Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-07

ton to stand undecided, like the famous ass
who divided his attention between two bundles
of hay.
From oil the foregoing considerations, how
ever, the Examiner deduces the conclusion
that "unless Virginia can present 10 the
Charleston Convention another JEFFERSON,
MADISON, or MONROE. such considerations will
have their weight" And the Examiner" evi.
IDENTIFY labors under the apprehension that yir-
ginia can't present anything like another JEr,
FERsos, MADISON, or MONROE Indeed. our co,
temporary seems disposed to consider our sur
viving statesmen all "second chop"-that too,
while South Carolina offers candidate every
way equal to the lamented Calhoun"
Now, from all this, thoughtless readers would
Immediately conclude that the Examiner" is
unfriendly to the Presidential nomination OF
any Virginia statesman. How easy it is to
mistake the spirit Of great. thinker, when his
profound cogitations are forced through the im-
perfect medium of written words. Recognising
the weakness of human perception, our saga
cious contemporary takes good care to prevent
such misapprehension. Fully conscious Of the
enornity of the offence, in view Of the present
requirements ofnational safety, the Examiner
frankly ..pien>ls guilty" ito a strong desire,
that, should the selection Of the Democratic
candidate be made from the slave States, it
should be made from Virginia.
We share the guilt if guilt there be. Our
desire, though perhaps much less ardent than
that Of the Examiner" lies precisely in the
same direction.
Supposing us to be brethren in sill, We ap-
peal to our contemporary. who understands the
nature of the evil so much better than we 10,
to point out some means by which it can be
avoided. Verify We are even more in the dark
here than We are on the personal preference
question. The Examiner" intimates that the
friends of McSsIs Wise and Hunter are all too
eager for the nomination of their respective
favorites Indeed, our cotcmporary expressly
states that the ardent desire for a Virginia Pre-
sident rs shared by every Democrat in the
i,ldlc. IlUN tNS We W siithc WI tliCsS DC-
mocrats from their misguided inclinatons =
Shall we persuade them to agree to take up
some cuncxccptionable outside favoritc: All! We
fear that if even the name of BRrcKrNRIDGE or Of
COBB were urged upon them, both Wise and
Hunter men would much more stringenty OPP
pose the setting aside of both their leaders for
the sake of an cxtra-Tirginian ieriiDm qnia,
than Wise or Hunter men either have opposed
the claims of either Virginia statesman In the
nomination.
Can We persuade the Virginia Democracy Ia
! stand aloof. to fold their arms, and allow the
other States to select candidate without any
reference whatever to Virginia's preferences
IL We can persuade them to this ought We to
do it: Would not such position Of master.
" inactivity at once deprive Virginia Of all
the boasted national iHiluence Of which our CO.
temporary is so righteously jealous:
We cannot, for the life of us, see our way
through the problem. Ifit is really necessary,
as the EXAMINER indicates, to throw Wise
and Hunter overheard how shall it be done:-
Quo m"t'o' Our neighbor must instruct us