Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-18
ELECTION or pkEsIpENr.

would convince us, if we were not con.
vinced before, that agreeably To the spirit
as we'll as the letter of the constitution
tha Electors of the President ought not
to be elected by the Legislature. They
may direct but the people should dppoint.-
MIR. Brent, that the Constitution should be so
amended, rs 10 permit the people directly To
vote Tor their Chief Magistrate land il hi.
pleases. by "A majority Of distiicts) but with
ms pro'iso, that if no majority goes to any
individual, then the Electors to be sim ultane-
ous'y selected by the people, should subse.
Guently meet in one college, and elect the
President out of The three highest numbers.
Ihe Petition Of ipMian Brent, Jr. Of Stafford.
county and Safe Of pirgiaia, ,epsctIuiy represents
eoms opedher a"d Deteges Of Tie General .issen,Jiy
efprgiaia
That the right cfihc Peorc of the United States
70 prefer requests 10 lheh Legislative bo,ies by way
ue","" OF rcn10Dsirancr, Tor redress OF the wrongs
eVue 'heMi ant o The grievances they nfer, stands
"" 'pn' -,'ons Which cdrno! be shaken The right OF
to anters OF line Colony Of Virginia to prefer Their
requests and petitions to The ,h,onc and the pafia-
men was secured TO III. C,tzens OF the Common
wealth OF Virginia sy their DECLARATIONS OF lNpE-
rgNpENcs. made al Williamsburg, on The 18th day
OF MAY, i..6, Il day 10 b, remembered an pir-
ginia, The precursor NJ " The Unanimous Declare
tion OF the Thmt-en Uried States OF America the
4th OF Juy, mo the first signal OF the iis combat
tna' was ever wagrd between all Princes and all errors
- mutually ple,ged 10 each other, our Lives,
Fortunes and sacred ~ ,nours and nv a Cir n, re-
lance on DIVINE PRoyIDEScE,' having made
goud this "n deciara''nn its happy influence the
fy 1T man begins already 10 he felt in every region
q! The earth
10 this we owe the Constitution Of The United
o'deeS, The greatest and bent fetal iavrni,on OF
human Genius, The G'it of the Squirt of TngTH
or"ishied man An Invention intended To set limits
Z" ''"t spirit OF Dcspo'ism and dan kness which has,
heretI"Fs, c'fcumvenied all human cont vance, aud
keeps ia bondage nearly the whole human race : An
iuvention winch " successful here will necessaIi
he adopted elssphe,e, as, that pleasure is prefer
ahie IN pam, or that RUTH shall triumph over
EALsEHooD
The struggle he,wcrn the powers Of Leh, and
DArk"ess' Ir"'h aud Falsehocd, Lber'y and Despo
tisa has continued from The beginning, from the
earliest periods of History. III snbsiss LIS dura-
lion tme viii reveal The night is long thar nerer
finds the Dry."
We, the People Of the United States, in order 10
secure the blessings OF Liberty 10 ourselves aud on,
poseri!, firmly resolved 10 make FAR trial OF his
greAies' OF nnma" Inventions, have ratified the Con
sniion OF the Unitd Siaies, not by our ordinary Lee
gislau'es, hut by Conventions our hehes, sovereign
r"pac"y. Having thus made between each other a
great compact or League, To which we are na,,i.s-
Is 'hcn oni Right, as Clearly our Dn,y TO ake
care thai hs our agreement shall have the In,erpre-
'a'ion, Ii"in, nienird by u.s. and ,hat s,hc Const-
t"io" n' 'he United States, rendered sacred hy the
oah taken TO support ~, shall have The execution and
eHec, Tor which u was formed. In the exercise of
arghi, guaranteed To all the Citizens OF this Com
mouweitb, }oUR PETITIONER dee ms il necessary
TO recall The attention Of ihs Honorable Assembly 10
the various s'iaagrms Of dan kness aud despo, Sun to
eHu"tm'ne the constitution OF the Unired States a.
ghinsi which the Protests of pqinia are fresh in the
tocourctou o MS ALL But your Petitioner begs lea
TO call your attention To practice, which, from the
10 winch has recently been carried, bids fair,
al nor arrested, TO destroy ver, n.ure OF the go.
sernment we have endravored 80 establish
10 you, Guardians OF the Liberties of the People,
Us unnecessary TO urge any argument in support OF
the right, and duty oftbe People make The appoint.
heni OF electors OF Presidents and Vice President Of
these Unncd States, in their own proper peIsons [,
stands on facts unqucstiona!,~
IL by reference TO The g. Journal, acts and pro.
ceedings of the Convention which formed The ON
s'nm'iouof the United States, published in October
iSl? ooniot meh'yto resolution of Congress of the
m "i''e" 10! II viii be seen ON page $50. That
Thursday, July 1aLh, 1887,
81 WAS moved and seconded 10 re- consider the Sc
ess' clauses OF the ninth resolution, which rcspe ct,
he appointment, and eligibility of the nstioaaI exc.
c"tve--which passed in the affirmative
l, was moved by Mr. Ellsworth and seconded.
10 agree TO the following proposition namely
10 he chosen by electors aprointed for that mr.
pose, ny tue Legislatures of the States, in The follow.
ing proporioW:-
!" On he question 10 agree 10 The following
clause, namely,
- 10 he chosen by eieciora ,oco;,,.J r., H., -
pose" P''
90 1t passed in the affirmative"
Oh me quesion TO ag,ee 10 the following clause:
Bythe Legislatures of the States
Is 1t passed VI the affirmative ~
"a BY reference 10 page zoo of the same Jour.
nal, II will be.seep, that on
1'sesday, Juiy can, 1887,
% II was we'd and seconded, to s,,ke the foIov
aug words on; of lie Resolution, Iespec,iog ,hr Sn
p'ense Executive, namely BY electors aonunted Ia,
that purpose, by The Legislatures OF the States"
" hrch passed in the sfirmafve."
81. The Constitution of the Euied States ord ain
and establishes, that hy
" Art. II. sec. /. CT H. Each stafe shall an,o;,,
IN such manner, rs The Legislature thereof NAV di
rect, nufuber of electors, equal 10 the whole nu1
Der of Senators and Representatives. TO which The
State may he entitled, in The Congress Bur no Sc.
major or Representative, or person no Idino any or
fee Of trust or profit under the United Ststes shall he
apr oiuted AN Eeco
Thus IT plainly appears, ist. That the mower 10
aPpoint electors oil PRESIDENT and Vice Presideut.
20 The Legislatures of the STATES: 3D. After mature
deberniiOn was finally taken from the Lrpisla lures
OF Tie States and 3d. BY the clause Of the ConsI;,u
ION OF 'he United States, just quoted, was giyeu 10
Should any doubt exist that the term sr.re i,
his case, means the People in their highest so,s
reign capacity that doubt will be cou,pIet.v remos.d
when IL recollected that in that sense Of the tern
states, the constitution, was submitted In ,La
STATES - in that sense, the Estates" ratified IL ~
~ thu sense OF the term States" they are cor .
tequently parties 10 The compact" from which t,ev
derive their power TO appoint electors of Prssden
sHd wee Fresident: Aad, that in this sense, the
term Z" state" has always been understand NV Vi,
gina will concusveis appear by reference to :" The
Report of the GeueTsl Assembly Of Virpini, nm Tho
Alien aud Sedition Laws, January. 20lh, 1900 and
20 Tie practice Of appointing electors pursued Nv tis
as also ny large majority OF our sister states, ever
States. ~
Having shewn from facts which will not be oues-
Iloned, The right and duty of e People 10 appoint
Electors OF President aud Vice President rs ciii-
@ens o, the nhned states we have right TO require
al TIE People OF the different states that they shall
perform their obig atoms 10 each o,b,, acco,,I,g IN