Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-01-09
THE LATE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

THE LATE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
10 he Editors of tie Epyu,rer: >
Geitiemen l noticed GONE few Issues sncc c ~.
.nuaca'"h ~ your paper. eisned Alto, III ~hcI'sa
writer, hte' dig-!lsrng the late Electoral C"ir-- ..
recommending Gov. Floyd for caone: appoir'.~
proceeded ~ grow extremely yirtuous on h- iGs'
ouce hshiiesteo IN Virginia must confess :: .;
.ne eeheta Posi'ions assumed ALTO" Is clearly
'''' 70 "hen no premises moral proportion 1e
sams IL sound. Yet cannot cons.n. Ia tI, d-c..l
tions which how 60 freely to the discrsd OF ;t,. ;
aud especially to the Democratic par;y 4 !, ,fM
TO indulge. on paper, in the virtues 0! C;uc.nna.
ike contempt for office, ami make Fourth o; J Y
professions ot dslnteresed integrity ot pirc pic
which neither courts nor accepts reward On fut-
only reconpense in seeing the governn-n; .si-v -,
trusted 10 other hands These beautiful G-a. ar =
Useful only 10 adorn peroration, or tickle al ginf
iug constituency. Long experience oi ST. Gee. .,r,l
government has taught all men the neces.i,y ri ...
vatlng merit dc means a. once, no, only Of aser'.
II, but OF It's very creation. Man. alss Is ycry ".
and even Onnipoten: Perfection condescanc. = o.,
the nducement of uutneasurcd recompense. 20 sy..
The heart to the performance OF duty. WY. tr~G,
should any man presume 10 sneer At desire, the
himent Of which Ii not only all honor 10 the inc ..
bent but an evidences of his merit! |. the dcvu o..
OF valuable time and the best energies Of na.i.
to the service OF aparty does not enttle to tie
titude Of that party, will Alto be kind erour. ,
inform me what doesl Will hs also be A:nc er~r.
to say II II has ever been his good fortune to ccoga
ter III life, or history, patriot of 60 subl;mGty ..
tue that his own advancement and apprccia'io. ~
his countrymen was subject OF utter inGlE reG,e'-
To hold office is to be the honored servant u; the
pie! aud the mere salary is ninitessmally tho Ia (
the qualification afforded pre- esume "Ato" VII s.r,l
that there ID to the lesst ambitious, even no ..
difference between the qualification pr"ddCec \
holding The position Of Presden, of the Cnit.a a'>
aud the simple receipt of $l0O,OOU. Men ar 10, 3D..
stract ideas; and ought not ~ be. Those who ,a
nearest 10 IL the drones "f society. Some rer .
species of sefgrahcaiion is the motive power % no
noblest and most unseh-h actions. Now, e. oIi' .s
can be President at time, and rs Ri approXrns'.I.
TO that, as the grand centre oi dignity coD.rS Co..
responding honor, wherein does the degradni',l ,.-
that Virginiaus should desire to in pieces ci
motel
And, while it ia true that there may be found r,-n
who desire office only for the profit, aud msuN w'D
would prefer the 100000 without tie PresiGeuc,,
still, must protest against the conclusion Ing-rs.
rous and untrue, that all or even many OF the l,,
rants Of the Old Dominion are OF that class
But the best extenuation after al OF the ALLEGED IL,
sire for office, found in the fact, tina, Virgin,
serves and has right to claim offices; aye hgi auG
good ones, too, at the hands OF AR. Buchaunu
Her Democracy, like her location equally grt
from the rabid Juror of the extreme parzans .. ne
North or South. Her course i'll the late contest sd
it's antecedents, calm seli.reliant and cousessa
tive, and by these very qualities She procured tbs -
mination and secured the election OF perhaps the
Union With talent learning and character sury4>s.
I'd by none auda recent display Of disinteres'Gc pa
triosm, in the refusal TO press the name Of any
Of her own, who can challenge the right OF her De-
mocracy to demand high consideration G; The sSgt.
OF the EIecutivel
The action oi the Electoral Colleges thoush r;
without precedent, was l must admit in bsd :a--.
aud, as in no way the opponents of tho party, VII
without warrant. And, however good the Select Ja-
and OF this have no opinion to eHpress-;hs.r Is
ton can, in no just sense, be considered other UE1
The choice of the fifteen respectable gentlemen wl1
made the recommendation.
"Aito" refers to difficulty in the way OF Vireu'
Cabinet aspiraats in the fact, that the State te. av
two foreign missions OF the highest grade. Now
had "Alto" expressed bis own opinion, hs brl!cN
and the opinion oil the entire party except perh"!,
personal friends, he would at have sGd, t'..,
Messrs. Mason aud Daniel should be recalled ,! -
present Executive. Independent Of the failing E"a
Of of these gentlemen, there are abnndnrt res
son. why this should be done In the hrsi place 81.
though Democrat succeeds another, yet eaGh Nh,
aud OF peGessty, must have lie own peculiar po,y.
Identity Of party, by no means results III identity 81.
action; and the growing power and imporiaIc- q
our country compca,es rs foreign relations IN O. g
same ratio does the successful maEGseinen; -! i 90
become important TO each succ-edlpg admir-. =.
ton Mr.. Pierce can'scarce expect tEa. his CsIist
will bs retained. and can See no better u.
desiring that hia friends in offices equally mporsu',
should meet different fate. Surely, every ailnl-
tration is entitled 10 the privileges ot having lis go
selected agents 10 carry out Ito planr; and no Pres
dent, or his friends, complain that they are ~,
allowed TO furnsh naierie to successor. CW
nothing about Presidential punc,!l.io stilI ii seel-
me the ordinary courtesy oi gentleman, would diG.
tate the propriey Of saving Mr.. Buchanan from IT,
ungracious tack Of recalling men rhom hs ''snI@
not appoint, and yet bas no desire tu morI;iy. -
fail to recall ,hem-I refer to No other State, esc!t
must act for isef--wili be either to ihrus' or 'Aa
mex, Executive tho friends Of tbs former, wh';h, -
say the least, is ungenerous, else dsingenunus
appeal to his dslicacy Last OF all, though The 'en'
ton Of these gentlemen none has better opinion
of them than I-woud DO gross nih crying :gl ,.-s
to dozens Of other Democrats equally worthy. Ig'y
have fought the good fight aud received Their ~
ward, whs there are doz rus at home who la>esprut
their time and substance in the late perllous r'nr-
meu who stood 10 their colors for principle alas
who in the darkest and gloomiest days OF th. prry
never swerved faltered, but placing thsmstivo .
the Constitution foundation of rock, fog C'.'
sceuce sake rtaked all Of State and nai.uGa. vr-g
upon the single issue OF the contest. Thhi l-..e,
too, be il remembered, being no iess than tho t..
Verify, these deserve their reward. and viii hEH
too. Ii will only be giving to Mr. Buchanan ! 8.
play, to them simple justice, and 10 pfesen, ino-r.-
bents no wrong wha.ever. Unlike Alto hav. 10
name to menton-thrre are in the State aoisu
names, no one OF whom could be mistake, sEd ary
one of whom would satisfy QCEkCI@.