The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-10-31
PAST AND PRESENT TIMEs I

PAST AND PRESENT TIMES
Some of the advocates ot "A caucus uomina#
lion Tor the presidency, are continually fcitf.
ring to the era Of Mr. Jefferson ffst election
10 enforce The utility, II not The necessity, ol
such a measure, ut the approaching session al
Congress Bat ~ their zeal, 10 procure the
.rnlnotinn OF Nh Crawford. laod a caucus no
Mutation l. his dtrHier resoft,l they overlook
important mutlrrs Of fact, aud disregard en-.
tirely the DIS similarity ot fie i've eases. When
we attribute Nls course Ia ignorance ol lhese
facts or TO n wish TO deceive, We hope we shall
not he placed among That rlass pi combatanls
VINO zee victory only in eminenre in personal
nbust. For, il We could perceive my reason
.nsUtur suppnriing congressional eenens, dis
tnI from personal interests, we should he TIN
last toat'rihuie interested Hoiff,s 10 those who
advocate it, We are told ofihe agitation which
rhe contest between Jefferson and Burr pro.
duced--in the superatveiy eloque6t Lao snase
of one ofJIe caucus allgooetes, athcfnven imp.
ped bissooIy wingr over the capitol, \ cronkcd
mn Ia the fortunesci the republic But how
stood the case thru and how stands II non p
In the FIRST instance, il wns known that TIE
contest Tor the presidency, was between John
Adams mud Thomas Jefferson, ADD TINT Aaron
Burr was n ca didate for The ,1ee-presldeney
That the republican party gave their votes 10
Nj rs president and Mrs as tier president
-.bs{ che electoral colleges failing % designate
ln their n 'rrns for which oHce eneh WIS In
Vrndcd, the ambition Of Mr. Burr made hin
disregard his duty and his rood fame, mud he
rndcavored 10 ottNin by stealth nm eminenee
Ia which he had moi been called by the voice
81 his country, llWasih's circumstance which
'treaied the agitation. The people had mono
fuon. Of having pee sidrnt imposed upon them
contrary TO their decIqred wish Il wns the il.
timed aspirations uf Barr, tbf seforc, moi the
Sircnms,anrc OF The election haelnf desnlved
on Congress, which reused the INDIGNATION oi
the people, aud created such iurhiisni AMI
ETY.. THIS state ol things cannot again occur,
because the constitution has been since 10 n
mended as TO prevehth Another fact proves
that a congressional election WAS not Mta,
when the occurrence was recent, aud The 81.
f.rvescence produced by II was at IFS height,
such a tug hear as some OF our everyday poll.
tieani would have uS helieVe. No amend.
mcut to the constitution In this particular Nhs
then proposed, nos indeed has nnv ehort heen
m 1de tu prevent a slm'laf scene until lately,
b. Col john lay lur. Ii, rs is contentled nov
Nv some, II was the manHtf btthc election IL
sit, Instead as we contend, the means adopted
by ~ ambu.aIs individual 10 promote his ele-
ynt,ouin de pilc ofhc prople's voice Why this
criminal lcllur y why hive W folded our
srmsand permitted aieatnre To rrmain nnnler-
ed in the constitution which, ii Is said with 50
much phthOS, may, II mol olniated by ma an
ooaddaiigHai procedure, " ondanPer the tor
tunes of the republic p Ii The selte OF the
people he FAIRS cNpfessedatt the ntNt s'eetion,
audit should 80 happen that no one OF t'e
candidates should hav, majority, we shdl
not to- afraid 10 trust It's decision te the PEG
pie representatives., in the mode pointed out
ny the constitution. Those who see safety
only IN q caucus nomination, rely Tor their
JUSTIFICATION principally on tire taet TINT such
nomination Is not binding Then, Why n
caucus at all " Oh, Obey sayl IL will con
cehtfCto the puice OF the people. Neli---a
Caucus nomination Is intended 10 have effect,
or 1t i9 not 1T is to have any effect, II must
he, rs its advocates snv, 10 concentrate th
votes, so that some particular candidate mnv
bave a majority. fit has hotthis effect. II is
mere nuihlng-R solemn moekery. Which
horn of the dilemma will the friends ola Gnu.
Gus nomination take ? WI they say that the
people arcsto obey its hehest That they are
10 rally around that individual who shall hap,
pen 10 have more personal friends than iht o.
Tiers that the people nre less qualified to
Judge of the merits of the candidates, than
their representatives who ARE chosen from a
nong them-and whom they are always nj H.
berty TO" instruct 3" Oh no Ibis is not ex
pecled. The people me still 10 be free il
their choice. The nomination is not 70 b,
recommendation, which may he sanctione,
or net. Thus, they Involve themselves il
contradiction Of terms from which ali thoi
Ingenuity cannot extricatc them
But, aHothrr notable argument upon which
they rely is their fear of bribery in CASE The e
lection should devolNe upon the House et he
preventative! Ridiculous 10 say nothing O
the laslLnGtiUn which this argument, (itit ma,
b. called ,ne) coitv ey against the integrity O
.l.tt, L.
70 rebnt It's force, that i vii apply, with NOR,
reason, - a cuucuS nominalien--lor, where
rs in the torne" case, the votes are made b.
states ""0'or y Of The delegation 81 each stat
constitute otc vote, al thus making il mo
IA 'r '" 80 succeed in any attempt q
H. tnr latter. lae votes are given nu
= .,a"y, which would, IN oar estimation, rcn
der such an atempt, il not easy, at least prac
tlGablc could we allow ourselves tor mo
rhent ia doubt the ntegrity of our representa-
lives. selected AS they Nre for their virtue an
Intelligence from the great mass OF our lcllo,
citizens
We intend hereafter 20 offer some remark
on this subject, and to enter mare fully into II
Investigation OF the Argumrnts which hay
beer adduced ia support Of a Caucus uumint
ton, as well as those which may he brouei
fJr, ard against il. We have now gone ful
tbrr than we designed, rs WE only n,cnde
to expose the discrepancy ef two cases. Whic
tue zeal Of some writers has made parallel
--sAs-..
Joseph Bnonapsrte has founded, in tn
United States, city called La Vile d
Joseph. There are already 5000 inhab
tants. mostly French.
The above is from the Times I.ondo
paper. Who in the U. S. ever heard {
this Ville dc JoSeph2
The passions are the gdies of life and
is religion only that can prevent them ri
siDS to tempest