Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-04-01
For the Enqnirt
FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

tonSTcSSlohil dStrlct, yet we regard Col HoI
iins in the light Of candidate at this tim
even, and lis being under no sort cfoblgation t
stay out Of the field on account of Mr., Goode'
or Mr.. Any-body.clsc's illness. We therefore
tell the people Of the district that Col. Her
kinS is still ut the mercy of his friends subjec
| to the decision Of a fairly constituted CONVEX,
rention, and to be nominated or not. rs the,
may see fit
When Col. Hopkins was first brought out b,
the undersigned, We beg leave to state that, i
. was with no such view that his declaring him
self Il candidate should be subject to the phy
steal condition or iniirnity of the Hon. Wm
u. Goodc. the present incumbent; or that h,
should be consulted with by the friends of tha
gentleman rs to whether he should become ;
, candidate or not; but it was to he subject sole
ly TO the action of a fair convention, if on,
were held, and to be left in the hands of hi
friends to be dealt with accordingly. Wht
ever heard Of mans declaring himself can
diate for any Office and after doing so, his con
tinuance in the field short time previous I,
the convention must depend upon the good OF
bad state of health of the present incumbent
who was himself 4 candidate for reelection tc
the same position, and against whose return tc
Congress nearly three-ffths of the party had
lodged complaint. Why, it is the most pre-
posterous idea We have heard advanced for
many day, and the Democrats in the district
dress WAS bad enough Of ITSELF but the course
pursued by his friends presents case of the
worst kind of presumption imaginable
Now, here is the history of this thing, and
We are certain, after the people Of the District
reflect upon it. they will rise in their majesty
and let their voice be heard on the subject, and
not permit set Of trlckstcrs and wire-w0rkers
10 force man upon them who is in the condi
ton Of the present incumbent. 4 large por.
ton of the District having become satisfied
Of Mr.. Goodies intirmity and that he was al
most. if not altogether, physically disabled
from serving in Congress any longer, deter
mined to drop him, and select another man
as their standard bearer in this Congressional
District and presented Colonel Henry l.. Hop.
kins, who is n gentleman of fine talents, and
one in every way qualified to represent them
upon the floor of Congress, who, in response to
the calls made upon him. declared himself a
candidate, subject to the decision OF fairly
constituted Convention, because he desired that
that harmony, which was the characteristic of
the party in this District to preserve, should
not be broken up or disturbed
Before Colonel Hopkins announced himself
a candidate, he addressed several letters to Mr..
Goodc, then in Washington. informing him
! that he had been called upon by Democrats all
over the District to become candidate. and
that he intended doing so, and desired to know
Of Mr.. Goo'le if he would also be candidate
again; to which Mr.. Goodc replied, he certainly
would; and Colonel Hopkins gave Mr.. Goodc
notice of his intention to take the stump at
particular time. Well. at that time, Congress
was still in session, and the news came to hand
that Mr.. Goode was sck-quite low. His friends,
on the receipt of this news, Immediately
/ repaired TO the office Of Colonel Hopkins, and
related to him the news; made entreaties to
Colonel Hopkins not TO be 4 candidate against
! their particular friend, Mr.. Goode, for he was
sick at Washington, was very nervous, and if he
learned that the excitement was likely 10 com.
'ie lyeu ~ eASi'euient' nu. rrhs haye bad
be had on the part Of Col. Hopkins ana Ills
friends for Goode-a man in declining state Of
heath-and if possible, cause Hopkins 10 with
draw; whereas, the wiscst plan was for them TO
have prevailed upon their man lGoode) to retire
from the field, he being in very bad condition.
physically speaking. But Colonel Hopkins de-
,.ares himself candidate, notwithstanding the
many appeals Of Goodies friends not to be- be-
,a,isc. in the first place, they had no right to
say 4 word on that score, for he was not brought
! out by them; and, secondly, there was no obi.
cation existing between him and them, where
! 5v to prevent his being candidate if he saw
! ,Iroper. lie takes the stump, visits the conn.
. ties of Mccklcnburg Brunswick, Amelia and
I Nottoway, and addresses the people, who hold
meetings and appoint delegates to the Conven-
tion-and some Of thcm packed delegations at
that
When Mcssrs. Thomas F. Goode and Henry
l.. Hopkins are about to address the people of
Petersburg, what do we hear: what is the cry
now: The friends Of Mr. Goodc having learn
ed he was quite sick with pleurisy, go directly
To their mans competitor and appeal to him to
withdraw. and the substance Of their reasoning
is this-it is so in effect My dear sir, do you
want to kill Mr.. Goodc? No, is the reply, no.
body desires to do such thing! Well, if you
continue in the canvass and keep up the ex
cilcment, and Mr.. Goodc is driven into the
canvass and takes part in it, and during the
discussion, notwithstanding he was weak when
ne entered it, now gets weaker still, becomes
exhausted, as it were, and falls down dead
corpse in your presence Do you want to wit
ness such sight as that: No, is the reply
And after n while COL Hopkins is completely
overcome bv this party in his sympathy fol
their candidate, and finally appears before tn
people only to withdraw, to quit the heiu 10
the time being. ,
Now. we ask upon whom would the blam
have rested, had this state Of things, as portray
cd by Goodies friend sheen experienced: Mos
unouestlonably upon Mr.. Goode and his Owl
friends. for they were those who insisted upol
hi, reelection. and would have forced him int
, the canvass if any forcing was to be done: ieS
If Mr.. Goode chose, in the condition he was N
r to throw himself into the canvass and thereD;
DESTROYED himself, 10 one is so vain and iooilsi
rs to attribute the blame TO anybody but nun
self: the fault would lie at his own door, anu IN
: Coroners verdict would be, "selfdestructon;
T. What ON earth had Mr. Goodies health to d'
a with Col. Hopkins becoming and continuing t
, be- candidate? Has Col Hopkins any right t
1 h, one without Mr. Goodies consent? and
: whom docs the office in question belong IS
n ask, And if they desired Mr.. Goode TO b
/ elected. dor which no good reason can b
5 alleged and Col. Hopkins put out Of the way
!. Letter man in any aspect you may conslde
. him. pray where is the reason or sense
:, nronriety in the course they have pursued:
>; Since it will not be denied that the office
: in the gift of the people, and they have tn
n riyht to say who shall represent them, we ca
1 on the Democrats of the District to kno
whether they desire the services OF man wi
has actually become disqualified, as it were, b
reason of his physical nature, who is ackno'
5. lcI-ed by his best friends to be in declnir
:. state Of health, and is not in the enjoyment
that active and robust state Of health one ougl
20 possess to attend to the arduous duties OF
congressional life; but rather will they n
choose man who is in every way qualified Il
:he post, and will make them number o, OF
representative? We sincerely trust that u! Il
WILDE your verdict. We suggest the call !, !!
Il. Convention to take place on Ihursda!, "
1T, Of May. MASf DEMO, o,. 'N'''
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