Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-02

according TO their sovereign will Po .suNeges,
ches, indeed, propose to circumscr;hs ,h oFan-
Or OF the states in the Presidential elsu ,ae pow
taken together, would destroy their vs." ant
ence, SO Tar as the Executive Denar,n,o!! exist
national government is concerned Thaua Tue
therefore, every thing in the proposition ,'e Is,
DER II hateful to the real friends of state rem
Yet, no sooner did Gen. Jackson annourcas gus ~.
the adoption of,his principle subver,jna mat
consolidating amendment, might poss 3i a'a'e
his promotion, than committee of the g., aa
with Col. Benton at their head, all the o.. ?.rate,
'friends of state rights" rallied to HI. 'o'~Saat
Indeed the talent of enforcing discinlnss upPoFt.
& implicit obedience from, his lollowers. among
distinguishes Gen. Jackson, has, in no ;, ns
been more conspicuously displayed than !" INC,
at his command, the whole of his adha,' uS
Gncluding the awkward squad under NJ I Nc r
and Kremcr,) wheeled about, with the rrnn,1
ilude and precision of veteran troops and I ""i
termarched the whole line of their n,I GGIH,
course, treading under foot the prncinIes w."
protested, and destroying all the political Lazy
marks hitherto held sacred. 'A"a'
Some of the sincere friends of State rieh,.
have entertained fears that the states ss S" aS
vereigns, have conceded too much in the PeJs
raj Constitution, to the representative nrirc;aI,
which they honestly fear will tend to consoIIs
ton. Their struggle has, therefore. conS,nI.
been, to prevent the apprehended evil BY nv.
serving to the states, uaimpared and invioi,,s
all the powers reserved to them They h,r,
uniformly exerted themselves 10 prevent the q,
emulation Of power in the General Cover
ment, or the diminution in that of the stats
either by construction or additional exnres,
provisions in the onstitution-certainly nons
have hitherto desired change, by which tha
power Of the states should be impaired This
consolidating project owes its origin, exch-
sively, to the mscaled "peoples men," They
would deprive the states Of the power Of az
pointing electors, TO vote in the first instance.
and to destroy :heir present equality as sovereign
states, on a second trial-so that the small
states "may stand for nothing" and "the cleo.
lion of President be given, absolutely and IN.
conditionally, to the powerful states" Yet
they are bold enough to call themselves excr.
siveIv the friends of state rights
To render the proposed innovation more &C.
ceptable, and at the same tune to support the
pretcnce to the appelalion of "people's men"
claimed by the authors, it is proposed to dis
continue the use of electors, and commit the c.
lection TO the direct vote Of the people. This,
it will be seen, possesses little or no substance,
and certainly is too weak 20 carry its compa-
Mons The election is now virtually in the
people; they choose electors, who are previous
ly pledged 10 vote for particular candidate,
* never fail 10 redeem their pIedges;they are but
the organs through which the expressed voice
Of the people is conveyed to The seat OF Govern.
ment. All the benefits, therefore, proposed by
the alteration, are now substantially enjoyed
mere difference in fol- m will certainly not autho'
rise an intermeddling with the constitution
There is, also, a difficulty growing out OF the
plan proposed, in case Of no choice on the hrs!
trial. Col. Benton Cor rather Gen. Jackson
proposes 10 refer the election back to the people,
limiting their choice, however, to the two high
est of those voted for; but waving all othe? Oh
iections, (and there are many TO which ms eA'
pedient is obnoxious,) it ISLANDS condemned as
another attempt to abridge the freedom "i
choice, by requiring voters to give their suHr%-
ees, not for the man in their opinion most wor'
thy and best qualified; but for one OF two having
the highest number Of vo,es-to use the Iah'
guage Of Col. Benton, against similar pFoP'
sition, in 1924; "the range of selection was n'',
rowed one half by the amendment OF 1905, sa
now it's proposed to take away the right aNF
gether" :
COL Berton, in his speech Of 1924, aIrsay
referred to, says, "there are positive advantages
in referring the election to The House OF Repre-
sentatives: it is safer depository of The ele'
tive privilege than any other body OF equal mum
bers which exists at this time, or can be cIe"''
ed under the constitution" eff is sad, 'na'
there may be some bad material in the aouSei
| will ask for the body of equal numbers u
which there is SO little? And will malo'1"
that the House of Representatives has ever 0''.
now is, and while the republic lives, mus' w.
tinue 10 be, for talent, for integrity, and Tor e.
walton Of character, the first body oil men, o..
quail numbers, which either exists IN our 70 owl
any other country in the void g.
mind, therefore, there is no place more sl' ne
depositing The right of the States to deeio, No.
Presidential election, than the House Is iii.
mark the change: In 1925, after his ft0o"; .,i
alton with Gen. Jackson, and the chiei1 r',,nr,
dictated the course to be adopted by MS o", =.
crs, the same distinguished gentleman ho'u, ,;on
following language: at becomes 4u.,%d
which addresses itself to the mind and ne4,'
every lover Of his country, whether |V"S n
(meaning the House of Representatives, lv Lois
snjeiy trusted with the choice OF Chle' vs."
trate of this great and growing rePaonSJ' he.