Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-25


!. under the imposing sanctions of religion, the,
. aaoPted amuch more etfectual means Of rendering
'nnorai, py providing a regulated mode OF
> medying ITS 'imperfec,ions. Il is thus that the
fundamental laws of the Republic withou, the vio-
i 'e'Ie ana oiood that have marked the rev outona-
y '"roes Oh other countries, can be gradually and
Pe|ceaoiy accommodated to the successive changes
anu progressive impro eients of the social system
al ''eihS 10 lay the hand of reformation upon the
sensrated fabric OF the Constitution, feel sus-
'aihed oyfthe consciousness that ara doing no.
ui'he more than The members OF the Con venlion
oa4u themselves do, had itspleased Providence
.nat they should have lived to paricipate in the
deiioe atoms of this day. I shall proceed. there
,o!e, without either supers,itious awe on the one
'u' or uhoecoming irreverence, on the other, TO
eAPose The existing defects of he Constitution and
10 indicate what believe TO be the appropriate
s re'neay And here distinctly admit, that, be
.o'e can expect any member OF the committee 10
'o'e LOT proposition involving G. fundamental
e.aSe IN the Constitution, am, upon every prin-
p'e OF sound reasoning, bound TO establish the
l''e OF the proposition. Ii is our propitlous
.oi.uhe 10 exist under government that has in The
n''"' answered all the great eu,s for which GOV
.'"'"en's are Instituted Enjoying, in fact, sys-
VI regulated liberty, more perfect in its pas,
operations than any which has heretofore .yis ed
IN tie world, it is the part of wisdom to abstain
from change, until the actual existence or threat
demonstrated. '
The first branch of the resolution we are consi-
oeiinS declares the expediency of establishing n
system OF voting, By districts, Tor lie
Pres'dent and Vice President I3v adver,inr for
'aohen', 10 the existing provisions of The Con
S,"uuon, on this SUBJECT, il will be perceived thar
Tue important operation of electing the two Chief
executive officers of the United States is NOT reo,
rated oy any Constitutional rule tuhoteper. The
onS.'.u'ion' by declaring that each State shall
! fNa
Ippo'n, u'e electors, In such manner the Legis-
'u'e 'hereoi may prescribe puts an al
negative upon the idea of fixedness and ,e,,,,
hehce, when essentially enter into the eIs,,en,,,
ho'ioh OF constitutional regulation Uitferen, r,Ie.
ihe'"l L. the same State differ ent times and in
-" ''a'es at The same time, all liable 10
ne ch'nsed according to the varying views and
.i.'1" ing fortunes OF political parties. Il NAV be
assumed as political axiom, tina, those crea,iya
aG.s oi popular sovereignty which bring the ma
chne OF government into existence and mn, :, il
'"o'ioh' ought 10 be placed beyond tue mower of
any legislative control whatever The reason :,
obvious This superior stability of the lundanen
''i IA" Is essential 10 protect the rights of the mi
oy rom me injustice aud oppression of the ma
JoritS. All experience proves thai is in the ve
nature oil political parties to leel power anil f
| gel neht. The end which every party proposes
Hseii' as tie object OF its united effort * po,ver
:" e pursuit oil ms OBJECT, the majority lose that
sense OF Justice which should protect the rights of
'he weaker party. They easily persuade them
'e'te, 'ha' the good OF the country will be pro-I
NOTED by excluding their opponents from MOVE,
and, under The deiusive belief that tbev are ,,;
eu oy patriotic motives, they commit the ,,os, 40
gram acts OIL outrage upon the minority VIVA, sir
mas oeeh our own experience on the subject, Some
VI ,ee" years ago, the dominant party in the
S'a'e "i massachusetts, made artificial arranpe-
nen' VI TIE districts, so az to exclude the minority
from power almost completely a. the cb,nos
he ticl-a
nave done ii. After the Individual beI;aye
VINO was principally instrumental in briosne, ahou,
'his scheme oil party tyranny, it is known over he
""''e Chtqh ny the name OF the GeyrUg9andeyj,e
system. The People were reused TO inJienation
io' only IN Massachusetts, but throughout the II
Choer hVeiy sense OF The injustice and
oppression OF this proceeding, and of perbans
some analogous occurrences In other States ,bo
proposition for establishing uniform dis,rict sv.
tenn OF voting for the electors of Presiden, 10
brought forward by North Carolina ST.
winch, to her other claims to Consideration in the
Union, adds stediast and uniform adherence 10
SOUND republican principles This proposi,ion u,os
coheurred Ia by large majority ofth Legislatures
o. 'he states, and, amongst the rest, two of the
largest States in the Uniop, New York and yir
s'Hia, adopted II by an almost Unanimous vo,e of
their respective Legislatures
But an argument in favor of the proposed amend
ment' results from the obvious propriety ofestab-
'''f"6' no' olly q permanent, but an uaifor,u
system OF vcung for the President in ali the
States 1t is not merely for the sake of Cons,itn-
.'ohai symmetry, that this uniformity is desirable
OUT IL Is indispensable to the existence of that poI
lcai justice which is the bond and cement If our
Union. 10 illustrate the nature and extent Of tb.
EVIL, growing out of want OF uniformity in tho
modes OF voting in different States will STATE
case which, Sc far from being extreme will prob,
ny occur at the very next Presidential election
u 'n's amendment be not adopted. New York has
established the District SYSTEM Virginia s,ilI al
heres TO the GeneralTicket system. ,s,ns s',s'
pose the People of New York entitled ro ,bir,,-
SIX electoral votes for President To- be divided H.
opinion between two rival candidaes in The p,o-
poruon oil nineteen TO seventeen: The res,,I,
would bs, that she would give nineteen votes to
one Candidate and seventeen TO his opponent leav
ING majority OF two votes only, in favor of the
candidate who stood highest in her confidence LET
us now suppose the People OF Virginia entitled 10
twenty-four votes, to be divided in opinion bet,yaen
the two rival candidates, in the proportion NJ III,
teen TO eleven. Voting by the General I'ic,e,
she would give the UhOte Of the electoral votes ~
the State 10 her favOrIte candidate Ii Is thus
apparent that New York, voting by districts, would
exert only one-twelith part of the poyer an ,b
election Of the President, that Virginia. voting bv
the general ticket, would exercise when. in ,toi,
of fsea, the People of Virginia were as much d.
yIded IN opinion, between the competing candi- |
dates as The People Of New York The oross
and papable injustice Of permitting such STAG
OF things 10 onCnue must be apparent 10 everv
one. 1t IS not in the nature Of things that sny
State cen long submit TO such political inequality
However striking the superiority of the district
system my be considered by fhe People. what /
ever may be hs intrinsic excellence, all the States
must abandon II, and establish the general ticket
system, ia seit'defence, unless we establish uni
81.