Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-06

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RICHMOND, VA.
wednesday Morning, February :.
THE VIRGINIA SENATOR'S.
The Washington correspondent OF the Chaiies-
ION Mercury writes on The 9th ult:
"As 10 the scnate- is in profound and silent state
OF doubt When the opinions Of Senators are express n'
ed will he able To give you some Information. no"
say this, that the measure Is supposed 10 depenn s.
much ON III. course Of the Virginia Senators ACCORD
npiy the Legislature of Virginia is watched from ths
place with great anxiety The two Senators OF virginia
ore understood TO be against the measure al P'eseh'
and Mr.. Archer Instructed or not"
Ii is true, that the Virginia Senators are doubt
ful, and that they are "walched with great anx-
iety" here as well as al Washington. at is true,
il is pity, and pity is It's true" that the Old
Dominion the great Southern Stale, on ques..
lion so deeply interesting 10 all the Union, and
particularly 10 the South, should be represented
bv two Senators, who either do not know their
own minds, or whose minds are made up against
The decided wishes ofthe people; that fact is frankly
acknowledged BY their own friends in the Resolu-
lions which they passed on Saturday in the II. OF
d. It's indeed, spectacle as strange as ii IS re-
voting. The people, however, will look not on
" 10 them, but will hold their friends in The House
responsible for the acts of their Senators-parti-
cularl, for Mr. Ryes They have the power 10
control him, as they well know, and II ihey DO
moi instruct him, or express their own opinions,
so as 10 regulate his course, and this great mea-
surs should be lost by their want Of decision the
people will hold them TO fearful responsibility.
WHY tell us, that they are the friends of Texas,
when they dc not show il by their acts? The
nepplc will Judge them by their dcciS, and not BY
their DrgGSioms II man tells me, that he wish
es me well, but will not serve me when the fair
opportunity is thrown in his way, how can
help concluding that his iriendshi? is OF little
accounl-,hat he only affects an attachment
which he is not willing 10 carry out! The Wings
of the House of Delegates have done well in de-
clarins il as their deliberate opinion that it is the
decided wish of the people Of Virginia 10 have
immediate annexation by ann constitutional
mode They have done well, too, in further
declaring that The Resolutions Of the House
OF Representatives is just and proper, and
merits their appreciation Very well, but
they take great credit 10 themselves for making
these admissions. They contend, that they have
met MS half way; and ought we not to be satisfied!
Like Jack Homer,
Who sat in the corner,
Eating his Christmas pie,
He put in his thumb,
And took out plumb
'What smart boy am l"
But these Political Jack Horners may deem
themselves very "smart" politicians in their own
conceit-bul the people themselves will conceive
them unworthy Of the plumb which they nov
have. They refuse TO declare the resolution OF
the House of Representatives 10 be illegal and
| cons,itulional"-a thus demoIsh, by a single
blow, The castle of cards which they have been SO
idy erccting-Or, rather, after having filed the
milk pail they kick it over, and waste all lis con-
tents. Can the Wings believe, for one moment
that the people are blind to the game which they
are playing2 As for the Republican Party Of
The Legislature, they see il al once, aud We
trust will defeat it, They will stand firm, We
presume. on The constitutional gr0und-nor will
| they furnish Mr.. Rives with any pretext 10 cover
his opposition 10 Texas. The Wings NAV whine
as mnch as they please about their unwillinSness
TO emjarrass their orn Scnatms. Mr.. Wiicher
may pathetically appeal 10 his friends not 10 force
| Mr.. Rircs 10 resirn,by boldly expressing their own
opinions on the constitutional question, by which
evolution Mr.. Rives hopes 10 save his seat, andjus-
tify his vote against a measure SO popular in
Virginia and against resolutions SO acceptable
even 10 the Wings themselves. But The Repub
lican friends Of Texas have no sympathy with
such party feelings. TNey will boldly march mp
10 their object, and leave the responsibility to the
| Wings.
The Wings, indeed, do not act like statesmen,
! in taking so equivocal course They do not
acl al all like The friends of Texas-or like men
who are willing TO carry out the acknowledged
/ 4 a. :lnJ op1 apdc ~ fhn In
| of Virginia. And they will excuse us for say
ing that they are not acting like the wise mem
bers Of great party. IL is their special interest
10 bury this gigantic question at once; for other
| wise il will bury the Wings OF the South The
| Wings know very little what is due 10 themselves
| if they permit Mr. Pives To stab their own vital
| interests-And Mr. Rives knows very little what
is due to himself if he suffers himself 10 stand in
The way of his party, and what is more, OF his
country There was time when Mr.. RiveS
would no! have stuck. like barnacle, 10 his
place There was tinc when nc resigned his
sent in the Senate of the U. s., sooner Than sa-
and he knows very well whether he los, or gained
in character and influence BY such manly self
mmoation.
Has The day of devoted patriotism and generous
sacrifice gone By with Mr.. Rives2 Will he not
even retire for four weeks TO save his own party
from ruin-and to carry measure, which no
mans speech during the last session so strongly
and ably recommended, as his But we "ior-
hear" 10 use The favoriie word of our friends of
the Wing party. They 'forbear" 10 express any
opinion on the Constitutional question, in compli-
menl to MIR. Rives-or perhaps his vote. We
"forbear" TO press further the strong and indig-
nant feelings, with which we are filled, when we
see a man. like William C.. Rives, erring so
much, and throwing away all his fine talents,
simply because he has such an itch for public Of
| flee that he cannot breathe in retirement al Cas-
tie Hill. 10 word Texas must be obtaincd-
We NAV obtain il by his vote. He has some
constitutional scrupe, it is said in voting for it.
If such be the stale OF the facts and il be cannot
support II, is il not his duly TO give way 10 some
Ttxas Ha,g and thus enable his Wing friends 10
carry out The acknowledged wishes Of Virginia.
Mr.. Archer, il seems, has no constitutional
scruple. He certainly had none in May last,
when he delivered that decided speech in secret
session, from which we made me extracts yes
,esday. He too is a great friend of Texas-and
how does he show it7 Why, BY Matching an egg
of his own, and producing bantling project
which can scarcely succeed in either House Of
Congress Mr. "A. thus defeats hiSown wishes, by
opposing what he can get, or by proposing what
can never succeed. Would il not be better for the
Virginia Senator to catch the bird, before il slips
through our fngers-insead OF setting down 10
devise very original patent trap, which
may be SO complicated as 10 catch nothing? Mr..
a. has no Constitutional scruples, as his colleague
is said TO indulge. Had he not better then, carry
out the acknowledged wishes OF the People, by
adopting The only practicable and available mode
now before him, viz: Browns and Fosters Reso-
lutions2
The Texas Resolutions before the Virginia
Legislature will probably be swamped between
the Two Houscs-lhe Wing majority in the House
of Delegates refusing TO pronounce their opinion
on the Constitutional question-ihus leaving MIR.
Riyes prelcyt for escaping from voting for the