Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-03-11

l -
ing tendency which might be developed in III
sam'nisiration OF the General vernment. Tb
the design, as profound, Mr.. A repea
esu' A. " was salutary, which had dictated the ar
.sngement OF this part of the Constitution lin rela
uon 70 which the gentleman from South CaroIin
policy. ~ Ao 'A'e''e''a
ne gentleman had dilaied much on the al,strac
ncougrui'y presented by our system in the absenc
OF hxed and consistent regulation on this subiec,
% ihe election OF federal officers in those respects
"a regard to which an influence had been confide
10 ue state Jurisdiction. Arguments of merel,
abstract Character had little weight with Mr.. AR
cher, The gentleman had been in error. however
asn appeared TO Mr.. Archer even. in the specu-
la''ve reasohlngs on which he founded his conclu
s'on: ne had relied with great confidence ON tn
po|ohs mat, IN relation to the circumstances al
iuaea to. there must be method entitled to pre-
terence over every other, which ought. ON tina
account to be uniformly established, and fixed on
OASIS oil permanence, by constitutional repul,,ion
: nus posuion and its differences, Mr. Archer ven.
'a'ed 10 controvert. He was of opinion that me-
n'e'non was entitled to inv aiable preference If
'ea'on TO The matters referred to- and that if Their,
were. II did not follow that il ought to be estab
iished uniformly, or made permanent by the fo,c,
"a constitutional regulation. AS respected III,
eon'o' given to the States, over the time, place
sentatives, the proposition would not be contested
thal varying regulation was required, nor thar nh,
.ae authorities were the best qualified 10 introduc,
H. ihe argument might be exempiified in relatio,
10 the oral or ballot modes of the exercise of
rage. An an abstract view, that mode of the ex.
ercise OF the highest attribute of ssvereion,v
which, by its publicity, was suitedto the characle e,
" Inc act must be preferable to mode, in which
Juice was exercised sarreptously, as if its cha
iac'ss were clandestine. Fet we had the assurance
OF gentleman here, that there were narts of on,
country in which the independent exercise of inf
rage would be entirely subverted bv the esclnsion
o. TINS ballot mode. MISUNDERSTANDING his oyn
'iAed prediiection Tor the oral mode Mr.. A was
nos prepared to controyert the correctness of this
>'"emeht, anu still less to insist on the neremn
,oiy enforcement OF the mode for WHICH he in.
ouised preference in all the States; whour refer
ecs 10 Their varieties of social habitude aad cond
uon. Enough such enforcement were not intrin
s'ca'iy oiameaole, 1t would become so, in refer
" Puoic opinion, which was not 10 be out
rssed III Tree State. rom compliance with specu.
iative refinement. The uniform establishment, of
, IN, oral mode oil voting, would be RECEIVED with
a'ssus' ana feseatment in some States, and the bal
~. 'hooe IN others with 70 less decisive sentiment
81 Reproduction Then neither mode ought To he
''s'eheo ON all the States indifferently, and fixed
by constitutional regulation.
hiF, archer proceeded TO argue 10 the same CON-
"a Islation TO the qualifications of the EIee-
tors OF the fouse of Representatives and President
winch were submitted to Stare jurisdiction BIZ the
constitution. Although peculiar qualification.
9e salu' m'ght appear, in all ciroumstan pre
IeraDie 10 every other, the freehold ouaIifica-
hon dd to him; yet il did not follow tina, il yvould
De proper 10 Impose it under all circumstances in
opposition TO revolving public opinion; as woke
on every State, and to render it irremoye bv
constitutional regulation.
Ihe argument was the same, he said, in reference
70 'he erection OF the immediate electors of the
President, by the several modes of distric, or
general ticket system: CiIcumsta nces miybt he
stated IN which diversities of interest and opinion
among the several parts of State, might reuuire
% De expressed by the operation Of the district
system. Its establishment, in such circumstances
might be no less exped than equitable Bpt CAGES
might also be presented of States distracted no; Inv
Teconciiesbls dversities Of Interest. but of uncom
promising and factions opinion, in which the one
a"Vh VI qisuict system, on an even number of
votes, would digest all participation i'm the eec,i
Of a President Rhode Island with -four vote, -
Virginia with twenty -four, might be adduced as
examples. Would it be no evil as resnec,sd .L
smaller oil these States, in reference to sentiment,
Oh just PRIDE or oil patriotic devotion wauId il
be no EVIL as respected the large States, in refer
snce to the strength and efficiency of the pene,aI
these States should he nlsced
or series OF elections, out of the pale of one of
me most important functions of the system, which
them! And were such results OF practical
ana sensible mischief to be hazarded for the sake
of mere speculative refinement, on the sv,p,ne
sy of the Constitution Then the system of vo,
ng Tor tie election of the President by districts
ought not TO be esta, iished sniformIyt
bat supPposing this system admit ed by unifor,,
adoption, still less did II follow, that il would be
proper give 1.-THE pernanence of Constitutional
equation. 1t had been already seen. thu, con,,oi
'ver the mode of the election of the President had
'een given tor wise purposes to the State autbo,i
les, as an instrument of efficient and sauary ac
hhsnt But 'dfjrifet ijsneAf tBh6eanaSsI GS,asa,
lnaierable, this control was at an end If dis
riot system were recognized, either by conve-
Hence opinion, il in the competency of
he States by the present plan OF the Constitution,
o adopt 1t. Bus their main faculty OF cont rol on
he administration oil the General Govern ment
consisted jn the power OF departure from this sys
EN-. as exigency required, to be enabled 10
brow collected and decisive impetus on the un-
djusted and ysciatng lever of the election of
President The State might diffuse and spread out
he members OF its power, IN relaxation, but no
.1anacle most prevent its collecting and drawing
Up this strength, when the season Of ec ent action
m 'ended, and the blow for pubic safety was re-
,ured 10 be struck.
His friend from South Carolina had been right,
hen, in affirming, Mr.. Archer said, that the true
in the present discussion, was net be-
tween the district and the general ticket systems
but between the district system and the subsisiing
plan Of the Constitution, or, that was TO say, in
other words, az the gentleman had expressed il, =,
between the district system, and the faculty Of vio-
lent and arbitrary change, from one Of these sys-
tens to the Other, on the part Of the State Coycrn~
inents. Mr.. a accorded his unreseryed assent 10
the correctness OF this siater1ent OF the question
He admitted that the Comparison was between the
value OF the district system and tho value of this
q a,d ,.yb.t