Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-08-08

gsgerd oaucHs ought 10 anticipate its rrinars, or
Grade rs srsntt'di commend
- because ~" Iret,I the old, cool headed wisdom
OF ~. fedcrofire principle TO AN, unauihorz. cvia
uom, rom u, dict'ed %! occasional combinations we
ha'" n" AFFECTIONS Ia III" prinGry process wherein
numbers and The national principle intended TO
prevail ~ III appointment, oi President hut We
prefer TO encounter the chance OF the grossest evils
which have been ascrihed io the etentui process To
ANY a'inraIy modification framed, 49, We contend, IN
contradiction 10 The spirit of constitution. By
the appropriate provisions al III. existing constiiu.
nnn, the sense II the people, ~ they should not be
unanimous, heserih'i"sN operates III the primary
cloice of the individual 10 whom the executive rus
IN the case OF an erenuf elect ION, he oonhdsd
Aud therefore, pulic opinion operates more certain
" when the primal right OF making such unbiased
cho'ce proceeds not from the indy of any pre-
established body, hut rather from chosen, like
our J"'ies, by the people, their agents, in each
state, Tor the SPECIAL purpose, and the particular
couJnnciure. VIVA, though there he direct
clnuing clause III the consultation forbdding mem
bers oi Congress rancus obrusion into the cleo
iorGl colleges, still every wholesome analogy initiates
against the fitness o any such congressional nterfe
renee before The proper time shall when Con
gress is authorized 10 act And hence additional
| reason VII, they ought to abstain from publishing
their preference before that case shall occur when
| II may become their special duty TO elect Presi-
dent The spirit IF the Fundamental code fromns upon
their prerionS ggicio"sH.Ss since lay the positive pro-
hihi'ion OF ib. constitution Senator Representa-
tire, or other pe' son, holding place otruSt profit,
con- be Of The number OF the electors of President
Now, of what avail thus iupor ant Disqualification
~ our senators and representatives, combining indi-
Vu"ay IN general caucus TO elude II, shai all IN
TENS and purposes predict, Ivy signify ing wIih for
mai publicity In the electors which candidate the lat
| ter ought 10 choose Tie Inconvenience of a sub
divided choice has beeu urged Justify such orbld-
den pie-eectinn. Bur yout memo,iaiisis conceive
That II is convenient, may Important that the popular
electors should give then spontaneous sfrGges al
hrsf, even II II he probable thai candidate shall
obtain plurality OF yotes for Other reason, for
tiS, that The ereHtfl choice President thus be-
bu The electors Themselves
three preferred candidates. so that, in pursuance of
such constitutional course, IN case Oi eventual
| election, even If minority only OF The population
should elevate president on The door of Congress,
neverth' less, the candidate srentuou chosen must
pre'io"Siy Rare obtained the original sufrdgeS Of
Urge portion 81 the people, perhaps thOughou, the
uhion--wheitas, VI general caucus shall suggest
10y anticipation, and may override 10y exterior nau-
ence the spontaneous choice of the electors, less
popular choice might be made. The two fold meth
I'D, therefore. it unmixpd and unconaminat,d by
lanperIng, affords the best chance OF obtaining Tor
President the man IF The people, lrio possibly might
not be the nun Of is Your memoralrsts he
'eve, moio'er that also affords the greatest moral
certainty that the Office o! President Will never tall TO
the lot OF ANY man vino is not in eminent degree,
| endowed with the requisite qualifications
q. Because II Is generally believed that a majority
oi The American people aud states now, after weigh
| ing The arguments, repugnant or favourable TO the
practice OF caucus nominations, 10y conventions ui
individual volunteer mempers OF Congress- rnterta IN
opinions hostile 10 terin0i IF that nsuee The press
especially during the past five years, (urtIi within
lew months past,) has disclosed unansw red and un
answer7ble arguments against both, the principle and
| the practice OF Congressional caucusses The lead
ih5 press o 'he ruling slate of Virginia, beyond
other IN the UHued States, has denounced the Gus
oni As an indeiensbie heresy ia republican politics
| ana the pubic sentiment, which heretofore seemed
TO oose an dgereR direction, has more recently he
| 'uheu ih'o sueh an aeTsion TO these contentious
that Congr' ssiona caucusses have become ii7etiieU
any UrpopHidr-and With reference TO particular
candidates, detrimental aud odioS' True Is that
| me stItt nlftifu
curing Our revolution, but more especially since,
when iwo great parties, into which, for season. Tie
Country seemed divided, were struggling Tor pre-eH
lnence IN the public councils, the leaders and parii-
zans OF both often resUrted such caucussrs IheN
we're used As party m' asuTes, aud he democratic
republicans used Them CIntEy 10 Ieuniie their own
scattered Ioicrs ana more especially when plura-
IVY OF candidates Tor the Presidency rendered IL
desirable In follow public opinion, by concentrating
sundNldeu snfr"gcs-io tepi css premature ambition,
aud elevate the man of the people. But IN those
past CorluncureS OF intestine and party
sruSelrI no lndiy,duN We heheSe OF the republican
family, dreant COZ giessiona caucus cxJensr c
~ To enihrace, ln"'Ncr'mniIeiy, both federal aud
democratic pnliucL'us much less comprehend boIh
branches OF the nauonal leg stature fe dur
ing the most turbulent period ol,he iaIe war, and
when the intent oil such caucus thus single and
restricted, even under such limitation, the ConstIu
tlonHl Legitimacy oi The measure doubted, Ques
| tiOned and cOmbatted; and this 10y some OF our
soundesI democratic republicans. The same class
OF pirisf henthe second election Of our present
/
such congressional caucus as had been hitherto to-
| leraed-- And The irown of public opinion upon the
proposal Tor another caucus, evidently sustained the
docirne al those republican Certain IL u.s.
thu the pr sem state OF The old pares, and the sere-
nny OF tie political horizon afford neither preiext
nor apology i"r The measure. Que Of these parties
has been nearly annihilaied, hy that grew out
oil The late war; and IItlt own egregIuus misconduct.
lnsomucb that the federal mifraS, considered as an
elirIent opposition parry, (tbeir main utility in the
go,ernmeu) have ceased to act or exist ~ the coun-
Gus OF the country while, on the other hand, the
d'mOrr'tIc republican party, every where vaius
| has become identified with the people
| D. Because such nomination., by both branches OF
congress IN carcHs ASSEMBLED (even II the proceed
ing were both popular and cOnstIiuiional) is repug-
nant 10 sound policy NOI does IL follow, that be-
cause indis dual legislators, in of the less popu
lous states, have countenanced TO local eau
cuses-sIgnIiyng tn their own electors the man OF
their choire--ihai such body Congress, having
peculiar relations with every IN the Union aud
being nOTeOvcr compounded al clements that cannot
enter into the structure Of the local eovernmens--is
by example, or by analogy, jusiiable its resort to
a similar proceeding. Because the immediate cleo.
ton OF the President is he made 10y the states IN
then political characters. The votes allotted to the On
are compound ratio, which considers them part.
W as distinct and go equal ocetes, and partly as
unequal mrnlbers of the same society. The eusut,f-
al election, again, Gas before menti0ned) is 10 he
made 10y mat branch OF Congress which consists OF
The national representatives, yet voting as If they
we're ENJOYS from the states respectively. Nor does
objection To caucus incongruity and impolicy here
| terminate. Your memorialists crave leave to oh
serve that ~ case there should be no choice of Pre-
! sidcnt either by popular eleciots, or the popular
branch "i Congress, c0nlormably with the Cousiiiu-
lion then, the Senate FTciusirei Is 10 choose out OF
| The iwO candidates for Wee President who shall
previously have received the greatest number oil
1otcs-ihe man vino, IN case the choice Of Presi-
dent b- not made before the ltn day of March next
| following si1H be President
Now here are Two distinct constitutional functions
| ass'gned separately TO the TWO distinct branches