Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-01-14

quentiy leads To an abuse of D, ,ycr prostration
u principie, aid total disregard to the public
VIII It's sincerely TO be desired lat the CON
s.,'uoon OF The United States could be so alter.
Gu asto provide Tor an uniform mode of choosing
electors throughout the union. In such case
the system by districts would no doubt be most
! }udicious. But while the mode is not uniform.
sou''.i poicy seems To require that the choice
Suooio DC Lett to the. people by general ticket
a, ,, IN the most simple and popular shape
"hs2 the rightof suffrage is generally diiiu,ed.
''"d nose who exercise the elective franchise
vote by general ticket, AMI the greatest or
".Siiest number c-o-1,;,ates an election. po,ycr
rs bro 'Sht 10 the people in the most gratifying
ana uhc xc. liable manner. Ever since The
political existence 'h,s state all our elections
nave heen conducted - the praCipie of the
highest number of votes IN al Whole state, Cor
Governor od Licutcnant Governor; - districts,
ior senators and representatives IN con.~cess in.
| cFin.les Tor members Of assembly, aud now -
shcriiis and CLERKS; and i'm towns for supervisors
| assessor clerks, collectors and coustabies and
nv inconvenience has resulted. | therefore
earnestly and respectfully recon mend the pas
sing OF 4 law, committing the choice of electors
10 the people by general ticket, and BY the
greatest number of votes, as Proceeding re-
quirad or The sovereign authority &C the state,
AMI by every consideration which ought 10 gov
ern the conduct oFits legislature. The statute
recently passed. snhmtti-,ss tue ,oosss,s ci,s;eo
te~the sense OF the community at the next aunu
al election, docs not interfere essentially with
this measures: and If it dill, it oneht not to rctard
or prevent its immediate contamination The
voice OF the people OF this subject has been au-
dibly expressed and it was ccrtainly.a work of
supererogation to resort to this process the ten
dency of which will be TO perplex question
sufficiently plain and universally understood. to
postpone due atonement to the violated ma
Jesty OF the people, and to exclude YOU from the
merit oil performing this great duty.n
On the subject of Education, the Message uives
us the following judcious refectinns and valuable
information:
SIN thus improving our social institutions, it
is pleasing TO contemplate their benign inhu-
ence on Individual happiness and general pros
perity; ana TO feel assured that a republican
government may be transmitted, in full purity
ana vIgor, to the remotcst period of time. Even
the troubled de;nocracies of Greece and Italy
with all their deprecated vices, were preferable
To the hateful tyrannias that surrounded them
me forfner were sometimes relieved by emo
bling virtues; but the latter were always en-
gulphed in hopeless debascment. Nuw that
the representative system is well understood
ahd It's capacity to unite liberty and power BY
federal combinations has been successfully tried
IT will be our own fault if its duration prove not
as permanent as its blessings are inestimabIc
In all governments, whether republican or
nonarchloai, tree or despotrc, cupidify and am
hilton will address themselves To the SOVEREIGN
authority for qualifications. In free states these
applications Will OF course be made to the peo-
| pie, who confer either directly or indirectly
Tue honors and emounents of office: and hence
the excItements which arise from the operation
oithese passions. as well as from real differences
OF orinioa. But with all these evils, renublics
still exhibit a decided superiority. Their agi-
tations and attendant mischiels are,nore difused
ani more feeble: and the people who feel u,a;r
influence, have, generally speaking, no induce
nent TO act wrong. 1t Is their interest, as well
as their duty, to select Hlertcriuus officers and
to establish wholesome administration. The
wees of faction, intrigue, Ealschoot- dissi,neIa
Iloh and corruption. are rendered more intense-
~ prohiSate by their concentration round the
person ofthe monarch. His interest, and tl,at
OF his favourites, too often becomes distinct from
that Of the community, and the general welfare
is merged In personal qualifications. A repub
lican government is certainly most congeniaI
with the nature, most propitious to the welfare.
and most conducive to the dignity of our spe.
cies. Man becomes degraded in proportion as
he loses the right of self government Every
chort ought therefore TO be made TO fprtify our
free institutions; and the great buiwark OF secu
rity is to be found in cducation-the culture of
the he'irt and The head-the diffusion of know
ledge, piety, and morality. A virtuous and en-
and 'artuous and enlightened people will never
breathe IN the atmosphere of slavery. Upon
education VIC must therefore rely for the purity
the preservation, and the perpetuation OF repub-
mean government. In tins sacred cause we
cannot exercise too much berality. 1t is idcn
tined with our best Interests in t!,is world, and
with our best destnics in the world to COME
Much indeed has been done, and we have only
10 cast our eyes over the state, and rejoice in
the harvest which ii has already welded. But
much more remains aul ought to be done. And
the following statement is exhibited with view
10 animate you TO greater exertions.
The number ofChildren Taught in our common
schools during the last year exceeds 4O0, 900,
and Is probably more than one fourth of our
whole population. Ten thousand three hun.
dred and eghty-three lave been instructed in
the tree and charity schools III the CITY of New
York, number by no means proportioned TO
the wants OF Its population The students i'm
the Incorporated academies amount to about
1858, and IN the colleges to 755
'FIhe fund for the common schools NAV he
stated at upwards of ,739 900 dollars and its
annual income at $4,000 dollars, to which NAV
be- added the interest on the future sales Of
lands, and on the disposal of escheated proper-
~, the proceeds of which latter item NAV 5e
added to the capital
"tlowevcr imposing this fund NAV appear il is !
sufficiently obvious that it ought TO be augment |
ed. This state is capable of supporting four
Teen millions of inhabitants. This appropria- !
ton will therefore soon be found far behind the |
progressed population, and the acquisitions for
instruction.. Deeply impressed with the mo |
mcntous nature of this department of our social |
policy TO the cardinal interests of the state. | |
cannot withhold one important fact derived from |
fi,,,, . IL