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

esnoy, and Of a recurrence of choice more IRE
quenty ,lan once in four years. And it feem
merely Incidental to the econd rerfou to be esll
81 vice .pre6dent, and neither the 6'A nor fecons
defcrs,ion of electors, can have any right TO vot
for him as such, indeed he can have no exiaerc
Until the fia character is defgpated, and thci
feems 20 be d1covered, rot eieoed. The Sen
.,e in cafe of an equal neuber Of votes for two o
more remaining pcrions, .s;er The pre- ldens is eef
I'd, e,e veHed with au' orty 20 choofe vice pref
deut for as frch he is to preiide nver this body
ard this body therefore feens TO be the only con
fitu,onal organ to deiirnate him. Both the o'he
s'.f:rftons Of ele@lors hsv. nothing 70 DO viii
tai, charstfcr cr oii-e; bur are confines TO az
wih a Jingle reference TO the character and ofiic'
Of PreG5eut /. and are truited with no power Il
give any opinion of tie character or qualification
OF a vice pteGjent. Ard il is remaI kabie, tina
there are 90 appropfiatc qualifications made necei
fiy by the contribution tor vice PRESIDENT bet
every qualification has reference TO p'e!ident
There is another irnportan, fea,ur. in this part CT
the con1ilution. II was known by THE convention
that 10 this country, ia common with ali others
where there is freedom of opinion and Of ipcech
there would be parties They likewiie snev, that
the intolerance Of the major, or ruling fsa aud
roli,e al party, was fequenrly exercfed upon the
mn-r parry; and thar the fights OF the minority
Cu4nt tO De PrOteCfeo 10 tnetD.a
As well then. 10 feerre the rights Of the minor
i,v, as TO check the intolerance of The majority,
they placed the me- oyty in jeopardy, il they thoull
astemft a. GRIPPING all the benefits Of pr.iidens
and vice prxiiJent withia themie.es, to the total
exclplion OF she minority. This very caf: which
happened at the lat election was Contemplated, in
which the majority attempted sotAJy to exclude
the minority from any participation. The language
OF the contribution to l,chs maiorities is take care
that you aim not ?. TOO much, for if you do. it Is
put into the power Of the minority TO check you,
and by ndicious afpoGton of their few votes,
determine TIE choice Of prehdets. To avoid this
event the majority will probably be cautious r., he
exerc.fe of power aud tans the rights the proper
Weight and influence c. the minority are ieocred
aga,nh the conduit OF the M ior,y. which is ceT-
ssinly liable TO BE iu.olsrant & opptefive. In his
refpea the fpi.s ofthe contribution is, tral mol
eratien. And it is clear to my mind that n. es'
pe1ieace Of the lac election has taugns ieaoa 10
all maiorities, which will in future completely e
cure then fron. again incurrng i;niiar rk -aes
recolesa well thar il was thought probable whea
the ele Coral votes gveu, that Mr.. Burr would
have vote or two il tsasc OF the salsefn Rates. If
be had received bu Z, he would have been by al
electors choice the contributors preidenr. II the
majority ia future have the powers OF recol,eeticn,
they will undoub eddy avoid the evil, if il is one,
which happened at the iat election, with flich un
~unfai,iag certainty, that there will be no need Of
Inc remedy propcfsd by the amendment. But the
rnsiort. iay, if their woes 10 fcslered for one
canddateasio avoid this danger, that another will
be iacurrsd; S; that is the minority will et vice
prsf3ent. TIE language olthe CONT tuition to them
Is again, sihat this was meant tecBrity for the
nnori,yasaini the majority" But the majority ex-
claim agsntf both OF taeis proyifios as very usrea
y. = l. ~
lies 10 govern mso.ities"' The anilger of the con
ntu ion is no, bu, their due weight and influence
fall befeenred to them and the danger Of your in
,osranec guardsa againa For the f.curisy Of
she FINAL Rates and nl;nor,cs, there is, in the con
fitntion mixture of the fejerative with III. pop
popular principles And as il is well known thar
when popular majcries alone prevail, s, ex:rcifr
rowsr lcontrolieI by cont sltionil c hecks, the
imnortirs, who generally pohsfs their proportions Of
integrity and virtue, are overwhelming, and hbcr
~ itilf, by the fame means, deftroyed; 20 it is il
kindnefs TO both pat ties. to the country and to hu
,uap;tv, tina, ,hefe wholfome checks are conlitu
tionay provided. Had the majority, Or the great
flates, been willing. fairly to bave iubmi,tcd to the
cor lltu iona, checks ia the lar election, no eyi
could have happened. Audit is remarkable that
the contribution completely protects them, as long
as they obey its PrecePts, 10 the creation OF which
they had an age ncy, aud to which they have folemn
" agr--d To prove that am corred in theis i
deas moi only refer to the contribution but to The
fscrer,ry OF fiate Mr.. Madifon). In the ViIGnid
debates, vol. l. p.ge e6, he fays. g But on aean
did examination Of hitory, we ihall find that to,b
! ulenee, violence aad ahule Of power, by the major
i, lrampisy on TIE right, Of the minority. have pro
duccd fa3ions and connections, which IN republics
have more frequently than any other caule Produ-
cct defpotilm. 1t We so over the whole h'tory
Of ancient and modern republics we hall find
their dearusiion 70 have generally re!nlted from
thoie .ufss II we conlider the peculiar itua'ion