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

t;,,n Are thew not of the same order OF beings,
possessed of the same capacities nearly or quite as
we'll Informed. more deeply interested IN the well
are Of thelr county, and infinitely furtner
from the operation of indirect causess Are 'ney
not in fact the identical persons who are greeted
with the appelation Of Sovereign, whose Wills ao
mted.to be the source Of all power aud whose nap
pines, IS proclaimed to be the end OF all govern
ment? Then, with what face can we turn upon
these people and tell them that they are incapable
OF exercising the only attribute OF sovereignty when
they have ever claimed-that OF election !
The existence of slavery in some parts OF the con
federation is supposed, by some, to present an IN
superabe obstacle TO the plan OF amendment pro.
posed by the committee. In the opinion OF these
persons, the operation Of the direct vote will involve
the loss Of the qualified votes which they now give ior
their black population. Such aoud undoubtedly be
the effect, il the plan Of the committee was the same
which It was understood by many to be, plan Of
consolidation, in which all the votes oil all the States
were to be collected into general return and the
election decreed 10 him who had majority OF The
whole Such plan would work an injury not only
to the slave holding States, but IN greater or less
degree, 10 almost every State in The Union; for the
qualifications Of the voers differing in each, some
prescribing freehold possession, some the payment
of tax some residence of few months, others oil
a year, and others again the privilege OF universal
suffrage it would thence result that the same mass
of population would yield, in different States. very
UNEQUAL nun yer oil votes. But The plan OF he Com
mi,tee is not one of consultations; il dlstulbs no
principle oil relative weight among the States now
Gxed in the Constitution; each will give the same
number q: Presidential votes with, or without the
amendment The States will be divided into dis
trcts the manner as It tor the choice OF
electors. The qualified voters will then vote lo' a
President and Vice President instead OF voting tor
an elrctor, and The persons having the highest mum
Der OF votes for these offices, respectively VIII be
considered as elected in the district and entitled to
count one vote To the result, it will be wholly
immateria whether district containing given
number OF souls, say 10000, shall possess one thou
sand or FIVE thousand qualified voters. The State
will have its number Of Presidential votes, and the
people Of each district will give each vote according
TO their own sense Of their own interest. The for.
NATION Of the districts, aud the qualifications OF the
voters and the regulations Of the elections powers
of essential Importance the Sates and most capa
Bile III being properly exercised BY them, are LETT to
the States respectively. Thus the plan OF the com,
miltee Avoids all questions growing out OF the exis-
tence of slavery III some States, he various qualif.
cations Of 10 others, and presents not single
objection, which would no, apply with equal force TO
the choice OF electors by districts
Considering these several objections as ehectual.
.y disposed Of there still remains an argument to be
answered, which demands from all the friends Of
our present forms OF governments the most respect
full and deliberate consider alton. 1t is one which de-
rives itself from sacred regard Tor the rights Of ht
States, and from an apprehension that The commit,
tees plan Of amendment will tend TO produce that
consolidation of this league OF republics which every
friend of liberty must deprecate and oppose, II
such indeed TO be the effect OF their amendment
and the com mtee could be made sensible of il, the
would be the first TO oppose that plan OF election
which they ave now recommending with SO much
esrnestness Far from looking with indifference
upon that Jealous spirit oil ate rights which feels
alarm az The slightest noise Of encroachment, they
regard II as a spirit of happest omen worthy OF be
Ing respectfully treated, generously cherished, ant
carefully kept alive, The preservation OF the State
Governments, such as they lett themselves wher
they gave up part Of their powers to compose thi:
Federal Government is not only necessary to tht
wellbeing OF the people within those States, but il
indispensable to the continuation Of the Federal Gov
eminent itself 1t they are broken down, or mate
rally weakened, the Federal Government mus
Cease to be what il is. must be broken down also ant
recomposed under some new and infinitely stronger
form. In all its operations in defence oil liberty,
in all its contests with foreign powers the govern
ments OF the States can give the most efficient ait
10 the government of the confederation and if ,h
latter should undertake any thing against the lives
liberties, or property of individuals the State Gov
ernments alone competent to check the encroach
mcnt, and give protection to the rights of the citi
zen. They are the best directors Of all the power
which were reserved TO the States in the convention
Of 1857 and if the time shall ever come when thes
reserved powers shall fall into the hands OF III
Federal Government. and be exercised by me mber
Of Congress drawn from all the States the fate O
the weaker members and smaller sections OF tn
confederation may be read in the history OF all tn
contederacies which ancient modern times hay
produced: tyranny and oppression ON the part q
the strong; misery md degradation on the part c
the weak; burtheus unequally Imposed, benefit
unequally divided an The most Unjust DEGREES en-
forced with arms and penalties! Such is the fright
full picture which the history OF all such confedera
nd lro ,xb;