Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-02-11

democrats Was not this carrying out proscrip
+. ton further than any one here proposed? Gen
: tlemen had dwelt upon the moderation of General
Taylor: the Democratic party on that floor acted
from higher motives than those which actuated len.
eral Taylor They came from the people without
ptedgeS either to remove or appoint officers under
f the Government; therefore, in the exercise of the
t right of removal, they would be held gutless of
$ having violated pledges. We have, said Mr.. c.
q the right to elect Thompson, and intend to exer.
else it. The appeals of the Wings would not avail
to swerve them from their purpose.
II Mr. DoRMAN assigned the reasons which govern
his course in this election. He did not choose to
go into defence of General Taylors proscriptve
policy tenabe as he believed that policy to be- He
should record his vote against Mr.. Thompson, be-
cause he came here solely political adventurer.
He had been informed that Mr.. T. was born in
Belmont county, Ohio and had been imported into
this state by Martin Van Buren, He would not
touch man thus endorsed, coming as he did, too
| from such an Objectionable quarter Were we to
turn out the old and faithful Heath, to give place
/ to political adventurer? He thought the People
of Virginia would refuse to sustain their represen.
tatlves in the course they had marked out.
Mr. FLOOD said it was the duty of the General
Assembly annually to elect First and Second Au.
dltor, treasurer, Register of the Land Office, &c.
and no member of this house feels more forcibly
than do the responsibility that rests upon him to
discharge that duty to the Commonwealth faithfully
Then, sir you will not be surprised the declara-
ton, that am Democratic Republican, and agree
with Mr.. Jefferson, that great man. that, in the SCI
lection of men to fill Offices that political
we should in all cases dosing sight much as pos.
sble of all other considerations enquire, is he
honest, is he capable, is he faithful" These tests
have been rgidy applied by me to the present in
cumbents of all the offices now about to be filled.
have satisfied myself that duty to the state and to
my constituents require that should give my hum
BILE vote for their reelection. venture the asser-
tion that state can boast of officers capa-
BILE, honest and faithful. have not heard of any
complaint against any of them, except that they
are Wings. If recolIect right, the two Auditors
were elected before the existence of the present
| Wing party, and have been repeatedly reelected
by Wing and Democratic legislatures, and are now
as capable as faithful, and as honest ever; and
so far as know or believe, party did not control
in the election of the Register Of the Land Office,
| who is a Democrat, of the Treasurer, who is
Wing. Why then shall we make the election this
winter party test Shall we make this election
flrn politics, because Gen. Taylor has violated
his pledges and turned out capable, honest and faith
| full officers of the general government? We all
denounce General Taylor's course, and say it is
wrong, and shall we follow his bad example, do
ourselves what we condemn in another1 But, Mr..
| Speaker, have other reasons. majority of the
justices of the county have the honor to repre-
sent, Wings, and still three fourths of the Off
| GERS Of the county are Democrats; thereby shew-
ing that politics has not heretofore, by the people
of the county of Appomattox, been made test in
the election of officers which, to them very
| nearly what those under consideration are to the
State. Party predictions have not prevented my
constituents from doing what they thought best
and [ believe majority of them would be mlsre-
presented if was to do otherwise than vote for
the present Observation-Disclosures as honest as able
faithful, and efficient as they have been. And
Sir go farther. last Fall made it my business
talk with my Democratic friends, and from what
they said to me, believe that should be msrepre-
senting very large majority Of the Democrats of
Appropriations Democracy, Sir, thatnever has been
doubted. They prefer to adhere to the old issues,
the principles of the party that elected Polk, which
gave us that glorious system of measures under
which our country has prospered other
ton in the world has. At ali events, in my humble
Judgment, the best interest of Virginia requires it,
and let the consequences be to me what they may,
my vote shall be given for honest, faithful and capa-
Bile officers
Mr.. SYME rose for the purpose of expressing his
thanks to the gentleman from Franklin for the very
modest and liberal position he had assumed for HIM
self and for his party He said he much admired
modesty In woman, it was truly beautiful and
adorable-and it was attribute which well became
a man: In the vegetable kingdom, what more beau
tiful than the modest violet! He returned thanks
to the gentleman from Franklin, again-that gen.
tleman had given the House valuable information.
That gentleman had said that the Democratic party
was purer than Gen Taylor! If So he would
ask how it happened, then, that the Democratic
party wanted to steal the old hero from the Wings
in the earlier stages of the last Presidential contest
But he (Mr. So rose mainly to make an inquiry in
relation to Mr.. Geo. w. Thompson.
Mr. Cook of Roanoke, asked if the gentleman
from Petersburg would give way to enable him to
PROFOUND question:
Mr.. SYME. No--not till have concluded.
Mr. Cook said, from his seat, he knew what quea-
ton the gentleman was going to ask.
Mr. SYME asked how it could be possible the
gentleman should know what question he was
about propoundng2 He could only account for
the genteman's trepdation by bringing to mind the
old adage, that 'thef fears an officer in every
BUSH" Yesterday, said Mr. s., we passed resou-
tons almost unanimously against the Wilmot Pro.
vlsO.
Mr.. Cook of Roanoke again interrupted Mr.
SYME.
The SPEAKER called the gentleman from Roam
oke to order.
Mr.. sYME. The gentleman knows wha, am
coming to- Let him alone, Mr.. Speaker; let him
grunt-grunting is good for the tooth-ache! lRoars
day, said Mr. S., passed decisive resolutions against
the "Wilmot Proviso and kindred measures" and
if the rumours he had heard should turn out to be
true, the election of Geo. w. Thompson would af
ford strange commentary upon those resolutions
He said he had heard report, or rumour, relative
to certain opinions said to have been held at one
time by the nominee of the Democratic party,
which he thought incumbent the friends Of that
gentleman to explain away, if they could. Ramour
targed Col. Thompson ,oith hauing expressed, orer
hat the negroes had not prored successful in the
Southampton instruction.
Mr. FERGUSON. Produce the proof.
Mr.. SYME, Do you deny the charged
Mr. FERGUSON. Yes, we deny the charge and
challenge you to produce the proof; he believed
here was not particle Of truth in the rumour
Mr., SYmE said he had heard the rumour but, of
course conld not vouch for its TRUTH in all particu
ars; he presumed there were not twenty ind
'iduals on that floor who had not heard it He
said he was not then at liberty to furnish the proofs
out he could assure gentlemen the whole truth
would come out before Mr. Thompson was elected.
He had heard the rumour he made no charge
against Col. Thompson himself and merely se-
peated what he had heard.
Mr.. Cook of r. said he had heard the report.
Mr. SYME, OF course you have-every body in
that quarter had heard it Now, said Mr.. s., if
this charge should turn out to be true, David Will
mot himself might justly be regarded an imma-
cuate saint when compared with Geo. w. Thomp.
son.