Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-01-19
LEGISLATURES OF VIRGINIA.
FRIDAY, Jan. Is, 1917.
SENATE
YIoy OF UNITED STATES SENATOR

The election OF a United States Senator being
The Join, order OF The day, no business was trans
acled in he Senate until informed OF the ieadi-
ness Of the House 10 go into The election.
message was received from The House IN
forming the Senate that Messrs. VIM. Smith, X.
NJ. T. Hunter and VIM. s. Archer had been put
in nomina ion
Mr.. BRAXTON said: When was here some
wears ago, il was no! customary Tor nomination
speeches 10 be made in the Senate. II that Is
sill the cuslom of the Senate, hope shall DC
excused Tor occupying your attention Tor Jew
minutes. | shall vote Tor MIR. Hunter, Tor The
SIMPLEST and best Of reasons. My constituents
would prefer his election TO that OF any other
man and myself have very decided preference
for him over any one now before The Legislature:
lam sorry 10 detain you-bui, did STOP mere, 1
sbonld he doing Injustice 10 Mr.. Hunter. | be-
Geve he has been placed in a false position be-
fore the Legislature through The indiscrelion OF
some OF his friends.
WhenI arrived here This Winter, 1t was WIN
the intention of supporting Mr.. Hunter. found
the names of a number OF aspirants before The
Legislature. Knowing that the only way OF ell
feeling choice would be 10 60 into caucus, l
wrote 10 Mr.. Hunter informing him oil the TACT
And | remarked in the letter, 1T is understood
that your especial friends will stand out and MOI
on into caucus-will This receive your sanctonY'
/ received an answer from Mr.. H., declining 10
take any par, in The matter, but expressing per-
feet willingness 10 abide The course which ms
friends should lake. Finding that majority OF
The Democratic party were going into caucus,
/, believing the system 10 be good one, ana ihe
only plan by which the choice Of the party could
be known, determined TO join them. wrote 10
Mr. Hunter informing him OF my intention. l
received from him perfect acqulescence Nif.
Speaker, should have been in that caucus, bull
sickness detained me al home. This is The first
day that have occupied my seat in the Senate
since the recess II had been there, ! should
have used my utmost efforts 10 secure me nomi-
nation of Mr.. Hunter; il failed, and his name
was rejected l should willingly have supported
the nominee, believing that had done my dnfy
TO Mr. Hunter and my constituents. Mr. brax-
ton, after paying Gov. Smith very handsome
compliment adduced numerous arguments IN
support OF the Caucus system. winch we nave
moi room 10 insert. and concluded his speech as
follows:1
have not made these remarks to save myself
from censure but TO place Mr.. Hunter in his
true light before this Legislature. Mr.. Hunter
sir Is great man-an extraordinary man. No
one will doub, his entire capabily 10 discharge
the duties of his Office. He has held The next
highest Office in The United States that Of Speak.
er Of The House OF Representatives. He is
man OF the puresl tairest and most unsullied pri-
va,e and public character. | do not pretend 10
saw he is without fault for but one man has ever
lived who was iaullless. Sir, am wasting time
in telling this body who r. M. 1. Hunter is;
he is known TO all, as man whom Virginia NAV
be proud 10 honor He is OF good stock, and
venture 10 say, not the degenerate son filluslri
GUS sires | hope the majority OF the Democratic
party will not blame Mr.. Hunter torthe indiscre-
lion of his friends
When Mr. WALLACE was called 10 vote he
rose and begged the indulgence oil the Senate for
a few moments, while he stated the reasons
which alone would guide him in The vote he
should give. He SAID that for The last nine
months he had publicly declared, on all proper
occasions, his purpose 10 vote against MI. Smith
for the Senate OF the United States lha, some
three months since a portion OF his constituents
who preferred the election Of Mr.. Smith, address.
ed letter 10 him. and among other questions,
put the following: al il is moi your present pur-
pose 10 vote for Gov. Smith, NEXT winter, as u
s. Senator, will you do SO il instructed I" To
which he replied, "From my first moments Of
reflection on the objects and nature of Govern
ment, have been thoroughly impressed with the
truth, that the people have right 10 instruct
their representatives, and lhatihe latter are bound
10 Weld implicit obedience 10 them, unless the in
s,ruc,iuns command Some act TO b. done which The
people themselves have no right 10 do-such as
10 violate the Bill of Rights or Constitution; o
commit perjury; 10 blaspheme. aud the like ]
hold il 10 be right inseparable from social exist
e &c. and therefore unaienable; and that when
ever the people would have RICH, in pure De-
mocracy 10 do an act, the man put in their stead,
who is a representative, is bound TO DO The same
act, ii instructed by them, in Republic a Re
public differs from Democracy in this: in De-
mocracy, the government is conducted directly nv
the people; while in Republic, j, is carried on
by agents or representatives chosen or elected BY
the people. | have always held this right so sa-
cred that have regretted there were not both
constitutional and statutory sanctions 10 en-.
force obedience TO it, Disobedience of inslruc-
tons constitutes, in my opinion, the highest OF
the second grade Of political offences; the high
est is an usurpaton Of The powers OF government;
aud the next, refusal by the agents Of the PEG
Die 10 execute their will in matters exclusively
iheIr own, is but short step below il. There are,
l know. objections to the mode in which inslruc-
lions are often gotten up but this is not owing 10
any error in the principle, and may be easily OBJ
waited BY prescribing mode in which public OPT
MON NAV be certainly and fairly expressed.
trust il there should be another Convention, that
the people will see that the recognition of their
RIGHT 10 instruct their representatives, and OF its
correlative, the duty OF obedience, occupy pro-
minent place in the first chapter OF the new Con-
stituton. From these sentiments you see that /
Will vote lot any lUduy WIZ 10 uHu III
habiant OF the Stale, for whom majority OF my |
constituents may instruct me 10 vote ior Inc sen.
ATE of the United States"
Mr. W. said, that short time alter his reply |
was delivered, attempts were extensively made
throughout his District 10 obtain instructions re-
curing him TO vote for Mr.. Smith, but that he |
had received none, and had been left free in his
action on The subject There being great diver
sity Of opinion among The members OF The Repnb-
lican party as 10 The successor OF Mr.. Archer,
they had resored TO the wise usage OF confer |
ence, or caucus, Tor The purpose OF uecinlog
who should be placed in nom nation; ne had al
tended the meeting; and throughout nine ballots
he had voted against Mr.. Smith, and on the last
he remained the only member who did not vote
for him. Thus, said Mr.. W.. has Mr.. S. been |
placed, as the choice OF his party, in nomination.;
and was he, Mr. W., reduced 10 the necessity Of
resisting great and Indispensable rule in
all communities or Of conforming 10 it. The
rule that the majority Shall govern is law OF
necessity az we'll as OF wisdom, and is pursued BY
all public combinations and associations OF man
as vital principle Of their existence; that, but
for il man in a state Of society would live in
state of perpetual warfare; and, that with these
sen,iments he could not permit himself 10 oppose
his Judgment TO that OF his party, in violation OF
The obligation of minoriles 10 submit TO The will
Of the majority, when no fundamental principle
was violated by them. There were, also, oher
consid- ra,ions which had their weight with him:
he believed tina. decided majority Of his cons,i-
tuen, preferred Mr.. Smith to MIR. Hunter, who
had been nominated BY small portion of the
party, in defiance of the usage of the party, and
Of The srea, law of necessity, which ever has and
ever mus, control men in any form of society
His vote, then, for Mr.. Smith, would be 10 obedi
suce 10 the cardinal principle OF republics, ac-
ouiescence 10 The will OF The majority.
The Senate then proceeded TO the first ballot,
which resulted as follows:
Fon WV Ssirn.-Messra. Scott, (Speaker,l Cox,
Wallace Williams, Wiley, Baptist, Garrett, Voolfolk,
Denns, D-neaie, sloan, strnser, McMullen, MeCauley
and Fry-l5.
Braxion and Amber-4
Eos wy 8. AacHER.-Messrs. Woods, Thompson,
Sutton Moore. Bondurant, Gaiaher witcher Stanard.
f.,umn Rogers and Parriott-ll.