Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-16

Z
orators of the Roman Republic, in her most VIZ
tnous and paimy days.
THE SECOND COUNT or MR.. CLA1
| INDICTMENT AGAINST The DEMO
CRACY. Gu,
The Federal presses have laid off Mr. Clay's
accus,rory srrc,.h made nj Raleigh into separate
sections. or heads. so as 10 enable The rcaoer 10
| cast his eve readily on any particular charge
! couched in the counts of his formal Indictment oi
| The Democracy for disregard and conform 70 nc
| Constitution IL the lars ami 10 me Pnoltc aH"'"',
t;cs The second count We find thus headed ana
nrcscn,ed 10 Inc nation in that old Hartford Con
ven,ion and blue light journal, the New iork
| Commercial Adyeriser-a print that held 'lie re-
fusal To permit soldiers 10 be recruited III The New
! ENGLAND STATES 10 defend the country during lie
war-thc refusal 10 allow the militia 10 march
| against The cnemy-he distraction 10 the raising
money and supplies for our army,-all perfectly
consistent with respect ior The Cunsulusloii i""s,
and public authorities. and, indeed, a dlSPlav u
| the MOBILES, spirit .; patriotism i he iidl."i"
! Convention itself was hut manifestation oi ',e
\ same sacred devotion 10 the institutions oil inc
! country which The Federalism which now accuses
| the Democracy of an utter Ccstituiion oi attach
| meni Ia The Government has ever evinced. Blu
we COPY the second specification under Mr.. Clay :
general charge. which Mr. Stone OF the CONNER
! cal Advertiser endorses:
! Case or New JERsEY.-Thc case Of The
| New Jersey Election i, familiar wllheVcryoodI'
| There. the Wing members who presented llciii-
selves al Washington 10 take their seats, bore WIN
them the highest credentials under the great seal
AZ the state, demonstrating their right 10 occupy
them. They had been regularly declared. and
returned elected members OF The House al Re-
representatives.. hv The regular authorities, and ac-
cor,iing 10 the law of the Stale OF New Jersey.
Aereeably lo he uniform usage which had pre-
vailed in That House from the commencement OF
The Government ana according to the usage
which prevails in every representative Aody, licv
had a right 10 demand Ia be admitted 10 ticlr
seats and 10 hold and occupy them until any OBJ
ieciions which might exist against them should ne
subsequently, investigated. In the case of the
four States already noticed il was important 10
the interests Of the dominant party in order 10
swell their majority. that The members returned
should I've allowed 10 take their seals, although
elected contrary 10 law. In the New Jersey case,
il was imporan, 10 the dominant party, To enable
il 10 retain the majority. 10 exclude The Wing
members, although returned according 10 law
The decision in both cases was adapted 10 the
eXisencv al party interest. in inter contempt both
of Constitution and law; and it is worthy Of oh
,arya,iaa that, in the decision against The Wing
members Of New Jersey, members who boast Of
being cinphaca.ly The patrons and defenders OF
Stale Rights concurrcd in trampling under foot
the laws and authorities of that State"
'.IHc rttcr contempt Of 6oh Constitution and
Lar" of which the New Jersey case furnishes
an instance, is coupled with hardihood Of impu-
dence on the part Of Federalism which has no
parallel in history The whole world now knows
tina; most audacious conspiracy was entered
into between Two clerks and the Governor of y.
Jersey. TO defeat the election Of Representatives 10
al of
the Stale.
The mode in which The consummaiicn of this
scheme was attempted is distinguished by the
most cgregous fraud, naked and palpablc known
TO the history of knavcry IN elections. II con-
sisted OF the total suppression Of the whole vote
oi two precincts, in which the Democracy Oh
tanned the majority. which carried the vote OF The
State for is ticket, and the Governors certificate.
certifying this false and partial return as the full
return, with perfect knowledge, derived from he
original record, that it was false return This
nefarions transaction. wherein the Governor ofthc
State was the principal in guilt as in place, was
brought up before the House of Representatives,
the constitutional tribunal Of adjudication. The
parties interested in The issue OF both sides, were
made 10 sian! aside until the question OF the fall
siiication OF The return under the great seal OF the
State was determined The original nndiSputed
record Of the whole State was adduccd. Neither
the Governor, nor the clerks, nor the claimants
seeking seats in virtue o their returns ever dared
10 question The ycrily Of he original polls adduccl
They did no, deny, bul, on the contrary, were
compelled 10 admit The suppression charged upon
them: hu had the depravlty 10 insist that The re-
turn (whicht they Were obliged to confess was !al-
sitied and without prelexl Of JuSiilcalionl ought
to BE received a. iacodtcaBlc-bccause il had a
grea, seal appended 10 authenticate it. The House
of Representatives on which the Constitution de-
wolves the duty Of adjudication in such cases,
wilhou, appeal, determined otherwise. ]; deter
mined that, where there was good reason TO be-
lcvc that the great seal Of a State ayerred Tor
gerv, by means Of which the crime OF introduce
ing persons into the House as members who have
no rich, to sit was perpetrated the first question
10 I've tried was the character oil the credentials
presented b. the parties demanding seats i'll vir-
tueof them They were so tried in the New .Icr-
sey case: and the return, under the great seal oil
the Governor found 10 be false one: that the
Governor knew 10 be false when he appended
the great seal; that seal was put on with the full
knowledge that il was 10 operate as imposiure,
and 10 give color 10 a fraud bv which members
of Congress were 10 be created against the vote of
the people, By conspiracy between Executive
funcionarlcS.
What. then, did the Democracy Of Congessdo
in ctn,enlpi 10 The Constitution, 10 the laws, and
10 the public authorities in the New Jersey Case!
Neither the Constitution norih laws give validity
10 a great seal, nor any other formal anih"ntica-
lion when il is in itself fraud, and affixed To
cover a forgery, intended to defeat tie Constiin
ton and the laws. In The New Jersey Case, The
criminal attempt Of the Governor and The Two
Clerks. 10 abuse the ioims Of Office, 10 put down
the Constitution and the laws and the rights Of
the people guaranteed BY Them, was frustrated by
the inquiry and decision, nterposed by the right.
lul Judges of the case. And Ills Illustration of
Federal villainy, in its eforto crush the great
principle OF the right of suffrage, and the laws
which uphold it, by official fraud is cited BY Mr.
Clay as proof Of The contempt OF the Democracy
for all Thai is sacred in our institutions. When
the people are prepared 10 condemn this act Of
the great representative body Of the nation, 70
which alone The vindcaiion Of the representative
character is conldcd, the are prepared 10 make
themselves the victims Of iunctionarcS beyond
their reach 10 sacrifice the essence OF popular
liberty, to maintain the shadow in mere forms
perverted to its violation Hnhiagioa GIobc.
TIE DEMOCRATIC SPIRIT IN OHIO