American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-01-31

had france. but IN league vi NsPuoi.est vs..
rup,on, cowardice, or treason Of the metropolitan
Civ could not affect the safety Of the remo.er mem
bers of the confederation. The mother capital might
open her gates to foreign enemy, or bend her neck
to the yoke Of domestic master, but other Clues
would remain capitals of powerful States, the seats
of organized Governments, mistresses oil armies
forts and arsenals, and deriving supplies from
regular system of revenue. To these the friends OF
liberty could resort and arm again for the renewal
of the CONTEST instead Of flying 10 foreign shore 10
die in despair. Brutus and Cato need not 10 nave
fallen upon their swords if they had had such points
Of retreat; the revolutions in Paris might not have
lost the Republic, nor its capture, The Empire, II
the Girondists in '95, and the wrecks OF the armies
in 1914 could have found in the Departments OF
The Rhone and the Loire. Virginia or New ORR
to have received and sustained the faithful trends OF
France Thus deeply impressed with the evils OF
consolidation, and looking 10 the preservation OF Inc
State Governments as equally necessary 10 the wei
being of their own citizens, and to the perpetua'ioh
Of the general liberty cannot be supposed that The
Committee have Willingly proposed any thing whieh
tends to produce the evil which they deprecate win
so much zeal and sincerity. sui, It is the opinion
Of some, that the rights oil the States Will be ehda
eered by the, adoption Of the Committees plan OF
amendment the Committee think Otherwise here
then is difference between those who have com
mon object IN view, and to decide it. the points IN
issue must be fairly stated and candldly examined
These points are:
list, The supposed diminuton OF power in the
State, to choose between the legi.lative the gen
eral ticket and the district modes OF election.
I'd, In the supposed diminution of the power
Of the State in concentrating her strength IN those
elections.
Sd, In the supposed tendency Of the direct vote
towards the consolidation OF all the States
These being the points Of objection, the question
10 plainly presented whether they amount IN reality
TO any encroachment upon the rights OF the States
or contain any Of those tendencies towards consol
dation which have been imputed to them. But,
before proc eeding answer this question, il is ne
cessary 10 fix precise ideas to several terms which
are the very hinges OF the question itself ESTATE
RIGHTS -SovEREIGNTY OF THE STATES, arc
the terms referred 10 BY some, who use these
terms the General assembly Of the Safe is consd-
cred as the State ITSELF possessed OF all its rights
and Sovereign powers; by Others, The Executive
officers of the State Government are held to be the
Stdte and to have the posse sslon during their con
tnuance in Office, Of the rights and sovereignty OF
the State; by others again, the Senators and Re
in Congress from Safe, are suppos
ed TO represent the ,ereigE,y Of the State ITSELF
and TO hold 10 their hands, for the time being, the
anne high rights and sovereign polcers. All these
opinions are held to be erroneous, and, without &C
cumula,ing authorities and quotations. il may be
laid down in brief and plain language, that the
QUALIFIED VOTERS Of State, - the exclusion o.
the General Assembly, the Executive officers and
the members Of Congress, Constitute the SovE-
REIGNTy If the STATE, and hold its rights in their
hands Who these qualJted raters shall be, de
ponds upon Themselves, through their representa-
lives in Convention. or General Assembly, to say
but whosoever they may be-, whether freehoIders.
house holders, holders Of property at all they
hold in their hands the rights and sovereignty Of
the state, and all the public officers nothing
more than their servants. The members OF the
General Assembly, the members OF Congress, and
the Executive officers, are nothing but agents for
the real soveregns, confined TO the exercise of del
egated powers, and become mere usurpers if they
presume TO exc cise the powers OF sovereignty.
From these positions, It results that these agents
eay lose part Of their powers, not only without
diminishing the sovereignty OF State, bu; in reali.
" to produce the effect OF increasing that sovereign
ty by so much as is taken from the servants and
restored to the master. This is believed to be the
exac, case which Is now presented Tor decision in
the point Of objection first stated The STATE Lpgis-
latures possess the right to say, whether cleo
tors shall be chosen by districts, or by a general
ticket; and some of them, without establishing a
clear right, exercise lhe privilege OF choosing the
electors themselves BY the proposed amendment
it is admitted, as objected that these several powers
will be taken from the Legislature, and that uni
form mode Of voting by districts will be substituted
which they cannot change But, so far from admit
ting that the sovereignty Of the State loses any thing
by this operation, the direct reverse is maintained
the servants only being the losers, while the real
sovereigns gain For is not to be questioned, but
that the district system gives the faresl play to
every voter, and the fullest effect to every vote
it be denied that it conforms the intention oil
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pendent vote 10 every elector, instead of consoli
dated vote TO the college Of electors, governed by
majority, manifesty intended that each mass Of citi
zens, entitled to choose elecor, should have the
right Of disposng OF one vote according 10 their own
sense OF their interest. 1t is fact, of hstor