Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1804-01-14
[C0a:ia4rS .frtm he Gazette sf ksa Saturday.

CAUTION ana COnCcltOn OF great ana liiall
itates is, if pofiible, more confpicuous
than in any other par. ofthe contribution.
He is to be choicn by electors appointed
as the tate legislatures flall direct mot ac-
cording to numbers entirely, but adding
two ele6tor in each fate as Representatives
of fate fovereignty.--Thus Delaware OBJ
tains three votes for PRECEDENT, whereas fhe
could have but one in RICH; of numbers.
Yet mixed as this mode of choice is with
both popular & federative principles we
fee the fmall lfates watching its motions &
circumlcribing it TO one attempt only, and
on failure Of anreIeaoral choice they in
family feize upon the right of a federal
election, and feleci from the candidates
a PRECEDENT, by Rates and not by numbers.
In confirmation cfmy ailerticn, that this
part of the contribution was peculiarly the
effect of compromise between the great
and fmall itates, permit me to quote an
authority which will certainly have great
weight, not only in the fenate but thro'
the union. mean that OF the preient e.
cretary of fate (Mr. Madi!on) who was a
leading member Of the federal convention
who formed, and of the Virginia conven-
ton who adopted the contribution. In the
debates OF the Virginia convention, vol.
8, p. II, he fays, Ipeaking Of the mode
ofe!eeting the preiident) AS to tie even-
tual voting by ltates it Has my approba-
ton. The leGes fates and fome larger
ita,es will be generally plehfed by that
mode. The deputies from toe flnali Gates
argued, and there is fome force in their
reafonine, that when the people voted,
the large ftates evidently hid the advsn-
tage over the reis, and without varying
the mode,, The in,erelts Of tie little ifa.es
might be neglected o. facrihfed. Here is
a comprcnife. Fer in tic 4 ks-..is. ele q.
ion, the fn,all ltases will hafe the adyan-
tage.'
After this view of tae contribution, let
us enquire what is the direA Nepjea of the
propoied alteration in the choice of pref
dent
To render more practicable and certain
the choice by eleetors-and forahis rea-
fon, that The people at large, or IN other
words. that the great itatcs ought TO have
more weight and influence in the choice.
That it ihould be brought rearcrsto the
popular, and carried turtle. from the fed
erative principles. This claim we find was,
made at the formation of the contribution.
The great Gates naturally wihed fot pop-
ular choice Of hrt .nagittrate.-This mode
was lanetioned by the example, of many OF
the itates in the CHOICE Of governor: The
imall itates claimed choice on the fede-
rative principle, by the legislatures, and
toyote by itates analcgies and examples
were not wanting to ianaion this mode Of
election. A confederation Of tic weight
and influence of a prelident of this union,
mutt have multiplied the difficulties of a.
greeting upon the mode Of choice. But
as have before laid, by mutual cohcef.
lion, they agreed upon the prefent mode,
combining both principles, and dividing
between the two parties; thus mutually
jealous, as equally as they could. this
important privilege Of eleefing 4 chief
magiltrate. S. IL .s,essss /.
This mode then became eiaablilhcd, and
the right of the fmall itates, TO eled upon
the federative principle, or by ftates. in
cafe of the contingency of electoral failure
Of choice, cannot with reafon and fairnels
be taken from them without their content,
and on a'fu!l understandings its opera
ton fince it was meant to be fecured to
them by the contribution, and was one of
the terms Upon which they became mem
bers of the prefent confederacy, and for
which privilege they gave. an equivalent
to the great tates, in iacriRcing 70 much
of the federative principle, or fate equal
ity. r ssn-s
The contribution is nicely balanced, with