Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-11-16
SPECULATIVE DISCUSSION.

n'cgent correspondent though il is our misfortune
e"' from sone ofhi conclusions We agree with hi
""e opnon that the Electors Of the President OF the
states ought to be elected by the .opis Of the taes
oes COMFORTS With the principles Of our free
"" we ARE disposed TO believe, with the designs of III
trainers of our Const,u,ionWe wish tina, H.
tue states such mode Of Election now be sopts
"re we therefore, prepared to place within the jur
oe"n OF Congress The power of canceng the votes
States which should elect by means OF their L~ga
lure Are the votes of the N York which hs
employed this mode OF Election since the Constitute
OF inc united States adopted, cancelled nj on
soRe ny tue H. of r.! Is correspondent prepared
CRISIS from an aci, thus touching the Of
o"es' Is he prepared to lay this power, affecting t
power OF The states at the OF the raj Judiciary
where viii lie stop Would he permit the Federal Judci
airy 10 declare "one hell swoop all the acts TO he void
unconstitutional which have sanctioned by our Pre
dens, ,hus previously elected
We beg leave respectfully svggcs, our Correspon-
dent that however successful he te his esren,
upon the Constitutions he has in respec, missaled the
tsTf-ihat is not from the highest the selection
Is to be made such the Constitution as IL originally
stoodD bw from the tares highest (as it stauds)
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
roPsi 'mperu" ju1ta liberta,em: dominatio
ouis Pni.,a yumi,orer Fregeilanum prodtorem, ouan
guam Republics nose proiut Quit Gle. dc fni5
The approaching election of President and
Wee President, renders every question, con-
nrcied witt, 1t. OF great Importance tn the peo-
pie. The election of the chief magistrates of
the Nation is one Of their most interesting
privileges, and IL is their essential right that
these servants be elected according 10 the
terms of the compact they have made with
each other.
Art. l. Sec. l. cl. 11.-Consttuton of the
United States. Each state shall appoint
IN such manner as the legislature thereof ma y
direct number of electors, equal to the
whole number of senator's and representatives
10 which The state may be entitled in the cou-
gress."
shall in the first place endeavour TO as.
certain the meaning affixed TO the words used
IN this clause, by those who adopted the con
siitution Of the United States. By refr. ring
To the justly celebrated report of the Iegisla-
ture OF Virginia in 1900, commonly called
Madison's report, it will be seen that In,
term STATES" IS sometimes used in a wayne
sense, and sometimes in different senses. az
cording to The subject TO which il is appied.
Thus 1t sometimes means the separate see
tons of territory occupied by the political
| society within each sometimes the partico
lar governments, established by these soc;e
Ties; sometimes those societies AS organized
INTO these particular governments and
lastly, It means the people Composing these
poi''cai societies in their highest sovereign
'capachy. Although il might he wished Tia,
the perfection Of language admitted less Il;
versl.y in the Specification of the sa INV. ,,o,,ls
yet little inconveniency is produced Sy IL
where Inc true sense Can be COLLECTED will
certainty from the different applications. -
In this analysis Of the word s"stafe.u il ia 6, mr.
thy oil remark that 1t, no where, is used in III,
same sense as the legislature of state; AMI
collecting the sense, ia which it is used. in tbs
clause IN question, by reference TO that clause
| 1t - seen, that the constitution here consider.
state, as a body totally different from il,
Legislature.
| But let Us enquire in what sense this clans,
oil the constitution was understood, during
the period when that instrument was unde,
investigation before the people of the United
states previous to its adoption by them.
BY reference to the FederaIst LXVII. we
find that, speaking of the election ofthe Prcsi.
dent. 1t was desirable, that the sense of The
people should operate in the choice of The
person TO whom so important trust was tc
be conhded. This end will be answered by
committing the right of making it, not TO an,
pre-estahIished body, but to men chosen b,
The people, for the special purpose and at the
particular conluncture."
Again. Another, and no less important. de
sideratum was that the executive should b,
independent for his continuance in Office. o,
'aH, but the people themselves. He NIGH
otherwise be tempted to sacrifice his du,,
to his complaisance for those whose favo,
was necessary to the duration of his oaicia
consequence
Having shewn in what sense this clause was
advocated before the people, let us next en-
/ N In n hut e n
those who adopted the constitution.
Debates of the Virginia Convention Cd Ed
pa $40, Art. IL, Sec. 1, under consideration
Governor Randolph says "the electors mus
De elected by the people mt large" Mr.. Ma.
olson says, pa. S5l. Perhaps il will be fount
| impracticable 10 elect him by the immediat,
suifrages of the people. Difficulties wonIt
arise from the extent and population of IN,
states. Instead of this the peoul. chooss
the electors
Having shewn by reference 10 this clause q
the constitution that there the word estate,
is used in contradistinciion TO the "Iee,slaur,
thereof" and that during The period The rsu
siilution Of the United States was under dis
cnssioo, before the people of the u. s., il wa.
understood that Tie appointment of electors
was to be made ~ the people, and lastly thai
II was adopted IN ms sense by the people Of
virginia and no doubt Ivy the other states,
shall next enquire, whether by virtue of thai
part OF the clausein question, " bich DECLARES
! that the legislatures OF The states NAV direct
the manner Of making the appointment of q.
lectors, the legislatures can make The appoint.
ment themselves. 10 order to ascertain what
is the meaning Of the term appoint, let US refer
10 the Isl. Art. Sec. III, cl. 4. The Senate
of the United States shall be composed oil
two Senators ''rm each state, chosen by the
Legislature thereof for six years, and each Sen
ator shall have one yote.'
Cl. IL" Immediately after fheu al,nll he