Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-09-03

Human form livine"-ihought and all-oVer
space 10 The same few moments oil
These thoughts have been expressed upon Inc
of ocular demonstration. mere are
MANY who may doubt; but TO those II may De
said, that "lhere are more things in Heaven ano
Earth than are drcamt OF in their philosophy
sThinS not man was made in vain, 1hal mas an
eternity reserved for him" }. Z. W.
FoR TIE ENQUIRER.
To tie Democratic VotersotM III Sena1oriat DasTl1
Of King g. Queen. King William. &c.
In The IasI ENQUIRER we perceive the proceed
Of a public meeting held al King William
Court House on Monday last for The purpose oil
nominating delegates and inviting a conyen.ion
TO select a candidate for The Senate from inns DIS
The general proposition is conceded BY all
among US, that conventions should not De conVe.
ned, and lhat. they cannot be justified except in
cases of imperious necessity. They are great
evils, only 10 be resored to 10 prevent still great.
er. They lake from the people, The selection Of
their representative and transfer this most impor-
tan of all heir rights 10 The keeping OF a lew. iney
between the people ana ineir cahoioa'es
and select for them their members OF congress,
their Senators and their members OF Inc Legisia-
ture. The people are often placed 10 a posillon
in which they must vote Tor Inc choice OF lnese
self.consliluled bodies or vote IN vain. here IS
afforded another illustration OF The great ruin mat
power is ever sealing from The many &c Inc rev,
The elective franchise is The greai pals Oh al
free institutions. To restrain This right, 10 cur
tail i, in any way. is The most delicate, the
most dangerous OF all things in popular Go
veTnmens Here oll9ed d any aleH'ir. s'0" nS,n ns IL Il.
,epuo,,esn &; eu, to interfere with it, 10 endansef
10 WEAK" -.iuclhIe. When a lew individuals
select the representative, leaving il 10 The people
only The power OF endorsing their choice, is there
not a substitution OF an Aristocracy for a De-
mocracy7 Have we not the government Of The
few instead of The many7 The people are Justly
irritaled al The CO nstant recurrence ofthese irres-
ponsible bodies, usurping, as they do, their high
est and dearest rights.
But it may possibly be supposed BY those who
have not witnessed the practical operation Of
these bodies, that they represent The people
ThatIhis sometimes occurs, we do not doub'; that
j oflen does moi, we well know. There is not
one twentieth part Of the people OF any county
that ever attend a meeting called for the pur-
pose Of appointing delegates, and frequently not
one filieth. And when these meetings assemble,
the people do not appoint The delegates, bot the
chairman. And he performs the duty, ordinarily
in The midst OF all The hurry and confusion incl
dent 10 a has'y popular gathering in a tavern
in The afternoon of a court.day. We all
know that these delegates are often selected with
reference 10 the interests Of some particular aspi-
rant, or the meeting is often composed of friends
OF the same individual, or OF others merely al
tracted by curiosity and utterly Indifferent 10 the
result. This remark is male, without any refer
ence 10 the meeting in King William, merely as
a general proposition. Sometimes The selections
are accidenlal-lhe chairman naming The respec-
liable individuals whose names occur 10 him, al
the moment; and sometimes great care is taken
TO choose gentlemen who, il is believed, will pro-
bablY represent the sentiments OF The county,
But all know that il is by no means rare, that The
wishes of The people are utterly disregarded.-
Practically, whatever ~aspirant happens to be The
ia vorilc OF the delegate, is generally believed by
him 10 be the choice Of his county and his dis
trict.
The delegates finally assemble. Whom do they
represent? Shou d this district be taken Tor an
example, they will have been depuled by five &C
cidenlal chaiTmen, or perhaps five ehairmen Sc
lecied by design, though in good faith and with
good conscience, or by five called 10 lheir posi-.
lions BY their high character: the meetings
being composed probably on an average OF
about one thirlielh Of The voters Of The coun-
Ties. But the chairmen are really chosen not
by The people composing these meetings, but
by the gentleman who may accidentally nomi.
nate them, The nomination being voted as a
thing OF course. Whom, then, do these delegates
represent The people have mol chosen them
they have not even selected The chairmen who
depuled them. But do they in practice consult
The wishes Of The peeople7 Occasionally they
do often they do not. They consult their own.
The responsibility is di.ited among so many il
IS MOI iali. The belief III each one is. il. he can
only obtain The vote OF lie convention Tor his pre-
ference, that thai endorsement will bring the peo-
pie to his standard.
The results Of these conventions are such as
might be- anticipated. They are often mere acci.
and mol rarely they are ~skilfulIy cnnlrived
by The adroit management o! an arilul tactician.
No one who has ever been member OF one of
these bodies, can fail 10 have remarked, that such
is their practical operation, and such their con-
And such must be The consequence Of
their mode of construction.
What is there then that can justly The inter-
OF conventions Only The necessity, as
has been before remarked, of preventing a sill
greater evil. If The opposite party be in The field,
in solid phalan1, and our success be endangered
seriously through The want OF union, nr ifihere be a
strong probability thai such a state Of things will
lake place, il would appear ,hatthen we should re-
sort 10 a convention. unless some other means
could be devised OF efecting a concentration. We
hope whenever there is a convention 10 amend
our Constitution, a remedy may be provided, SO
that The necessity may not again occur of resort
ing TO these bodies. Let a majority be required,
instead OF a plurality Of votes, to elect a repre-
as in Massachusetts and in several
other States, and there will be no longer any
cause Tor their intervention. Until such an
amendment can be Obtained, let US not resort 10
This system save in cases OF absolute necessity
Does this necessity exist in this district ltseems
10 me clear that il does not. There is not only
no Wing candidate in the field, but it appears
there is no probability of having one. We have
been assured by arge plumbers OF The most re.
specialize Wings that they want no candidate,
and if one should volunteer, they iciH not support
him. They say, with great proprieIy, that The
dislric, being Democratic by a majority of be-
tween three and four hundred, it ought not 10 be
by a Wing, and, as far as depends on
them, il shall not. We have heard OF but one
Wing in the whole district who wished for a can
didale, and our sources OF information have been
extensive and abundant. II. then, in such cir
we attempt 10 take from The people
the selection of their Senator, we cannot justify
ourselves.
Further, il is 10 be apprehended, This being the
state of facts, should a Convention be resorled 10
We ma CuudusCl ~ hto
in The way OF The nominee. He will come before
the District covered with The prejpdices attach
ing 10 The Convention and a%dhering 10 him with
the tenacily of Nessus' shirt. A powerful wea-
pom would be placed in The hands Of his compe.
lilor, which would doubtless be welded with eff
fecr. The general cry throughout The District,
in King William also, Notwithstanding The meet
ing, is, lei US choose our own Senator. Indeed,
if The meeting in that county should be urged as
oil public sentiment, IL should be known
10 the District, that on The same day, and a, the
place, a meeting was called Tor The same
purpose and broke up in confusion, owing TO The
powerful opposition which presented itself. The
failure is certainly as strong a proof Of public
feeling and conviction as the success.
But, il, contrary 10 our expectations, a Wing
candidate should come on, (loo late for The action
OF The counties by a Convenlion) who might en-
danger the success Of our party, it would be an
impeTious duly devolving on The candidates TO
some mems bv which a concentration Of
The vote could be effected. II might easily be
done by a reference 10 friends from different paris
Of The District. We have heard one OF The can
- oaAa M roraax.