Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-09-05

ted or so congenial to the spirit efour Federal
Constitution, as an assembly of deputies elect
"a and convened for that sole iect, as spec
div as possible, after their election BY the peo-
nle. and as short time as possible before the
choiee Of President.
nomination of candidates for our sufIra-
pes, by such convention, will indeed be an
innovation upon our ancient usage, and 50 far
resemble that nomination which has been
made bya caucus OF the Members of the Ge-
neral Assembly; buttested by the constitution
of the United States, their slmllltude will
cease
The great object of the founders of our
constitution, in constructing that part OF It
which relates to the choice Of Chief Magls-
trate, was to secure at the head OF the eXecu,
tive department of the government, citizen
of the o. States, pre-eminent Tor ability and
pi,rue"
How they endeavoured to accomplish this
object we have it in our power, fellow clu-
zens, to learn from themselves. Ina work
ccntemporaneous with the adoption of the con.
sttution, and written in conjunction by three
of the most distinguished citizens OF the Onl-
ted States, two of whom assisted IN forming
that constitution, and one OF whom IS now
President of the United States, we have the
following exposition Of their views w give
it to YOU in their own language, because we
are sensible We could devise none more ex~
pressive cit was desir4blc," says Publlus,
" that the sense of the people should operate
in the choice of person to whom 50 irnpor-
tant a trust was to be conhded (the cher ma
gistracy of the T. S Tais end Will be an
swered by committing the right OF making 1t,
not to any pre-estabshed body, but to men
chosen by the people for the special purpose
and at the particular conJuncture.
sit was equally desirable, that the immedl-
ale election should be made by men most ca
pable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the
station, acting under circumstances favourable
to deliberation, and to Judlcious combination
of all the reasons and inducements that were
proper TO govern their choice. A small num-
Der of persons, selected by their tellow-clu-
zens from the general mass, will be most like
~ 10 possess the information and discernment
requisite TO so complicated an investigation.
:. Ii was also peculiarly desirable, to at1oro
as little opportunity as possible to tuhiult and
disorder. This evil was not least to be dread
I'd in the election of d magistrate, who was to
have so important an agency III the admlnia-
tration of the government. But the precau-
tons which have been SO happily concerted III
the system under consideration, promise eli
fectual security against this mischief The
choice Of several, to form an intermediate bo-
DIV of electors, will be much less apt to con-
yulse the community with any extraordinary
or violent movements than tie choice ct one
was himself to be the final object OF the pub
lie wishes And as the electors, chosen IN
each state, are to assemble and vote In the
state In which they are chosen this detached
and divided situation will expose them much
less 10 heats and ferments, that might be COM
municated from them to the people than II
they were all to be convened at one time liz
one place
" \ othing was more to be desired, that eve
ry practicable obstacle should be opposed to
cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most
deadly adyersaries Of republican government,
might naturally have been expected to make
their approaches from more than one quatter,
but chiefly from the desre in foreign powers
to gain an improper ascendant in our coun-
ellis. How could they better CRAFTY this, than
by raising creature OF lheii OWL 20 ''0 ''''S1
magistracy of the Union But the convention
have guarded against all danger Of this sort,
with the most providcnt and judlclous atten-
ton. They have not made the appointment
of the president to depend on pre-exlstlng bo-
dies of men, who might be tempered with be-
foreband to prostitute their votes; but they
have referred il in the first instance to an in
mediate act of the people of America, to be
exerted in the choice of persons for the tenn
porary and sole purpose of making the APP
pointment. And they have excluded from
eligibility 10 this trust, all those who from ST.
tuation might be suspected of too great de-
yotion to the president in Office. No senator,
representative, or other person boldng a
place oftrust profit under the United States,
can be of the number OF the electors Thus,