Richmond Enquirer

The Canvass in Albemarle.

Has been conducted in the most Democratic division of the State, with few particulars of the campaign:

"We can get no full account of the canvass, which The Jefferson

Republican of Thursday, gives us

Porter's, and Batesville. We learn from different

the county.

The candidates have met at Scottsville,

advantage at Batesville. We think that this result

W Rives at Porter's, and that he gained a very decided

Scottsville: that, even by the admission of a very intelligent Whig of another county, he was too much for

himself

as man of talents and a good debater, and is defending

whenever

they

meet

Leake

the principles with which he grew up. Mr. Rives, on

the contrary, is in the unfortunate position of defending

the Union; and this alone, to say nothing of the superiority

condemned

gority of Mr. Leake's talents and cause, is a great

advantage. We hear from a Democrat that Mr.

Rives' speech at Batesville was not so strongly

Bank-scented as the one made here at Court. It seems

he now goes for a Bank purged of its corruptions, and

requiring the assent of the States. We do not know

whether this will satisfy his nominators, but we do

know that it will only make him more objectionable to

Democrats. No Constitutional Republican, no Democrat

can admit that an infraction of the Constitution

rights of the minority may, in that way, at any time,

assent

States

because

General Government should determine to adopt Alexander

majority

Suppose

should supersede the Governors of the States by Deputy

Administration

puppets appointed by the President. Could the consent

of the States make it constitutional? Every one will

see, that the principle Mr. Rives contends for will answer

in the affirmative. And so every violation of the

Constitution, and every invasion of the rights of the

every thing like Constitutional Government.

The principle is as preposterous as it is destructive to

People can be fixed forever by the assent of the States.

all respect for Mr. Rives, that it has not astonished us.

shocked our political sense, though we may say, with

"But there was one declaration made by him that

unshipped his rudder, and is now upon the lee shore of

scudding: he has thrown away his chart and compass, and

That gentleman is completely out of his political reckoning.

upon him, and he scuds along driving resistlessly upon

Federalism. A Democratic gale has suddenly come

those dangerous rocks, there to be wrecked and stranded.

ed. and thereto remain immoveably a beacon and a

warning. Can those who knew him in his better day,

when he revelled in the confidence of a grateful and

affectionate constituency, 'looking forward to him with

hope for to-morrow,' believe that he now wars with all

his old notions of strict construction, and of a limited

government, and proclaims "that there is a principle of

growth in the Constitution, engrafted upon it by its

Framers,' which shall authorize the introduction of new powers, that may be assumed according to emergency. The part quoted contains his words, the other

the substance of his conclusion from them.

The name

of our informant is at Mr. Rives' service."

We agree with the Charlottesville Republican, that

this is one of the most outrageous heresies which has

ever been propagated. It is worthy of the worst days

of Alexander Hamilton, and of John Adams. It is

only the "general welfare" doctrine in another form.

It changes the whole character of our Government

It supersedes the necessity of all the specifications in

the Constitution. It essentially concedes, in fact, to the

Federal Government all power to do every thing, which

its departments may be pleased to think calculated to

ed for by any emergency. This is Federal doctrine, in

correspond with this new principle of growth, and call.

that if the powers actually given should fall short, then

its very worst form. The old Republican doctrine was,

more will be conceded by the States, according to the

so admirably taught, in his casting speech—Never assume a doubtful power; but if the powers originally

given be insufficient to carry out the purposes of the

Government, then wait and ask for additional powers

from the parties to the compact.