Portland gazette., 1805-05-13

4
the anfwer is obvions. The worfh;p Of popu-
laf idols, or, as the legi1ature Of Delaware ex-
preiied the idea with equal felicity and dignity,
deiirious devotion 10 individuals" What
was the language of the conftituton 10 the p-o-
pie in reference to the eletton Of the chief mag
iitrate neither yourfelvcs nor the electors Of
preiident fhall have any idols. Ycu fhall vote
for two men, either Of whom iiall Be qualified
fer the proficiency. Could any thing 6e moro
truly republican, more hottie even ID the eic-
ments OF ariitocracy But il hss been ftd
that this was leaving the reiult Of the election
to the :lsci6on Of chance. Let It be remern
bered that in the republics Of Athens 81 Crete,
and even in Rome, important magttrat.s we
choicn by lot, and tha; the fage Legislators OF
antiquity con6dered that mode OF election - tie
mott democratic, and at the fIme time operatir q
10 exclude corruption and intrigue. Again we
are told that it may be in the power Of few
indiv duals 70 fruitr2te the will Of the majority
In,poiIble If the majority be not pof7ef@d Of
two Characters equal 10 the duties cf the rref-
idency, it ought inftantly to dwindle 70 ma
jorIty. Beiides, If the election OF prefdept i
! always to be oonEcered mere party ouef}ioD.
partifs will learn wifdon from the circumRan-
, ces OF the election Of 8oI, and two candidates
will rot again receive an equal number OF fuff
from any party. If that important election is
70 be dlvetted Of all party conGdcrations, If an
| other Warrington is to unite all hearts, there
can Be no poflibe danger of an Equality of votes.
It has alto been faid that the double ballot /;
favorable to. Intrigue, and it certainly appears
70 to iuperhcial obferver but it is extreme
ly queftionable whether the general uncertain
ty Of the refult Of the election does nor render
intrigue lels probable than mode Of election.
which enables the atPlring drmagogue to march
directly towards the Object Of his ambition.
In forming the contribution, immenfe facri-
hceS of weight and power were made by the
fmall Rates, aud none at all by the large f{ates.
hiSimportant fact has never been attended RI
by the people. By the original principles Of
our confederation, as we'll as BY the uniform
pra6tice of ali Emilar aHociatiors, in ancient
and modern times, the 1lnall itates were entitled
TO equal political rights, of every defcription,
with the large ones, without reference to terri
tory, wealth, or population. Tie double bailot
/ fer prefdent feemed an important privilege to
the fnall hatcs.-No ponible combination of
large fares could preclude the fTnaTI ones nom
either electing vice prehdcnt of their own, or
deciding which Of two candidates piefented by
the largef ftates Eould be the prehdent.
This privilege is now abandoned, and five or
fix large itates may forever name both prefidenr
and vice preGdcnt, ard exclude the fn,all STATES
from any agency in the election. The rela-
tive weight of the fmall ftates is not only impair
ed as il refpe4s the election by electors in the
hrf inhance, bur it is lei1cnrd, IN till more
alarming degree when the election comes into
the houie of epreientatiyes,-Ihcc contribution
provided that if no election ihould be made by
electors, the houte OF representatives fhouId vo-
! ting By itateS, from the five higheR on the lift
/ of candidates elect the pre6dent. 1t is certain
| that the narrower the range allowed 10 the aall
aates in the felcction Of the preGdeut from the
| electoral! candidates, the fmaler the degree of
their weight in the election. Tbey are now re-
itrieted TO the three highef candidates. It IS
calculable then with mathematical certainty that
they have made the enormous facrihce Of twe
hfths Of their weight in the election. This
cannot be denied. As well might it be aaerted
that two and two do nlaks four, or that the fun
does thine at noon day.
The alarming event which occurred at the
fra election Of Mr. Jefcrion, when in con-
fequencc Of an equal number Of votes between
him and Mr.. Burr, and the perttnacious adher-
ance of the federal party in ;he houfe cf repre-
fentative5 10 The latter gentleman, the election
was fufpepded for fone days, has been repre-
fenced as imperioudy demanding the alteration
of the conftitution and unqueffionabiy tended
to make that alteration very popular. That e.
vent, however, .nhead Of displaying the weak
nels, proved the ftrength Of the contribution. -
The members Of the houfe Of representatives
had then an awful responsibility retfing upon
them, the refponflbIitY, which would have re-
fnltsd from leaving the Union without pref
dent, and probably without confitution, had