Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-02-08

M YORK had prapoied VIZ. That m N
al future elections Of Psei,ient and VICE
p,-ra.nr. the pe5fons voted for lhouid De
osrIi.ula'ly dehgn I'D, syd slaring wh 's
IS yo.ei f>r as pfetident ana wiiSh as
Vice pse6len,. On The qneition my vote
was in II. negative, and had it been O
--bsrv,fe the refolution would have Palled.
Having thas Gated the facts, II may
moi be improper 10 trouble you with lone
ct-,he realons which governed my deci-
Gon. ~
Fira--I am oppoled 10 amendments on
S,be general ground, thai ch n.sins ne ar'i-
.sIes Of a conititu!ional compact i,dsns shas
~1sfuect for it which is main rapport Q.
free governments. 81
Sec IDLY am oppofed becsuie il IS,
generally fpeski6g, better 10 bear an cyl
which we know, THAI hazard thoie wiila
swe are unacquainted with.
ThirdIy--I am oppoied becauie the
sprefsnt mode ieems preferable TO thai
which is propofed.
When this article was under coniidcra-
tion il the National Convention, IT was
~obierved that every mode OF eleeslng the
Chief MagiGra,e OF powerful naiion,
hitherto adopted, is liable TO objection.
The infances where violence has been
WED aad murder committed, are numerous.
1hoie in = hieh article and fraud have
l0ccseded againa the general with q Will
are innumerable. And hence II was IN
ferred. that the mode leatt favorable 20
intrigue and CORRUPTION, that IN which
the unbiaGld voice of the people will BE-
mott attended TO, ard thar which is leait
likel, to terminate in violence and niur
patton ought TO be adopted. To impress
conviction on this fubjeta the cafe OF
Poland was tnot unaPtlyl cited. Great
and ambitious princes took part IN the
election OF Polifh king money, threats
s force were employed. Violence, blood
hed & opprefion enfued. And now that
country is parcelled our among the neigh
bouring po,eDtale,; one of whom was but
petty prince two centuries ago.
The evils which have been felr in the
preient mode of election were pointed out
20 the convention, but after due adyife-
rnenf the other mode appeared more ex-
eepsionable. Indeed, ii the preient be
changed, it might be better TO abolilh The
office Of Vice preiident, and leave TO le-
gilatiye proviGon the cafe OF vacancy In
the feataa of the 6rt magiitIate.
The convention was aware that every
fpecies, Of trick and coniriyance would
be praetifed by the ambitious and nnprin-
cipIed. twas therefore conceived, that
if elections, the preident and vice. pre-
fdert we're diAint,ly dehgnated there
would generally be fate given for two
rival Pre6dnts, while there would be nu-
merous candidates, for the ether Of
fee; becaule he who wiihed 10 become
PRECEDENT would naturally connect himielf
with fome popular man in each particular
diasitt, for the fake of his local influence,
.f,shat the vice proficiency would be butss
a mere bait TO catch fate gudgeons. The
perion cholen would have only partial
vote, be perhaps unknown TO the greater
part OF the community, unit for thofe du-
ties which the death OF PRECEDENT might
call 90 him TO perform.
The convention not only forefaw, thas
tcene might take place iimilar to that Of
the laR presidential election; but even fup.
poie 1t had nor been impo6ible, that at
Tome time or other, a perfon admirably
fitted for the office of preGdent might have
AN equal vote with one totally unqualified,
and thar by The performance of faction
In the houfe of representatives, the latter
might be preferred. This which is the
.greatea iuPpofablc evil of the preient
mode, was calmly examined, and it APP
peared, that however prejudicial it might
be tor the moment, an ufeful leiIon would
reiult from i, for the future, to teach con-