Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-08-15


IA ives only aud, what is still moie remarkable 10
iie House OF Representatives voting by States ihus
puins INTO The hands OF Que man. the only represent
t'inc trom small State, first a thi,teeuth and
now twenty tonr,h put of the whole power of the
nation on Tins important subject, while The fe r.s.n-
'ati,e OF large SAFE, Virginia for Instance possess
cd, at tiis only the tenth of "a thin tcenth mart and
now the twenty -second Of twenry-lourth part.
There is an apparent, if no
tFt'"'"' "0o"etu"s'i rca ncongruiiy heiWeen l
these provisions. The con.
sdeIaiions which led the couy cation 10 forbid "A
SENATOR or member OF the House OF Representa-
u'es, 10 hold the office Of an elector which Office,
even ~ hrst, very little thau the hant edith
part oil The eiectng power belonged, the decrease OF
which pant manilesiiy fo,eseen by the Conven-
ton, we've surely capable oil being applied with s,,.l
greater force, not only To member ol the House OF
Representatives holding part OF the eierIing power
at INST equal To a thirteenth, aud evea ~
weny fourth pant OF the whole, bat 10 the members
geucr.ly.
II II he said ,ha, this iutongru;iy, however real
VAS not 10 he avoided, II being necessary that the
election, IA case oi failure the pact Of the peo |
PIE, SHAH he made by Some power department IN
operation nj tue Time oi such failure the answer
Iita' s necessity did force the election uc the
House oil Representatives only, require that ,he
votes should he giren by States.
| tAnotber ;nconsr,i,,, There ~ another appa- !
| rent, I uotreai incongtuiIy,
~ this part of the system. When the President is
elected ny the electors the is almost entirely ma
uohal II is only SO far federal, as the nuner of
electors ~ increased, 10y the number of Senators,
winch each state is ent,led. But il The election de-
]
IT'S character immediately, and becomes exclusively
federal each state acting for Itself, and each, snail
ana sreai, counting ono.
Now, admitting that the electng
i''0"",e cause Oh power ought, III of failure
l. ~ IN the part of the people, 10 have
heen delegated To the House OF Representatives the
reason why the House uG Representatives should, in
tins case and IN this only 10y States is not east
~ discovered. The 63ih number of the Fcderalisr
Devoted TO The subjcc, of the Presidential election,
does not even notice this pait of the provision. The
ia'r presumption is tia, the probable, and indeed in
evitah'c course Of events not correctly antci-
paied u was conceived thai the election Of P,esi.
urn would eenerails be complete by the Electors.
viewing the mighty men Of the Revolution the fra
mers o' our Constitution took il Tor granted that the
people cou'h seldom be ~ loss in the selection of
a PRESIDENT. They forgot that these men were the
growth and product ol revolutionary lcrr and thai
those who we're TO come after them, huwe,er di.,in.
s"shed by virtue and talents, could have the
same means OF deserving and acquiring tie respeci
Tue admiration, and the gratitude of iheit fellow cit
Zchs Under this deluson, the Interior and contin-
gent power oi the House Of Representatives was
deemed of lille Importance not likely 10 he
o'ten called into operation. The ftdcralst e. 40
iJushes This remark. The writer uses this ST. ons
expression =" hr ms "a majnry OF votes might moi
9f"tJS centre III one man, and might he unsafe
TO permit less than majority 10 lie conclusive il is
provided that, III such contingency, the House of
Representatives, shall select" &c. &c. II would
nave been d'ihcu!t for the Of this number 10
nnu an expression better calculated To convey hi,
idea OF the remoieness Of the contingency in aues.
aIcGgs be found ,
THE House Of scarce That the impression the
y thought OF the X Time was that the election
lecung bodyI OF President would almost
always he decided by the
electors, is rendered still mon probable Inv The se.
neral tenor oil the chapter quoted In part par
ucn'rly, tue contingent power of the House seems
To ne entirely ingotion. " Nothing was more TO lac
desired, says this chap than that every practicable
obstacle should he opposed cabal, Intrigue, and
Corr"ion--these most deadly adversafirs Of repuh-
l'can government, &c &c. But the convention have
I ~ tie
moyident and juriicons attention. They have not
made tie appointments OF The President Ia Depend ON
iPfe-eTiSiag bodifs OF men, who R2ht he hammered
WA, before hand, TO prostitute their votes" &c L.
- apparent, from This language, that lie wri,ct
Thought not ~! the House oi Representatives. but of
'hr electors appointed lay the people, the efficient
aud elec'iug body When, therefore, ,he Cnnyen-
ton has provided for the election Of President y
elrctors, and luther provided, for what was ihcm
heie'ed To he uCTely possible case, Ga fixture ON
the part oil the electors by devoyiug The powc, ON
The House &" Representatives., every Thing necessary
was supposed Ia have brcu done. And is proba-
NE, th" The manner of voting, that is 10y states was
adopted, merely because IL happened 10 he 6rsl sur-
g"sicd, or becnnse ii presented 10 the view Of IL.
small states, possible evenr, on the OF
winch they would stand as they thea stood foot
'us OF exact equality with the largest state in tie u
mon ~
Twelve years ouly had
FAIRY discovery OF the passed away, before a case
defects in the system occn,red which de voice.. nm
me House OF Representatives the right OF selecting
President. Mr.. jefferson aud another person had
! N'iu" HuhnutI OI votes, anu each OF tI m
loriy u was a lact, known throughout the United
oies that Mr.. j. fr was the person whom, rl,e
people intended 10 make their President {3i On
ms sr'Jeci, there was nor, among The Republicans
! Dissenting voice. Yet in defiance OF the public
WILL loudly aud unequivocaly expressed, ,hirty Sc
ven ballots were taken before this will could he carri
ed mo ELECT The nation filed with establishment
anu indEnniinm al this insOlrn and trajioous nm
position and the temple OF our union trembIed I'm
,,S i"u%g"',on. FROM that day The people OF The
| oIiied Si"'es have looked forward with anxiety
and apprehension, 10 Congre ssionaI election nf
| PRESIDENT, an anxiety and apprehension nor Al all
aeviaiedi'y what has already occurred in The rapi-
to, ia relation To the ensuing election.
! JAmer,,neotl The consequence OF this event was
'hai, ~ 1905, amendment was
pr'p".ed, and ~ the year adopted by WHICH
l'ic Electors we're required TO name in iheir balois
# the Pe'son vo,rd Tor rs President and lhe uerson
voted for a. V.ce President.
4 This amendment guarded against the recutropr o
OF the cause winch on That occasion Transferred
the election OF Tie President the House of Re-,
piescnta'Ivrs - caus', which, from the circum-
stance Of lis having happened once uol lk.y 10
, happen again. Bu the amendment went M c,rtj,.r
The power Of rhe House OF Representatives 10 elec,
and a. elect by states, IN a where no caudi
date has MAJORITY, was left untouched. The House
ID ct Representatives, therefore, il may he safely as
sn"edJ VIII, u the Constitution lakes lis course
n el'i, ~ nine instances III ten the President of the
, UH"td States. ln The ordinary course of human - +
lars II - not probable that statesman will he 50,
EetIheuy tff eminent as to- command the votes of :,
MAJORITY ct the Elrci0Ts In the periods Of revou-
n t"n ana OF wat, the master spirits of ,Ic land are
II ca'ed INTO action. Talents are DISPLAYED. d,pee,s
encountered, S1feTibgs endured, sacrifices ma lie
ana Sfi wees performed, which are followed l,y the
II gratitude and confidence Of The nation Rm nlor
ears al pence, ia which there has beeu no cali for
any great slcr fee for the pubic good no o,,r,,riun;
among men Of talents, fhht Of DIFF rcure which
II WIl' he generally perceived, or even Acknowledged