Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-12-19
To he Editors ofthc Enquirer.


| have been much panied 10 ace the harsh and un-
charitable reflections of portion Of the public press
and their correspondents, upon the recommendation
of Gov. Floyd, by portion of the members OF the
Electoral College lately assembled at Richmond, as
member Of MIR. BuchanHus Cabinet. II ID much
easier to ascrbe improper natives to men than 1t ID
to learn the true ones. To charge this the ofica
act Of the Electoral body, is oil outrage upon every
prinuip. of sound reasoning or fair deduction. /.
constituted part Of the proceedings Of the College
and moi remotely hned at in the sessions o that
body. Thcre was not a man in the College who did
not know, as we'll as any editor who has poured out
the phas of his wrath upon our heads that the Elec.
toral College, as such, would have been out Of its
duty to have entertained acted upon any such
proposition. The record Of the proceedings Uf tho
body show that no such action was taken Or attempt
ed. The act, then, was not official.
But it il said that the members who signed their
names to the memorial. were members Of the Col
ege and that their being 70 Was calculated to add to
the weight Of their recommendation. BE it so; ard
does. that make the act any other than individual
ucti Members Of Congress-ot the State Legsla-
lures aud other political bodies-ars frequently cnl
ed upon, and frequently sign recommendations to Of
Ace during the sessousyt the bodies to which they
belong. Are recommendations thus signed to be re-
gurded as the acts OF the bodies to which they re-
spectiyely belong, even though signed by q majority
Of the members of the bodyl Certainly mott and
yet the very fact that they we're members of such
bodies woald be calculated to add to the weight Of
their recommendations. 1t would have required but
little reflection anl little charity to have seen the
analogy between these csses and that OF the Elec.
tors 50 unsparingy denounced. For one, who
signed the memorial, II cannot speak for anybody
else.) had dream that was acting i'll any other
character than as individual, nor upon any re.
sponsibility but my own. That was committing
the Electoral College, acting in any official capsc
ty, did not once enter into my head.
AS an individual, WIS master Of my own actions
and Judge OF the proprisy or improperly OF my own
conduct, without responsibility to any earthly trbu.
nal or any human being. had the right, as an
American freeman, 10 recommend Gov. Floyd or
any other person chose. to fill any office of the 60
vernnent; and the fact that was a member of the
Electoral College did not take away in the slight
est degree impair this right When | cast my vote
in the College of Electors for James Buchanan and
John e. Breckn for President and Noe Pres
dent of the United States, and aided in these pro-
ceedirCs necessary 10 give effect 10 the vote, did
all that 1 was elected 10 do, and satisfied all the
claims my constituents had upuI mo. Whether
would recommend this or that man thr ofnce or pre-
fer this or that mau, was my own concern, with
which my constituents had nothing 70 do. The harsh
denunciatiops Of the Democratic press tor the eIer
else of this undoubted and iual!ena5!e right Of cit
zepsbip, ~ favor Of q whose capacity, integrity
fidelity aud efficiency in the Democratic cause they
had ali borne testimony 10, ls!n my humble opinion
much more reprehenslbe than the act which has
called them forth
Bat it is charged BY the "I.ynelburg Republican"
and its correspondent, Mr. Irving. that, in signing
this memorial, expressed preference fpr Gov.
Floyd over the Hon. I. ). BUcock, and in this
misrepresentsd the amos; unanimous opinion OF my
constituency. This is the substance OF tho charge.
To this reply, that in signing that memoris! did
not uor intend to express any preference for
Gov. FIoyd over Mr.. Bocook any other person,
although admit the &C, itself justified that inference
did not know at the time ot signing the memorial,
that Mr. Bocock desired Or would accept place IN
the Cabinet or that his name would be under con.
sideraton. had not been so informed from any
reliable source; il had, have no hesitation in say
ing thar should have withheld my signature frnm
the memorial in favor Of Gov. Floyd, although had
NO objection to him. My preference and purely
preference it would have been-was for MIR. Bocock.
The idea, however OF the competing claims Of other
distinguished Vrgiuans any Of whom would have
been satisfactory me, and in favor of whom, under
the same circumstances, would have done the came
thing, did net occur to me. But be this as it may,
my preferences we're my own, aud the mode Of ex-
pressing tbeu my own, and it betrays rather despotc
spirit in the public press to asss man for the exer
else Of al undoubted right because it does not socord
with itI own views Of propriety or good teste, al
though the subject Of it is une1oeptionsbe. That
represented or intended to represent the opinions
Of my constituents of the 9TH electoral district or Of
the State at large deny, intended in that basty
to speak for no one bat myself That my electoral
district would have preferred Mr.. Booock to Gov.
Floyd for cabinet appointment, by vote of ten to
one, is what ! did no: kno0 and could not have
known, because had not heard the question can:
vassed in any part Of the district; bu. believe, in
the strongest acoepaon ofthat term, that vast ma
jority Of the people of that district would havs pre-
ferred Mr.. Bocock to Gov. Floyd for any office; for
know that Mr. BocOck stauds very high IN that
district both a. public NAN and private cltizen-
perhaps behind uoue in the State.
But let me enquire Of Mr.. Irving, both as just