi
zens. portion Of the public press is crowded with
missiles OF every description in opposition TO hs Treaty
and to annexation The idle effort is made to the
seeds of dscord amongst It's friends by busey charging
them with eachery TO themselves; to deceive the pco-
pie into the belief, that they in danger of being
subjected the dication of congressional caucus. b.
The unfounded assertion, that their representatives. are
preparing counterfeit their expressed will; and to
alarm them into silent acquescence by nsid'cus and
pretended intmations that the whole scheme OF aanex-
alton 10 to be converted into dark and reacherons DE-
siga 10 dissolve the Union. Ecen the impudent sug-
peson has been made and approved by some, that the
Senate OF tie United States should once, wthou, de-
LIBERATION lay the Treaty their table, with the
doub,lrss of Kidding the canddstes for the Presidency
of the Influence of this question in the canvass; and
thus sacrificing, without much the poor compli-
ment Of a moments consideration, this imposing sub
ject so deeply involving the policy of the country the
interests Of the whole people, and the most cherished
feelings of least very large portion of them to
unhallowed scramble for the high executive Offices o.
the confederacy.
Fellow-ctz-ns, we have thus given to you, in ,
manner as brief and concise possible, detail of ths
most prominent facts connected with the recent move
msnls which have been made, up this time, in re!a
ton TO the proposition to Texas to the Union
These movements well calculated 10 arrest the al
d., A..