Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-04-22

l;erlHpS worse consequences, which would have re-
suited from the attempt Ia eec. the officers separate
Is and with The opposition in some Gases which might
and would have been offered. ] presume that 10 al
voca;c for elections in mass meetings will maintain
thar this re-eccion ain the lump was Il true indca.
lion of the opinions and preferences n the meeting.
| Taking then rs granted, the truth Of the opposite
position, will dismiss il, and 60 back to the election
| Of officers in ISL.
| In these r'rciinu., each nominee was separately
proposed and voted for. thus at !cn. the form and
outward appearances Ot free election preser
and far, the preferences "i the meeting might have
been thence Inferred Bat let Us examine little far
ihrr than the first appearances.
In this casr every former member of the Execu-
tive Committee. tbUth "fc'O and O:h2rs,l was re-
elected, an,i t-yr"pt in the contested nomination
nbov" m"nti"ic with scarcely dissenting voice III
either oi these elections Nov, with ali poSsibe lie
ference 10 the merits of the persons so reelected,
surely man will contend tim! this unaniiny Of vote.
in almost every OF these rc-eerons, was true,
ar even approximate Indication of preference. The
ENrcuriv" Committee. M n body, had doubtless done
well, and deserved the appreciation and gratitude Of
| the Society. Probably, large proportion of the
menbers cDufd not hnvc been substituted by better
agents Bat, TINT not only one, few, but that all Of
some sixteen individuals orncr officers and members
al The conlnittrc.l could have brrn cnch and every
one, unanimously preferred IL all other members of
the whole society. simply un impossibty. In
truth, preference had but little influence these
t-nShc votes al approval and actual reduction Of
the previous iucurbrn,s In all such cases, Of rra
offices or positions merely honorary, men will be-
more governed by their feelings of respect Kindness
ar courtesy, than by their strong objections to
incuGbrntS, or preferences for other who might he
substituted. II, Is very unusa, in such c'rses, that the
name OF n new candidate wi, be brought forward IN
opposition I" former incumbent AMI without such
opposition being prupuscI, aud zealou.iy aud indus
tri"u-ly urged, the recollection oi the tormer ncum
bent wI!l BE- almost certain Ia occur and will most
g"nrray br made unanimously Tor without audible
i Wi tI M, I'm
~ iECapab." "l duty, aui ui no value whatever IN
their official character.
Besides tie operation "i the-s kindly aud amiabr
feelings, which would induce ninetecn men in every
| twenty TO avoid opposing hI- vo;c 10 candidate
whns,. election lie drrmr! improper there were Other
REASONS Ia induce many ui the members 0t t|I. gen.
era meeting in ISL, 10 submit 10 any tnlcrahIe meH
,IrcS rather than by their opposition thereto, I" eI
cite contests, and produce conflicting and nearly ba-
laEccI votes ui The meeting. In view "f the cOntG-
son aud tumuuoas procedure which accompanied
the unly contested election, for the secre,ary-hip,
the only salartrd nicc il b"ramc apparent 10 all,
that in thar hall! crowded with the meeting o some
4:cD men, where Very many could not tint! seats, and
sill more could not hear anything uI what WAS utter
ed in dchHrit was impossible 10 determine any
urariy balanced, doubtful vote, by counting tie
ayes and unrs. Every true irIcnd ut the society
dreaded the occurrence uf the necessity Tor such all
attempt H. likely 10 eudanger the very existence Dl
the society Hence, tho most discreet members
,uught tu avod and - discourage opposition, aud
IL yield their indvduHi preferences for the sake oi
harmony, aui for the welfare N: the society. By
such pralstwnrthy tOrhearnncc, and most fortunately
throughout the ses>Uns of four successive nights,
with great crowds AMI great excitement and DISORDER.
there avo;ied the necessity of resortlng 10 Il
count OF the votes for and against any measure. Bat
all tis yielding ui individual preferences for the
General good, and all the influence ot respect and
courtesy then opcrniing-and whatever worked Tor
the same cOncatory and beneficial cnds-all 20 IL
: sustain my position, that such elections, by mass
meetings, not, and will mol" and cannot be, the re-
suits Of the sound Judgment "r even reliable lndIca
tlu.ls -! the opinions or preferences al The majority
Z; ot the member, present.
These iu.re,,rs, H. 10 the election of officers IN
Sli are still more evident a- I" the last general
i meeting in A"v-mlrr iSjJ Every officer and neIn
her o, the Executive Committee for the previous
term. was selected b. one voting. | am not con
,Icuuiu, this ,Iu suai manner Ui the election, nor the
result esther III the general, or as 10 particulars.
only maintain that It's result was not III every respec
II cLOirr of the ma oTiiy OF the meeting lnis gen
crn! ticket, elected mlinn-t without niy u'y"ciH'
ynires probably was not wholly approved by I. H'ii
le voter in the numerous bohy ot electors 10" nu
nerous TO exercise even 10 Indicate their own vii
- The ..l.ctiuu, urde. recrss'fy produced b.
III. manifest lmpuesbility Of deliberate action III =
large a body In this course, the most discreet au
- dtriols members comcurrcd, being compelled there
10 by the alarming tendency 0t the suCdci dciibrra
ton and debate oi asscmbla-c Vi thousands, TN
1 acquainted with, ard therefore uncontrolled by par
u amrniary rule or order, or ia" uSaSrs or govern
nput nt n deliberate body.
Let M. not be misunderstood ~ casting ccnslre o
= th. iui, dual members "f t!i.sc great meetings, o
;.srrbing 70 their iau misconduct lic disorder an,
in"clrcy ui the proceedings. These results, wiri
characterized the two la-t annual meetings. were tn
Necessary effects Of The circumstances III winch h
meeting vas placed, and mainly, itS great numbers
In. neinS comprising tbs great crowd, could no
have been Of better ;ia;rrI,s. All O the severn
great a.s-,.ba.rs at the alrs Of the society, have
been remarkable Tor observing, throughout and with
"a fiItff nlh "a
had no; been and could not have been expected il
nivnnce, and which We're unprecedented among sucl
great members of any voluntary assembiase. An'
the meetings of the society, with very few exceptions
lot individuals vino might or might no; have been III
iru!erFJ were assemblies OF orderly and dcco:uu:
gentlemen, ~ well aS good citizens and worthy men
The character ur the individuals serve, I" modify
control aud render comparatively harmless, the dis
orders produced by the circumstances Of their posi-
,inm. IT, instead OF the :lJ0O men, mostly farmers
and without any knowledge or habit Of debnte, and
wiihnut control Of rules "i order, there had bcell but
half .lcir number nf small awycrs ~ mei precisely
such a. those who ill e seats u! the CoSreds u! III,
United States the disorder would have been greater
rnd the ac:ion rss efficient more dangerous
l,urk. in his Reflections on the French Revolution
in censurinG the great member at the National As
scnbly, I" 2jO mrmnrr-, sad thai, II each inivid
were u Newton III Intellect hiiH Hhii'r @oHtEcH bhhy
,ynulI n,yrrtrl,.I. r nut mob IN ITS nc!lcIrn nf
dangerous action This high authority, ! trust will
-h!l me from ccn-ur" for my much more inouerhtt
assumption, thHt Il mireil| '"lS ,'o" hi"mnerS VI h'
ugriclura suciriy, drawn together Tor lew nights
in each y,ar mist be- necessarily incapable "t con
duc;iu. lis deraugel business, Ur even "t properly
! ..rilriuy its then immediate wishes and objects.
These objections. Ia dclioerare or legislative mass
meetings Of our great society, if sound, are alone
sufficient require the change ot constitution whicl
has been made. But even if the foregoing objections
were ever 90 uusuuud, or false, .uh II all oi them
were abandoned, ns worthless, there still are hers
which, if standing alone, amply sufficient 10" my
argument. These different views ol the same genera
subject, and objections OF entirely different bearing
will next bc presented for consideration, in another
number. r. H.
i quote the substance tho words, from recollection
ui mhry gears past.