The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-04-05
IContinued.1

tive TO the choice OF PRESIDENT and vice.
President.
Continued
But, sir, the gentleman argued, that this was
not only the most important function in the
Constitution, hut that it wasa function III
which the Constitution had completely failed.
This regarded, not only as All erroneous pro-
position, but as wholly al variance with anoth-
or proposition in subsequent part Of the gen-
tleuIan's argument, which was, il did not
misunderstood him, that all the Presidents
whom WE have had, with one exception, were
the ablest and best men which the county
afforded, and were really the choice Of the
people. Now, sir, we have had ten Presden-
tial elections; they have resulted, the gentle
man says, with one exception, in the election
Of the ablest and best men, each of whom was
the choice oil the people; and that exception,
If | understood his aiusion, was OF ali individ-
ual, who, beginning with President Washing
ton, and coming down, has received the high
est marks OF confidence, and has been placed
10 the most responsible stations, by all those
abest and best men ; and this the gentleman
calls complete failure. | call it complete
success. beg leave TO tell the gentleman that,
ii ne expects, by au amendment OF this Con-
stltution, or by neW Constitution, III this or
any other country, to the end OF time, TO
get a government, that will! not be found TO
taIl al least once in ten times, in its practical
operation, he will be disappointed. result
like this, stretching over our whole history,
and giving US the ablest and best men OF the
country, in succession, with single excep-
ton, and that exception made by political
opponent, which, Il know the gentlenan's
candor will permit me to add,) detracts some
thing from its weight such result. say, is
perfect success, unexampled success, glorious
success and ] would not alter letter IN the
Consul uiiou III the hope oil attempting hap
pier operation.
In respect TO the controversy, which forms a
leading part OF the honorable gentleman's ar
sument, tie alternative Of The general ticket
and district system, | have not much to say f;
the rather, as conceive the practical opera
ton OF the Two systems to come nearly TO tile
same thing. say this Oh grounds OF reason
mig, and am not aware that there is any
thing in experience To bring us 20 different
conclusion. The two systems, in The long
run, rlu$t come to the same thing. On the
general ticket system, supposing At to be UNI
iofiply adopted throughout the United States,
the unrepresented mlnorIties would be baarc-
ed by each other; or, an other words, the InI-
noTity, whose voice is not heard III one state,
on one side Of the question, will DC balanced
bJ the minority, whose voice is not heard, III
another state, on another side oi the question.
On the district system, tie same result would
take place. The minority represented III the
electoral colleges, on one side OF the question,
ia one state, " ouid he balanced and oeins
balanced, would be neutraiized, by the minor-
ly represented in another stale, on the Other
side OF the question and therefore, IN then
practical operation, there would be very iiltie
10 choose between the two systems.
grant to The gentleman from South Carroll
ma that diversity, in this respect, is an evil.
1t is an evil that one state should appoint It's
Eli ctors in one way, aid another State III
another way. admit that this as an evil ior
which remedy is desirable though do not
know, il no other remedy could be applied,
whether il would be expedient (.i 1t were
competerO 20 us TO alter the Constitution for
this purpose. But the gentleman himself tells
us there is another remedy. lie says that, as
the Constitution now is, without any alteration,
the States will all be led to adopt the general
ticket system. What more do We want, as
far as uniformity gees? Ii the States will all
adop: the general ticket system, without amy
amendment to the Constitution, then the only
evil which admit to exist, is medcd tor |
maintain that it is no evil that the general
ticket system should prevail over the district
sy stem because, in their practical operation,
they must come TO the same result. In the
few uI.~.yations, therefore, which have to
make on this part OF the gentleman's arsu-
ment, desire TO be understood not so much
as being opposed to the district system, as
wishing to show that some of those inconven-
fences which the gentleman traces to the gen
eral ticket system, are equally incident to the
district system, and that others flow, not from
this or that system, but from human nature it.
self, and are evils insoparabe from any kind
of choice.
The first argument by which the gentleman
supported the amendment, which goes to in
troduce the district system, is, that, as the
Constitution now stands, we have no Constitu-
tonal provision at. all. The gentleman even
said that, on this subject, we have no Consti-
tuition. In other words, because the Constitu-
ton gives to the States a discretion on this
poalt, and because the States have exercised
this discretion differently in different States,
and at different times in the same State, we
have, therefore, no Constitution. But this is
confounding Constitutional provision with Con-
stltutiondl Iesuiction. iniS proposition is At
war with the substantial principles OF all our
Institutions; with that principle which lies at
the basis of this entire Republic, 10 throw
back on the States as much OF the detail OF
the system as is possible. There is as much
Constitution here, sir, as in the other most i'm
portant functions of the Government. There
is as much Constitutional provision for the
choice of electors. as for the choice of the
,k.nen &c h. al
it suggested there was no Constitutional pro-
vision TO fill these benches. they do certain
ly get filed without much difficulty; aud the
People are as well satisfied that they hav We the
power TO Gil them, as they would be il there
we're Constitutional provision that prescribes
the mode. We have tho power to alter the
laws passed by the States, regulating the
time, place, and manner OF choosing Repre-
IL