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

il pruis.1s ut the same moment to respect. II i
not %i'H'jnn0 remedy. but ,rr"i"t'o0ary m"i-
>llr,-Ilo peaceful REMEDY, but II d'Crd L" II L..
ti.natcly works dissolution "f IN" c"h!c'scrity and
4 yr>lsi.d i, amaunts IL force and 10 war; The
doctrines which he opposed were hOsc relating to thr
right o secession AMI 10 The r'!rH'hr =" ne jr6'rW
E, app0ri. Against these he oppusrd the resolution
of Nr,rina in 80 ,ecirin. thu: the powers of the
,Dvcrnmrnt result from the compact 10 which the
States are parties 'as farther valid than they are
authorized by the grants enumerated IN that coin.
pact ;u that in IL a.! deliberate, palpahc and
langrol cxcrcse OF other powers no; granted by the
said com,,nct the Siutrs, who parties thereto,
have the right and III duty bound to iUrpoSc i1r
ar,siing III, progress ot III" trd and frr maintaining
within their respective limits the authorities, rights
and liberties appertainng I" them And TO show
what was meant by this in;crpOsition he pointed 70
the course of Virginia herself in reasoning lls' with
her sisters and the government and o the Other scls
that might be taken with regard Ia the doctrine "t
secession, before the appeal 10 the ultima ratio, Mr.
Rtchlc declared, "lt we were permitted 10 con-
suit feelings would let this cup pass by us.
We regard Secession the ultima ratio oi our federal
syseml-and perfectly agree with Mr.. Jefferson
lin letter To 8lr. Sc!ios in 99) that n. we should
think of Sc,1raJn but for repeated and cnor-
nous violaons,s 80 these when they will be cause
| enough of themselves" We think the right aS one
which flows from the very nature ot our srstcn-Dut
we hold it 10 be right 10 bc exercised, but III
tho very lazt rcsort-until all constitutional means
| have been appealed TO, all nmcablc cXpedcnts have
been exhausted, all ua;!l there has been free con
su!tutinn with sister States. We regard lncc
s the extreme medicine of the Constitution, (Alr. F.
=. Barbour goes tur, believe as 10 call II III
arscucl TO be unnecessarily discussed and ne.
yer to bc actually employed but in tho last extremity.
We cnn ouly nlludr 10 these topics: the reasoning
by which his opinions were vndlcatcd ad sustained
cannot he referred 10 in this sketch; il IL already
swelling fur beyond uur original design. Bat il Is
impossible, in this connection, not To alludc 10 Mr.
RiichcS views i'll relation Ia the removal o the dc.
puscs the action uf the Senate ot !hc United STATES
upon this mcasurc Of Gen. Jackson against the Bank
of the United States the celebrated protest Of that
great man against ha, action, and Mr.. Rchics Cpin-
ION of that protest. The excitement ut that day upon
these questions and actions, the bearing they have
had upon subsequent events, the scrcrancc OF party
ties among mniv nf the former leaders oi III" Demo
cratic party and the fate of the men thus violently
dssulvng old connections al depend essentially
upon the events OF this day, of which Mr. Richie
was, may almost say, part and parcel, that they
must bc considered and require at least passing
commentary.
When the President took the responsibility of re.
moving the Secretary ot the Treasury, because OF
his uuwingness To execute his order for the removal
o! the depOsitcs, appointed new Secretary, who
was ready and did forthwith cause their removal, Mr.
Ritclc not altogether satisfied with the manner
in which it accom- lishcd nor with the time when
il was done. lie believed il would have been better
have waited for the meeting o Congress, and To
have abided their determination. AZ the molacnt OF
taking this step the businc-s of the country was unit
sllullv active. The capitalist and the mrrcInn inc-
chaucs and manufacturers, had unlimited confidence
iii each other aud all the moncd institutions of tn"
country had extended their loans to the utmost bounds
uf their ability. At such junctn.r, great and rgd
rtrcncincnt, attended with want of confidence, was
productive OF ruinous consequences. Private credit
was deeply affected and the business OF the country
interrupted. Mr.. Rtchlc SAM and felt the pane
that WIS around and about him, md he doubted the
c TT and the wisdom OF t!!r wei, as the
power by which il was accomplished. Warmly and
zcalnIsy III favor however, o the utter destruction
o the United States Bank, believing ii tn BE- ucon-
stitutiona in lis inception and of dangerous tendency
to the liberties Of the country, !c paused in the coUr,c
he on t 10 pursue, and hence hc was charged with
varillntom and want u! consistency. He plainly saw
thar il he did aug ght Ia diminish the influence "t Gen.
Jacksor he must contribute that much +" mcouragc
and sustain the Bank. He that the Bank and III
pur;suiIs would break down hr President /! they
were able They would thus break the strong arm
which had the energy to Gssall It's stronghold. Be-
.vimg this after wHvcrins for time, hc acquiesrcd
in tie course Of Gen. Jackson and sustained him tOrs
riyiLHS.
In consequence of the action of Gen. Jackson with
rcgurd tie public revenue, the Senate OF the United
States passed cc!lsIlre upon him. declaring TINT hr
had .ssllnicd upon biW&. .HaIi,rty and ,nIvcr uOt
Conferred bv the G.. uilswe: 10 ih ut ia doroga
President issued l!s celebrated ln'yrsr. rrrfon the
Rtchic Immediately cnminrntrC bic and eloquent
as il il in Us cumsitiun il cpssblc IN frame any
such ocilen without throwing into ii much that ID
dcbatcab,c much that is susceptible OF misconceptions
and more of misrepresentation Party ingenuity VIII
pcrvcrt some of lis lUctrlncs Some weak point VIII
possibly be found in large compass. And let us
nid, TINT NJ this time particularly, when VIC have 70
.-nnlir monster 10 encounter as the Bank OF me
United Sutcs--wheu It's allies IRE swarmn@ oil around
us-wlcn ambitious men are lending all clr talents
to increase the public cnlnmoon, Rvailng themselves
of the general panic to promote their own eeVat'o,
aud lasting up the tcp pest, in order that they may
ride in the wIrwinl unG direct the storm it WINS
peculiarly desirable for all the friends OF the Consti-
tuition to unite together, to march on shoulder I"
shoulder against the common enemy, instead o deba.
ting abstract propositions and answering the general
objections Of their opponents
This language and tone sufficiently cvincr Mr.
Ritchirs feelings towards thia protest; hn he Is more
explicit. ave cannot suppose" he says, "whaterer
NAV be the hasty phrNscOlOgy of other parts OF thc
protest, that he intended to claim general control
over the public purse. We must presume that the
passage properly aud iarly ntcrprrtcd was intended
TO admit without qualification, that Congress nave me
right 10 make any laws the subject tor i's srcuriy
and safe -kecpiug-nt the President only claims the
right of interfering or experimenting IT, when II mas
Jesn once conidcd to III EIccntnT opcc' Tor whose whose
general conduct he IL, as the heaI oi thc Executive
I,vartmeut anenabr. But we are FREQ to confess
that no possible doubt should be permitted to exist
upon this great prncipcthat there are expressions
which ought to be explained by the President himself
and we arc prepared TO say, III the face rms people,
that if he does no; disClam the meaning which has
been uscribcd to them, we most solcmnly protest
against this meaning. We solemny dlscaim the dan
rerous and extravagant doctrines which it would in-
vovc."
This extract shows aa satisfactorily any other we
could make the aroness Of Mr. Ritchlc as poh'l-
rnl leader. Findin. that he could not approve
measure, he not only Expresses his dsapproval but
gives TO the document commented upon cunstruc
ton different from that usually entertained, and
claims thnt such must be the mrnnlng OF the author
In few days acr the protest, Gen. Jackson sent to
the Senate Ill authoritative exposition III accordancc
with this construction.
After these exciting and interesting political events
which shook party foundations to their CENTRE which
caused new combinations to be formed and old par.
ties to assume new names in order 10 cnptIvac ana
catch the disalfected and disappointed, we Iurh 10
more private incidents III Mr.. Rl.cies nc. Inc u"
| credible industry with which hc laborcd was wen
known to his intimate friends hu; how anu wilcn hc
worked and the wires he pulled and put III motion,
were onv known to few. Much Of his intense labor
was performed after others hnd retired To rest; IL
was his habit to continue his work until Two OF three
o'clock ut night; and when al the worid was nus'e"
and still, TO ply his busy wheel and loom After re-
| bose he would rise about nine or ten o clock Ill the
morning aud be again as fresh and Gay AZ lark
Notwithstanding the immense pressure upon hS ihlh1
and body sufficient to have shattered the heat anu
undermined the constitution OF the most vigorous, hr:
| R;,r,ie WINS rarely indsposed. With an uttenuated
frame, thin and wan nnd apparently wasted 10 sha,
dow he could undergo lnlneuse mental exeruoh ui'i
bodily futrue and though his dress was such as to
have thrown ordinary mOrtals into consumption, ne
rarely wus troubled with cold. He almost invariably
wore white marscilcs vest and thin pumps and Six
stockings, and we have often seen him thus clad III
snow and mire in the depth OF winter, vending his
way houlewards with n handful of papers, excerpts
and copy with his white cambric handkerchief twist,
ed around them, and without overcoht, while all
others were wrapped in furs and unucs US heavy as
could be worn. -.
Hewas rarely seen on horseback, the exercise winch
he took being generally on foot, aud this mostly inl'
tied to wuIks from his residence to the capitol or to
the office of the Enquirer 1t equally rure to iear
of his absence from his editorial luburs, but OH the
Sd of tJuue 1884, we find in the Enquirer all article
which furnishes an exception TO both these state
mcnts:
II have met with un unfortunate accident, which
will prevent my attending 10 the editorial department
If this paper for few days. On Thursday evening
| was thrown from my horse, aud my life was for
moment in imminent peril the edge Of rocky pre-