Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-10-24
KICHMOND, OCTOBER %. Isgs.
CaUCOs-" CONS IITUlf0A:lL PRINCI-


tends not and that the change is not i'm him.
but in ihos. VIM would "Gbnndon the old
ground in favor of caucusing." 1t was right
and constitutional, forsonth tn resort 10 /. for
the support Of political measures" hut not l.ir
" n bargain and sale about Il man, and To urI
against The constitution"
This is the wire drawn distinction. but LET
us strip il of its arcunpaniments, aud VIVA,
does it amount to? We are at liberty To eau
Gus for the sake of a party but when W. " ish
To secure the will ofihe majority, the Com
stituiinn oIbds il. When You are To secure
cerfdtn measures, caucus may recommend
candidate; when you are to secure TO the
people their constitutional share os influence.
1t rs an act ofthe most abomnable nsurpatiou
Can this be SD Is the constitution that fex
'ble nose of wax, that you may turn it this
way or that way TO suit your'own purposes?
Are certain measures constitutional, only
because they are PASSED by particular party /?
Is power given to-day, because it may be
necessary to carrya political measure I; and
yet prohibited to- morrow
But how is itpossible for Mr. Niles 10 re-
conciie his own course TO his own principles ?
According To him, caucus 60 must needs be
unconstitutional when its avowrd design is to
set aside the established operation ofthe con-
s'itution"-that is. as he would explain il. to
deprive the small states, of their constitutional
chance OF elrcting a President. Yet with this
principle, MIR. Niles is the friend of pariy eau
Gus Yet, what is The design Of such caucus ;
but to secure the choice Of the President, by the
colleges of Electors and thus TO strip the states.
quo"d noe, of their constitutional right To elect
him IN the IL. of r ? In effect therefore, Mr..
Niles acts as much against the constitution in
the one case as in the other. Whether you
caucus To secure the ascendancy of the repub-
llcan party, or of the ma ioriiy of the people,
you equally defeat this provisional article
that is, according 10 the political m.taphy 81
CLANS, you " act against the constitution"
Let us look, however, more nearly into
these constitutional principles" Ii is we'll
known, that the Federal Convention were
exceedingly puzzled in rrconciling the CON
hicting interests of the various states. The
greatest difficulty was presented by the dis
flnction between the large and the small
states. The old confederation had given to e.
very state an equal share in the government
When the present constitution was forming, the
small states wished To retain this egualiiy al
power-the large states, To obtain that share
oi influence which was proportiOned TO their
population. These separate claims were ad
lnsied by " mutual Difference and concession. -
The large states obtained an influence in the
House Of Representatives according 10 their
populations. The small states preserved their
equality IN the SeDate.-Thus il is. that while
NV Y ork will display in the next House of
Representatives her Sc representatives, and
Delaware only one they stand without dis
unction on the door of the Senate-A subor-
dinate question was raised between the slave
and non -siave-holdins states. Was the mum
Der oi representatives Ia he prnporiioned tn
those of the free inhabitants only, ar was any
allowance to be made for tkr slaves ?--We
sila'i not repeat The reasons which were urged
In favor ofthe latter arrangement Many @
them are recorded in the FrderaIisi, by ihe Der
ot Mr.. Jay add others are 10 be found in Mr.
Galatians View Of The Financps.-No man ha,
yet presumed 10 disturb this arrangement, ex-
cept the slaves offactiou in the Eastern states
MIR. Ely attempted il in the II. Of r. of Mas
sachusctts In 1914. The Hartford Conveu-
Hon partially drew its origin from this very
design: but the goud sense of the nation mas
batiied all their attempts.
One remark more ~ relation TO the lpgisIa-
i've brancho-The proporioning orrhe Repre.
SehdttceS 10 population, and the equality al
votes III Inc Senate were recommended by the
Committee of the Con, ention as the - condi-
nom" 1t each other: And the motion To allow
for 8 5ths of the slaves was made by membe,
from Pennsylvania but neither by the mover
nor the first committee was direct Taxation
recommended as an i.Iseparable accountant.
ment TO representation.
The organization of the Erecufire branch
cost The Convention even more trouble. We
siiaiI not trace Inc projects which were success.
sVeiy submitted. Ii was for a long while in.
sisled mat the President should be- chosen hy
the National Legislature" but not by states
Inc Constitution, WAS actually reported viii
the provision: " He shall be- elected by bal
lot by the legislature - that is irint ballot
IN which the states would not vote as states
nut I'D the combined ratio of senators AN,
representatives. We find that after several day.
an amendment was Doyed, To add after th,
word " legislature the words Is each state haU
ing one cote," hut II was rejected, most of tn,
larger states voting against il, aud the smaiie
s'ates Tor u The SldUe and non-siaUe- hoLdina
states being Unfortunately for and against !
IS Of the former voting for il. and 8 ogo;ns
IT. Finally II settled down as it j. AT present
the election in the FIRST instance to be nad,. h,
The Electors of the peopie-and i'm case of n,
election by them, then the states to make i
through the ii. of r. Mr. Madison save. thi
100 Is a "compromise"--but ne also tells ~
iDe parties between whom the c0rnprui,Iis,
was made not between the FREE" and tn,
slave States" as Mr. King calls them, bu
between Z" the hiite statcs'' and "the L,re
states"
And now Mr. Niles contends, that tits agaius
me CONSTITUTION to secure concert among.
the EIectors-that il is against the pbts of in
small sfates-and that in fact go represents
I'VE can attend caucus for the purpose, will,
out bringing perjury on his souL."-He
pleased to say, that Virginia ought to be anon
me last to JON IN the attempt that " she enjoy
her part OF the compromise" that Z" she derive
one-h'rd OF her power in The n. of II. Crnr
thIs debastd pJpulaGou.' do NOT uuestio
Tie r'gm oft ;(says Mr.. n. but cannot al
prove OF that policy which presumes upo
power SO acquired, to break down the condi