Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-07
CONGRESSIONAL CONVENTIONS AND THE VIE
GINA SEITINEL.

CONGRESSIONAL CONVICTIONS AND THE vIR
/ GINIA sElTNEL.
The subjoined extract, from tho Virginia
Sentinel" deserves soac explanatory notice
at our hands. We certainly do advocate coli
ventions, with no exceptions in favor Of in
cumbency," because ''incunbency" is no cause
for an exception hut ratler reason for the
rule. Where 1.-The incumbent gives universal
satisfaction" he has nothing 10 fear from
convention; and rt-nominati.a. as well as re.
election. is due TO .'univerS,l satisfaction. -
Any incumbent" giving universal satsiac-
tiou," is public servant worthy Of every man
Hesitation Of approval, and entitled t. party re-
But we must beg leave to enter a careat TO
the expression Of the Sentinel" inlicised aS
VIC find it. that, 1.-The habit Of our people has
been to select their best talent. ant then rein
force il by the benefits Of srperienrton only to he
obtained by xerrice." "71lcats' md ''crpe-
ritare" have nothing 10 fear frOmparty con-
ventions; they must and will alw,ys receive
their just reward by the party Ms seil .as the
people. We advocate conventions for the bet
ter protection Of talents aIG experience. y
We believe that conventions will always fortify
and strengthen an 'in1m)ent' Of 'talentc
and experience and tint fair conventions,
land we would submit y no other, will al
ways duly weigh and faorably conside, the
'talents" of the 'incumint," and the "expe-
rcncc'' his service may hae given him.
We urge nothing again1 "incuuhents' of
talents and experience, tut we claim for
the party the right to expr& its opinion Ms to
whether the incumbent" as talents and cx-
pcriencc.'
We readily admit that tire are "unavoida-
bic defects" connected wit "camcW machine-
ry." We do not advocate mHcvs mdchinery."
We believe every evil Of 3 party in Virginia
is attributable to ''caucusnachinery. We
want oJtI., ,tai' oonecntiot representative Of
the entire party. and no ''We'~ moehinery,"
norIrd AMI used for the bciiit Of individuals
We desire to see Il system otnvcntions adopt (
ed by the party in Virginia Invested with
mot only) some lbut very graz responsibility
to the people" that compose 'leparty." When
once it is fully adopted by T. party We shall
have 'solne good assurance, the mode Of its
organization and he ccrtai Of Its rejecting
the popular will.
With these PREDATORY relrks at this time
we reproduce the Sentinel editorial:
from the AexandritntInel.l
EXTENDING TIE C0SvEIOS SYSTEM
The Richmond Enquire wc observe, is
advocating the calling Of cventions for the
selection of party candidate as an invariablc
rule Of party. and with no tcptions in favor
! Of incumbcncy. even whc the incumbent
J gives universal satisfaction. ucli rule would
! be great innovation on present party
usage or policy The habit our people has
been to select their best tate and then to re-
nforcc it by the benefits of ,crienrt only 10
be obtained by scrrice. lIeI they have been !
opposed TO frequent changes indeed 10 sub
sttntins public servant at. who has filled
his trust to their satisfactioEith one Of less
experience and no such suiOrity of talent
as to give promise Of more efint service. The
advantages of such usage ar'cll understood;
and to this combination ofent and eXpc-
rience much of the moral yer and political ]
influence Of Virginia is du. AT this present
time her Representatives fine Chairs of inur
of the important Commit Of the House. [
/ 1t must be admitted. hrcr, that the ideas 4,
of our people on the subj of party Conven- +
tons are but lily defincdd that we have no
clear and well understood stem to which all
can appeal, and demandreto the loyalty Of c
the party. The Enquib'veS very plausible i
reasons for the innovn 1t advocates. 1t +
would be a great exter! in the application
Of the Convention sys' nut would remove il
some of It's anomalies. ct other and unavoid. T
able defects CONNECTICUT caucus machinery Fl
such defects as all e see and admit-will
indisposc the pcoplche proposed extension. 4
The fact is. unless deliberations Of a coll n
vention could hc ind with some response e
bility to the pcople,th some good assurance |,
in the mode of it.ganization, Of rejecting {;
the popular will perhaps best that the il
system should rep somewhat crampcd and II
shadowy II wirrate rs check on Con- y
yentions and warlcm not to outrage the q
sentiments Of tho hose obedience they invite o.
feet otherwise tpy moral and fraternsl in NJ
tiuences. Il
There are in but few expcdients, how n,
ever excellent do not in time become cl
corrupt, throulc abuse and perversion Of ii
designing and guins men. The Democrats d,
formerly selcether Presidential candidate s.,
through Co'sional Caucus. That was hi
very convcnfyStcm, but it quickly wore st
itself out, All Convention system followed fr
No one prete. hat this is perfect. or incapa- hi
bic of abustnc at least who have ever In
attended Cntion. Let Ills not therefore er
press it too lor employ it too lightly. Let h,
i,s use it as ngly and divest it as much of b,
the idea of utism and irreSponsibity a. hi
possible. 500 preserve its healthy action di
and thus rim its employment az a very 60
useful andn an Indispensable party ex.
pcdient. d,
The tr,plnd in these matters We take To co
be-" the Of the majority, however asccr- Ill
taned, an supremacy of the people over al
agencies. ,hc people are fit to choose their m
represent, they are capable also of decid- re
ing whetc0nvention is necessary to deter tc
mine wfhcir choice for u candidate. ri,
The ncc> made by the Enquirer to 81,
contcstr prevailing in several Congress.
sional-itS, our own among them, do not
s,,sta' argument. So far as we can judge,
thcsicstS will terminate with fewer of un.
plcaind damaging results to the party
thaild follow the extinction of hopes in
Corlonal Convention. Where no Opposi-
tioldate is in the field We can sec no go,
cofig reason for refusing to allow candi- ~,
dairy conclusions before the people in ,,.a
Vt convention. We see strong reasons h;.
forontrary course. ju
al
ERRATA Il.
discovered, too late for correction nj the Sp