Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-10-17

oreyail-suppose James n. Hoee is E.
iected by majority Of the freeholder.
of this distrist, and suppose John 7.
Brooke should receive only oDe-fourh
or one-ffth of the votes of the district,
vet, by the operation of this oppressive
: general ticket law, Mr.. Brooke and not
MIR. Hooe will be the electors contrary
to the expressed opinion OF the people
of the district. II the election should
thus terminate, will the opinion Of the
people of this district be represented
fairly & honestly by Mr.. Brooke;? 1t will
not Would an elector, not chosen BY
the people Of the district, speak their
sentiments Surely not. Task my can.
did and dispassionate fellow-citizcas
whether THO is freedom of election p
Will you be truly and fairly represent.
ed in the electoral assembly? You must
say no. If this be the real operation of
this law, will any dispassionate, homes,
man pretend that one of the dearest
rights of freemen is not most darin,ly
taken from the people, by this law, and
that for the hateful purpose of promoting
the selfish views of party striving for
power.
This law is violation Of the spirit of
that clause of the bill of rights which
says tina. the people have right to an
uniform government by which is
clearly meant, that the laws should not
be unnecessarily changed tor tarty pur.
poses, and that each section of the peo.
pie should be represented by the man of
their own choice, who knows their in.
terest and wishes, who feels as they feel
and is responsible to them. The prin.
ciple of this law is no better, and is as
bad, as that contended for by the British
parliament, which was, to make laws to
bind us without our consent. This pre-.
tension was one of the causes that led
to our revolutionary war.
If the legislature could, consistently
with the spirit of our bill of rights and
our constitution, make such law as tho
one you are called upon to vote under,
and if the people arc 80 degraded as
tamely to submit to it, ask you, if par.
y purposes should require it, what is to
prevent the same Legislature from de.
clariHg that the members of Congress,
the members of the House of Delegates,
and the Senators in the State Legisa.
ture, shall, in future, be elected by a
general ticket The principle has been
established from farty motives, and the
people, in a most shameful and bastard
ly manner, have submitted to the igno-
,ninious yoke. Oar forefathers, in their
declaration OF. independence, comp amed
most Justly that the British king had a.
opllshcd our most valuable laws, and al
tered fundamentally the forms Of our 80.
vernmcnts. No man acquainted with
the history of that day viii say, that ,s:;s
general ticket law is less oppressive and
degrading than the conduct ct he Bril-
fish king. l, for one, feel myself de-
graded by the sad knowledge that my
countrymeH have so long Submitted,
without murmur, to the siavish cundi--
ton which this law has placed them in.
feel my rights invaded by it, AS every
American, who loves lis country, must,
and cannot iorbear exclaimine, that
people who can tamelv submit to such a
violation of ono of the dearest rights
of fIeemen, "are fit instruments to
make slaves of the rest Of man.
kind. This law was originally passed
for no other purpose than that of endea-
voring by it to elect Tito the Office Of
President particular character. This
motive, dishonorable to those who pro-
posed and voted for the law, was avow-
cd, at the time, and Cannot be contradict.
cd. Can it, thea, be possible. that you
will promote the views of such people,
by voting for their candidates, who had
rather, THAN not CRAFTY the ambition Of
particular man, sacrifice the rights of
the people. A principle of this kind in
duced them to adopt the dangerous max.
i'm. that the end iustiies the means.
| The operation of this law leads 10 an
inevitable violation of the third clause Of
| the state constitution, which declares,
" that the legislative, executive and ju-
| dietary departments shall be separate 6
| distinct, SO that neither exercise the
powers properly belonging to the other"
! The effect Of the law has been and will
be complete invasion OF the great prin-
| ciple of this clause of the constitution.
The members OF The state Legislature, in
order to carry it into execution, consist.
emily with the tarfy motiUe that pro-
| duced it, have found l. necessary. wniis
holding the session Of the Assembly, 20
form themselves into a Caucus, aNd no.
inmate electors to be voted FOR By the
freeholders. Is net law bad one and
dangerous in its principle, which can be
carried into effect ouly by tho very men