Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-02-25

IN
reneman that therefore they must all c. nesess'tde
49,. lave That ia his evdsnce-taose "the fact
rot sn.ol louder than words" In the name oil God hs
"a yr,n;. come to that Deplorabe as She has beef
to be- knew before that she had DOW
ed her head so low hobbiRg upon such cruches
Great God what an lssue-wnst question LOT sec
.;ona foeling and sectional dyison trust We shall
hear no more such arguments rs those. No. advocate
tho principle of reegbility from higher and more no
ble considerations trust | do not advocate !! as TN
gentleman from Spottsylvaaia (alr CoSwAY) advocate
it. as question Of expedisncy simply. think mere
prineiple-a vital principle involved III It'll u,a 40
think So would not take it upon the mere ground
c1pcdency alone l take it because there Is prlcp
in it, which is above any idea of e1pediency.
We have heard all kinds of despotism spoken OF OF
this floor but of all the desposms that nave ever
cd under the sun, this doctrine OF osPGulene
In. worst It ia the doctrine-the palatns plea anC
sxcuse Of the Jesuit and carried out i'll It's full extent
would ouench liberty in blood raise religion 70 lis o
datons, and shut the gates of mercy on manHnl Ecu
me not of expediency alone! never VIII sacrnce
principle to expediency. But whenever Know Pr'h
chile to be safe and sound and right and proper anI
.Inedsnt 10 apply that principle, will do it.
Gentlemen have refreshed us with a vast deal O
I.ornino and knowledge drawn from the philosophers
historians poets and fable makers OF both ancient ana
modern times We have heard Of tho Goth' and an
lals-and of king logs kingdom and KING s,erSs KING
do,,-of Iocse-Mtou-Pufe ndorf-vattcl, &c o.
49, Tr;bunos at Rome and tho Archons OF Athens
Indeed Of all the world and "thc rest of mankind -
for the gentleman from Fauquier (hr CHIFFON yesier
ay gave US glance into the palace OF the king OF Inn
bucoo where the llustrous monarch OF that distinguish
cd Infusion Of arstocraey, monarchy and democracy
had two wives feoding him with beef fixed upor
sharp sticks. Laughter. Thismornipg my friend from
Appomattox has paraded before the old raw hcac
and bloody bones" of the French Revolution. Cu' bono
What application has it to the subject IN band t-And
ask tho question with great respect and Difference to th
able gentleman from Appomattox That dctsstaoi'
French royouton-that disgrace to mankind-that rcgr
of terror which stained the history Of the world Will
the blood of the peaeeable and unofcndng-whc
crushed law and oror and swallowed up religion IN tls
,ulph of infdslity.
The CHAIR Mr.. SHEpFsY, temporarily occupying
~ 1t ia not in order for the gentleman to address any
but the Chair.
Mr. STEWART. do not think | am out Of ordc:
out will turn around to you, however laughter
vas about say that the gentleman had warned us ina
the French revolution had settled down INTO military
lespotism That's trus-but that wns an improve
nent upon the state of things previous to the rNon
on 1t was escaping from rottea and corrupt dosPo
ism of priestcraft which Infinitely worse than lie
lespotsn of the bayonet speak OF what history tells
ne TO be true After all this much abused revo.u'lcu
las accomplished good Religion finally emerged from
IS fangs in purei stats-the wild efforts al popular
lights and popular liberty were crnshed-oue .ne go.
was not altogether dssroyed-it has burSei ic!h si
after many years and yet hope to see grow INTO
tree sufficiently strong to withstand the hGhshis ans
The tempest of that volatile people
But to come closely to the real question ut ss"s
before u.s. s it right for this Convention Is the repre-
entatives of the people, to take away the power oil
ecting the Governor from the lcgslature-the popular
Agents-and transfer it TO tho people themselves NO
Gentleman pretends to controVert that proposition IL
conceded on all sides that the Governor ought to oe
elected by the people In fact we nave passed l;a,
aous sanction upon that feature of the report OF the
.ommttee on the executive department. Then, Il II
q right for the people to elect Governor III the rai
Instance it certainly is right for them to re-eiec'
lin il they choose to do so-and ne often re they
uav choose to do Then, if the principle OF reegi
!itv rs proposed BY the gentleman from Henrieo ne
-rong the principle Of action BY the people Is ltae
ronc This is the point to which this question resolves
tself when narrowed down. and gentlemen cannot blink
:, or escape from it say it re,ovesitsel into aqnes
ion of the capacity Of the people for 'efgov crneni
md without intending d.rsspaet wAa al.
mus. saw that think have the cloyen oot stick
ny out Of the whole Of their argument. Gentlemen
ave fear Of the people and though they may avo"
themselves full believers in the capacity OF the pe"ps
or .elfgovcrnment yet unconsciousiy, perhaps theI
ave doubt in mental reservation really az to their ca
acitv for self-zovernment. repeat, if the right
ect be improper then by the same course Of reasoning
I il eoualy improper to elect in the first instance Ia
Iced the reasons in favor Of election and OF The
principle Of reliability are stronger even than thos'
which apply to the election IN the first instance hen
lou elect Governor for the first time, you must tax,
lin altogether upon his general reputation and how
10 Won get at that general reputation Why b.
ear SAFFRON the mouths of his personal and poitca
rienl. and partixans. We have to take him as LAZY
oe. husband for better for worse, and when he il
.lected he is in for four yeara But when We come 'c
e.elsct then we may act upon some judgment OF oui
.wn, founded upon knowledge and acquaintance will
be officer his views and course while in office and o
he manner in which he has discharged his Official iu
es This gives the people opportunity to Judge th
nan-to pass in review the course and acts OF tho III
:umbent
But gentlemen tell us ho will become corrupt IN office
and viii uss his position to secure his reelection. Now
strikes me il the Governor means to become corrupt
fr tie purpose of securing reelection two things are
,ecessary-he must have somebody to corrupt and some
ching to corrupt with Who is he to corrupt Ills on
" object to corrupt any body s to get into office again
and ayan-it must then he the appointing power-ths
people whom he is to corrupt. Gentlemen must take
horn of the dilemma or the other Ii the Governor
becomes corrupt and coupts the peopc-then as con
equece. the people must be knaves and fools This
he legitimate deduction from the argument OF gentle
nen, aud is denial to that eItont, OF the capacity
the people for sefgovernment The theory of our.or
ernen is that it ia founded and rests upon the virtue
and intelligence Of the people We consider thc.e car
dinal requisites to exist in the people All regard then
to DO as necessary to tho existence and safe conduct
Tree government a. are the properties of light aud heal
| W tuo SUM- lncu II IL De true, as hSlIl0msn argue
that the people become corrupted and the Governor
can corrupt them, say they are both knayes and fools
and if knaves and fools they not capable of segov
srnmcnt for they neither have the moral nor INTEL
capacity for the discharge OF the duty Knav.s and fools
cannot administer government on correct principles
Freedom would soon sink into vice and mbecty in sucl
hands That insist is the legitimate rssul, OF the ar
9ume, and goes to show that the people are not SAFE
repositories Of power-but yet gentlemen will not Sc
openly nvow. But admit gratia argunena that the in
cumbcnt would become corrupt, and that tho peopl,
could be- corrupted how and With what s the corruption
to be effected There must be soms quid pro q"o-som
reward-some patronage to bestow. Now the execu
tive nan under consideration proposes TO strip the Gov
ernor of powsr-absolutcly to dsnude him. The gen
tleman from Loudoun (Mr. JAssET who all SO highl!
rpcct lectured us soemnly the other day upon execu
tive patronage its dangers and tendencies to corruption
He spoke Of the patronage Of the Governor beng great
ar than that of President Fillmore or Queen Victoria
And wha. did it amount too the appointment OF oan
drectors-in.ernal improvement proxies-!nspsctors
fish lard, -four DC, at some few points in the State
The argument was 80 fully aud triumphanty met By
RI. gentleman from Henrico (Mr Borrs that it need
M further elaboration from me or any one else IA as
the Governor now has very little patronage ana wi
hove lsss under the new constitution The ints!gsn
gentleman from the city Of Richmond, (Mr. MEREDITH
ho addressed 80 clever and plausible an argument 10
.om. ays ago, seemed to have this same ghost OF OK
scut;vs patronage haunting bis imagination ne sala