Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-20

with scarcely any limit oftime Is this one
OF the lessons Taught us in the school of drnu-
cracy? All these inferencrs, to say the least
OF them, are absurd. When the Constitution
prohibited Members of Congress, and sxecn-
i've and Judicial officers, from being appointed
electors, 1t merely meantto deprive them al
ONE political po,oer that t0ns incompatible ioiih
the exercise Of another political poiCer: il being
justly thought that the existing government
should be- Inhibited, 10y all fair means from sx-
ercising the pow of rp-tuating itself. IL be-
gins and ends with the inhibition of This potcer.
IL is restriction upon rights that would
otherwise have existed, and is, therefore, To
he construed strictly. Ii prohibits the speci-
fc act of giving an electoral vote but, in con-
fnng its interdict to this single case, it recog-
nzes, and would, were II possible, strength
EN-, the common right of thinking. of d-be-
railing, of nominating the Chief Magistrate,
and even ofvOting Tor those who elect him.
We are told, that the Members of Con
gress, being those designated by the Constitu-
ton finally to decide on the Presidential ques-
ton, should abstain from previously commit
ting themselves that they may be viewed Ms
Judges, in whom it is indecorous and unjust
to form precOnceivcd opinions. But can any
allegation be more triling ? Judges Or what
are they Judges Are there any adverse claims
IN csnlest, Of either private or public ma
ture No sncb thing. The simple point is,
who is best fitted for the Presidency and, in
settling this point, there can he only two
moaes-thai, asreeaby to which the member
acts by exclusively consulting his own ideas,
or that by which he considers himself bound
by the win his constituents. In either case,
he Is as competent tn form an opinioo, at the
Time OF nomination, as at that of the election
OF the President; with this difference, that, at
The time OF nomination, he may wisely and
honorably prefer one man, and, at the time of
The election, as wisely and honorablv vote for
another, either because his vote for the former
would not avail, or because his constituents
preferred the other. In both cases, he would
fulfil his duty tn his country: a duty, consist
Ing in the first place, in an honest endeayor.
ny ma8nanmOus surrender ofeventual pow
er. to give effect To the will Of the majority =
and, In the second, in giving that vote, which,
all things considered, would, at that time, best
promote the public good. This is all that is
necessary, or that can be- desired. To expect
man, barely because he is member of
Congress, to refrain from forming an opinion
on most important point, ar from expressing
II with Vlew-"f inilueRcing others, is TO sup
pose, that VI the degree in which an indvdu-
al shall actively engage in public affairs, he will
De destitute OF any positive opinion upon
Them; or indifferent TO the commonest means
OF lmpressinS them upon the minds of Others.
But, surprising il advisable To prevent the
Members of Congress from exercising this
right, Is it possible to do so? At present,
there is an open, ayowed nomination; one,
noi made in The dark, but promnged in day
light, which itself becomes as arnenahle to the
tribunal of public opinion, as any other mea-
sure that may be devised. If, therefore, in this
procedure. any Thing reprehensihIe or unfair
should occur, il cannot fail TO be detected by
the 'iganteye that will be ever directed TO so
interesting spectacle. But, once denouncc
the measure, and succeed in making il gene
rally odious, what will be the consequence
Not to prevent a nomination, but merely to
make II IN the dark To manage it clandes-
timely, hut not the less efficacously. The
measure will, nevertheless. be taken, and the
concurrlng members will be the agents for
giving It effect in their several distrcts--with
tnis difference, that the secret will be kept un
~ the most propitous moment, when it will
be- too late fer public opinion to cOunteract the
measure, however pernicious 1t may be.
A PENNSYLVANIA.