Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-11-01
CON REsS
OF THE
& NITSEsD IS z Il r E s.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MosDAr, October -.
amendment ot'the Constitution.
MONDAY, October "a.
amendment otrthe Constitution.
fcoNTINUED.9

the gentleman 1T6in TeIlHSNlVditla MI
Clay). He said, that indeed the amend
ment could not bat be acceptable TO him,
in as much as it colTesponded with taesideas
he had the honor to express to the COM
lnittee on this subject the ether day. He
begged leave now to make a few remarks
In addition to those which he had then
stated. He said, if any thing is to be la
mented, as defect in the fundamental
principles of. our government, that defect
perhaps, consists ina departure-.trom the
plain and sianpleemodes of immediate cleo
ton by the peopleasto some of the branches
of the government. He did not mean,
however, now to discuss, nor did he know
that he ever should discuss, this point
The constitution Of the United States hav-
ing established different principle in res
pect TO the election of the several depart
ments Of TIE government, except that
branch Of the legislature, which this House
composesj and the object of the proposed
amendment to the constitution not being
the transmutation of fundamental princi-
pie, but merely an alteration in the mode,
heretofore directed, of electing one branch
ofthe government according to the princi-
PIE already established, he said, his bust
ness and his object was to state to this COM
-nittee those ideas which occurred to him
on this occasion as suited to the subject.as
it now stands before the committee.
When the trainers of this constitution,
said Mr.. Clopton, submitted it to the con-
sideration of the people of the several
states, drawn as it's, directing the election
of president sndvice-presideat to be made
through the medium of electors chosen by
the people for that purpose, never could it
have been their intention in submitting, or
the intention of the people in accepting the
constitution, to admit a principle that any
eventual legislative election would be pro-
per, if the object oft did not bear the stamp
of public confidence. They never could
have abandoned that great political consi-
deration that file people, as the primary
eourceof all power should first give to those
particular citizens, amongst whom such le-
,gislative choice might be made, the evil
dence OF "a very considerable share Of their
confidence. The electors are the organs,
who acting from certain and unquestion-
cd knowledge of the choice of the people,
by whom they themselves were appointed,
and under immediate responsibility to
them, select and announce those particular
citizens, and afix to them by their votesan
evidence of the degree of public confidence,
whichis bestowed upon them. The adop-
ton cfthis medium, through which the e.
lection should be made, in preference to
the mode of immediate election blythe peo-
ple, was no abandonment of the great prin-
ciple that the appointment Of tie constituted
authorities ought to be conformable to the
public zvM twas no abandonment OF that
principle in respect to the president and
vice president. The adoption of this me-
.dium in the first resort; and the adoption
of this alternative Ola Legislative election
IN the last resort, were not intended as dis
arrangements to the energy of that principle;
were not intended cooperate any diminuti-
on of its force. The spirit, the genius of
the government is the same. The same
principle was intended to influence It's
Operations; the same principle was IN
tended to influence its elections, though
in different form and after a diff.
sferent manner. It is a great chasacteris-
tic feature of the government. Itds pri-
mary, essential and distinguishing attribute
of the government that the will of the peo-
pie should be done; and that the elections
should be.accordiag to the ~will@of the peo-
pie.
Mr.. Clopton, said that most seriously
considering the principles of the govern
nent in such point of view as he had the
honor to state to the committee, he was
''rresistsbly impressed with the opinion that
legislative election of president and VICE
president, whenever resorted 10, should be