Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1804-01-21

Is the Integrity Of your electors ahailiable! Ye,
place It here in the NOR encouraging attitude tor ~
a,au,t. A fear OF detection and ienie Of iham'
upon the expafure OF ar improper adion, has been
Iperhaos, better fecuritY agant political errors OF
crimes. thac all the moral virues united, when III
temptation has been attended with 40 impo!hbilit
| of Detection An intrigue with eiedor, can b'
carried on without nula danger Of Detection BIZ
when your e'eaon is csrricl toto the houie ct rep
! preeutstives, beGdes The ordinary weight OF char
aeer in f,vo. ct the members OF that honfe, De
teesion of Intrigue with candidate u a'rnoh Ger
tan. 1t will be reeolle6ted, that 1t the Ian e'ec
tion two orihree member, held the shnice perfectly
| in their own hands. II ] initiate pos, three yea
! item q, tia, is, merabsr i,on Ne"Jer!ey, mem
Der from VermonS, and ose from .i'her Maryland
De,ewa,e, or Tcnnefee, could have given aPreh'
den, 10 Ii. United States. The psrtcusr senile
men rnentioned were above frip;cioo & triocry
but in addition 20 hi, cYeumt src:, u they had IN
the copea. gone over, from Improper motives. O.
under the influence of bribery, desettion wac css
tain.
This viii remain forever, the crierion,3as Il re
pets the relative danger OF insrigv: and bribery,
in the two modes Of choice. 4ind The zmend-
rn.nt is avowedly intended TO fscure choice BY Z.
lettors, srd to prevent sesortto the houfe; ne
cauf. fays The gentleman from Virginia, (sir.
Taylorl J, If you permit the eleAon TO 60 INTO
the honi. there ave fnali Astes, ard mnori,iss.
and Al, she evils ct diet eeaon - me ing, that
corruption muA &c tie conf qneHce. Bnt ne fsys,
/" let there be divided elca,on, BY the elefors,
meeting BY asses f.ps-a,ely, and yo~ 'eaen the
tendency cf corruption" Iris ma, look plsufiaie
in theory, b think praaice will ihow its fs',scy.
1t nay b. better for the electors to mect By
Rates, than for all TO be toge.hcr hut this new
er prove that they are les h4b. TO corruption than
tn. houfe of repre- iensatives which IS the ocly
PORT ia queaion.
The manner Of elestisg sb. vice. preGJen-, rs
propoied by the amendm.ns. not only invites am
bition 10 une.,eeked op.r stion Tat expoi.s a.,
to III. Ssleaion Of lefs important and more rn
tit perfon, than the conairutionai prevGon. In
addition 10 h;s impor fance in the gsve- nmsss, rf
ing fros, his incidental fnceefii TO The Chief m.
gi,racy, the vice preGieot IS ex ohcio, rrcfidcn,
OF the ienste. and gives diret iaRuence, to the
azte from which he is choteo, Of third vote in
tbs boiv, in all cafes OF equal diviiop, which are
uiuai'y the cafes OF mot Importance. Bsddes, his
influence as pieGdng oficer, is perhaps more than
equal 10 the right OF vete. 1t becomes therefore,
peculiarly important to the fmal. aa.es sad to min-
critics, whof. feeurisy refs in that Body, got only
that their influence in tAe election OF vice pref
dent ihould not be diminihed, bn that DO neaG4r c
be adopted which may tend 70 below the Office
upon an unworthy charader.-By the propoied
amendments, this character mpA necefa,iy become
a forf Of make weight, aod tserring lone for the
proficiency. RS in recruiting for an arrn,, man,
active, ard of a particular caff of char after. but
very proper for = commando ia chiss, IS empioycd
to obtain recruits, and upon condition. that I've OBJ
tains given number, is to be rewarded with a
fereaus's warrant 70 in His cafe, the man who can
procure given number Of votes for prefdent will
be encouraged to hope for the vice proficiency
and where will such characters We fnue hr after
In Deiavar. or Rhodeitlaad No fir, bot IA Ii.
grea, dates ;there The IeGruisng talents will be pu
IN oper a,ion becanfe the ynumbcr of recruits, Of
votes, vii, be feiGcien, TO :eN bis aave and re
ctuit.ng merits. And thus the Office OF vice rref
denr viii be ien, % market with hardly PoGt''
chance to meet an honet purchaser.
|, have already iemal ked upon the alteration
made by the Cenatc in the relosnior paRad by the
houfe of representatives. changing the nnmbe'
from FIVE 70 three. Bu. one addition made ,hi
morning, deicrves a,tea,ion; mean that which
authorizes the vice PRECEDENT to sdmiaiaer the gov
ernment, in cafe neither the hr0 nor the iecor.
conaitatioral eleeaors efea choice CT PRECEDENT
This Isl new principle. ard is operation i
more unce, tain, than that OF airy other part OF tb
propoled amendment. Viewing it in one point o
light it may be thought to confer new powe
upon the leoa,e. that of giving preGdent> t. tn
union. And it IS faid that this part will recon-
penis the ftnall aates, who have the afcendency il
the fsna,e, for The icjury inHiaed BY the othe
parts Of the amendment. II it he true, that tn
ialt part reitores ali which the former parts hav
taken away from US, it i inconceivab'e, why an,
man can with to pats refolntion the parts o
which thus mutually de0roy each other. 1t
poGible that by the force of intrigue and faction
the electors may he induced to icAuer their votes
70, both preGdent and vice preiident, in fuch man
ner, as 10 preient fevsra! candidates 10 the hou;
for incident and two or more to the fenate fe,