Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-07-25
TUESDAY MORNING., JULY 25, 1854.

:, "
events au, rtrr, o the varying appr.:.rs and tastes
of ccnsilcrab!r!is of SubsrrbclS Whrn consider
tn" spirit al lir with which il conducted snw-
i'll. thr"u%!r thn long period H." Notwithstanding
mark> ot Mr.. Rltrlr's style uId u.lahaicd vic"r o
cunp,rsiti0n a:ih Of his gnud tasir and @mrn in
selections worthy OF any paper, - cannot r'trn!n
from cxrlninin- his ad"cl WAS :,.nt oil, axi,f:
and care lluw much more hi:.!@ viii ". estimate
his ability and Influence, nnd wonder at the man, when
We r. fleet upon his public and private life.
MG RitchIc wis secretary To almost al the public
meeting, held i'll Richmond durin" his residence ,hrr,
WAS present II: all the Legislative cancilses where
Presidents and Governors md Senators were made
uiI unniale, acted and consulted with tic mHnnGTs
WAS advised AMI cuuns"lcl with hy them, an'l with
ont his knowledge and concurrence, few moves were
made on the political board. In times nf high po-
litca excitement in the Legislature, while he wnnld
hr sitting M the clerks tablr taking notes ~ the de-
bates, have the leaders ot the party, fearing
their own Judgment and totally ut fault vacillaiins
auL uncertain come Ia him for tie cue and obtain
ime it in few hurried words We have seen them rc.
turn tn their positions, amd then with buldncss and
m,repidty not before felt, proclaim their course and
sound the busc, giving the :allying notes which were
certain Ia be taken up and passed from mouth 10
mouth till the whole party would stand in solid pila-
laux not IN be broken or sllnkcn. II any man wa-
yrrcd them 10 his future prospects for advance
incm in Virgiua. Ii he resistcd his political! death
was sealed forever.
Mr.. Ritcc WIS manager at a the public balls, and
the perfect gentleman in s attentions tn the la-
dics-wI, ui the Committee Of Arrangements Tor
all public duncrs-had something Ia d" III the prrpa-
ration of the tOa>tS-prcsitlrl un these nccnsi's with
dignity un,l proprcry--ani would proclaim, when the
company became q little uproariDus. tlIut 'urlcr WIS
Ileavcns first lnw.' He welcomed public guests ut
public entertainments, md gave them cheerful md
IL cordial greeting. lie WIS member ot pleasant
clubs amd none 80 iuval and gay rs he. When with
old cronis ut Il round table, hc w"! aSs few hours
the vclirSt mcrrcet, nnslcrt Youngest though per-
haps the oldest "f the SET. He was ever attentive to
stranger, who visited the ctv--wuud call upon and
receive their calls with pnncous respect: and 1t was
remarkable notice the curi.r>l!y with which he was
looked nj and cnquircd fnr hy them.
These cvlitics md duties and amIuscmcnts Mr..
Rchic performed and clrvcd i'll his hours u rclaXl-
tom never however i'll all his pleasures, III Ils gay
est moods, stepping beyond the bounds OF temperance
and moderation. But i'll his hours ot study, or bus.-
composition. he rar".v permitted himself 10 be
interrupted. AZ such times 1t was his habit to retire
10 an upper apartment ui his Residence, where,
in dressing and slippers, free from n restraint
and ccrcrluny, he could thlnE an Gull and pour forth
ihusc ucubrhtniIs which were the mc!Ital food Tor
thousands. How truly did Mr.. jefferson describe him
i'll his letter 10 john Adams, Of the ;l OF July, 1919,
when speaking doubm-ly of the authenticity OF the
M"cklcmbur. Declaration ut Independence, he SAID,
.'lf his pacr be- really taken from the Raleigh Reg
is,cr iS quoted, | wurl"r i. should have escaped
R;rIlic, who culIs what i good roa every paper ~
| the bee from every Hover
Al thr close of the administration Of Mr. Monroe,
Mr.. Rchic took nm nctr" par in the pending contest
for the Presidency. The candidates, ~ Is well known,
were Gem Jackson, J. g. AdHiis, VIM. ii. Crawford,
and Henry Clay. Mr. Eilchic, with the Republican,
party of Virginia. advocated the rcclun of Mr.. Crnw-
ford an! was bitter i'll his opposition I" me other
three In !hc electoral colleges, Gen. Jackson re-
ccivcd the largest vote, but ailcd To obtain maor
IS. The choice, therefore, according to Inc C"nslu
tion was referred T." the House Of Representatives,
and contrary la general expectation, M election was
nude ON the first baIpt-Mr Clay aEd his friends vo-
! TIM, for Mr.. Adams and thereby making INN frcs-
dent. When il was understood, from letter from
Mr.. CLAY himself that he iut"nd" L. -ivc tins v":c
Mara.
him no. To- do 50, hut Ia sacrifice his first impressions
10 Inc GOOD us his cOuntry, saying "hc ha- 1t III lI-
power to establish character for na%nanImty which
very rarely falls To the lut "i the s"ns o men,. He
STATES ia the ;n".,. al Gen. Jackson. W. Hre
u,, in the habit al ,unmizmg ihi. distinguished man
lie ia not oar choice, n, the President al iic-" nj
| led S;atcs-no NOR" is Mr. Adnms--hnt his present
I"pnrtncn; is much commended IN various letters
r,In WRShntUn that il il but justice tn u"tiCr 1t
The writer o letter 4" Philadelphia states that he
was present when Gen. Jackson WA informed o Mr:
| Clays inr:tinn 10 support Mr.. Adams The General
was uuimpassiournnd cOully obacrvcdhat there were
iwo things Of which Mr.. Clay could not d"priv" him
1T,,r"> adj h irNrrhs.h"'' "Is~",i' l''',paa N
spending his lie Oh his own farm i'll Tennrose".' sr'
| c!al similar letters commenting Gem Jackson were
! published III this period showing Mr. htrhe MIN"
was becoming unicccvc, and thnt inc was more IN
yurabiv impressed towards him. Mr. Rtchic profess
rd not to believe The charr that Nr Clay would roie
Tor Mr.. Adam, and wnuLt afterwards accept nj III.
hands the Office of Secretary al State. But he snr
M ;hat dav III he does vote for Mr. Adams il he does
war 80 violently with his own past declarations ana
those nt hs friends, shall find il difficult 10 witness
it without the drrl,e> establishment and regret. vi
al the phenomena al this Presidential contest thai
! would l. the most unexpected AMI SURPRISING. -
| The next Enuurrr contains the dcnoucmcnt. 1.-The
,iavs Of prnplIrsy urr pa.ithr reality Itself II now
before t,s-ihc election is over and III" governor IL
| John Quincy Adams.
.iiwavs, as we have shown, rising superior TO de-
fear, Nj Rilcc cries out, all the pF bic Is not cry
ing ont ho,annns TO the powers that be. Tie press
is free The people arc awake. There IS yet spar.
tan band To rally around the rights ot she STATES ana
of the People, who though defeated, will persist
tIlnu.h they fall, will rise again. IT," Old Dominion
is firm fearless and unsliakrn. She has representa-
tivcs who will stand by her i'll her State Legislature
and in the halls of Congress they will scent the
tainted breeze and will do their duty. She has not
vet lost the spirit which she displayed III ?S and ~
She is not vet ground to dust and ashcs
When Mr.. Clay accepted the office of Secretary,
under Mr. Adams, and out with his defence
against the charge of coalition made against him, Mr.
Rrhic declared that defence able and ingenious, but
not satisfactnrv and from this time forth, Mr. Clay
WAS handled with gloves of, and in the war which
was wagci against him in all his subsequent efforts to
gnn the Presidency, Mr.. Ritchie was ever Foremost
! hi. bittcrcst and most formidable antagonist.
Throughout the administration of Mr. Adams Mr.
| Rchie wascd inccssant wnr against Ri MS nc's'-
Every important measure was compatted VIII Ic"'
and his recommendations met with the keentst
shafts uf satyric prII. His Panama mission, views
upon internal improvements, disposition to protect do
ncs.c manufactures by duties on imports and the OPP
pressve tariff bill, passed III 1873 his iiSh'-nouseS
in the skies" and other objects suppnscd to bc yisl"n
arv wild and unconstitutional! and the discretionary
| cxpcndturcs of the executive part OF the govern
| mcut were NIL brought into review and handled with
masters hand, with M ability 10 pun down ,lt "i,'rh
il sought to DESTROY. Under this warfare, the public
feeling bccamp intensely excited; the lrurnctcd dis
cu.sos OH the characters OF the candidates, ana the
nocal questions involved in the contest, reused the
bittercst feelings o party spirit, and the Old Domn'
.I.J tI,,u puplI
T; ;bciur early perceived that Gen. Jackson would
br the candidate of the Democratic party, Mr. Rtchc
wns rcutiv 10 sustain him. In his chiT0rc bravery, his
brilliant success in the wnr with Great Britain and the
many bold popular and fascinating points III his char
n,.ter il was manifest that he would be an irreslstble
Il candidate before the people. Notwithstanding Mr..
Ritrhic had been rid;culei for having declared that
he should consider the election of Gen. jackson n
curse upon the country, yet when he examiner MS
history calmly and dispCssiunately, and viewed his
character IN its true light he formed different cstl-
nntc of the man and prepared to give linn his hearty
support avuwing openly his change OF opnlon. Gen.
Jackson was elected by an overwhelming m"Ior'ty:-
After his installation, MIR. Ritche compmcntcd his IN.
au,uru address, stating that "it completely fuifled
al his expectations. |: is somewhat Ill the syc ol
Mr. Jetfcrso easy but energetic, terse bur conrre-
heusive He promises to keep IN his eye inc exam
pl,s of Washington and Ot Jetfcrson the nina that
founded and the mimi tilat Tcior"'cu 'iic Po"'" =
te,n.'
Its isimpossibe 10 dwell upon Mr.. Ritchles opinions
and views upon the great men and measures Of h's
times; none escaped his praise or anlnadversons;
there was no height high to which he did not soar
and no depth so deep, but his earle eye tathoncd the
sbyss Gen. .JncksOn's Maysviic aud Bank vctocs
could not fail 10 meet with his decided appreciation
They were restoring the Government i'll his eyes 10
the republican tact. They were approximatlng to
those glorious tests Of Constitutional powers as eH
uuupd,l in the Resolutions Of 9S and 99. Mr.. Rchie
ever believed that the true strength OF the Govern
ment consisted in leaving individuals anu States Us
much US possible to themselves, and that the Union
could not be preserved by nvGsons OF the rlshts ana
bowers of the States. In the exciting qucstl" oi ni-
iifca.ion which nearly convuscd the nation, III TIC
n,,;,ud assumed Ly South Carolina of determined re-