Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-01-26

nv. =, " Aio"aichy, constantly before their eyes
that the apprehensions of EACH are yerv sincs,s,,
iei' Is readily admitted; but on which side lies 49,,
s'ouhd Tor apprehension, is not to be decide, bv
n,eument' but by reference TO the historical FACT
ina, OF the hundred republics which have fouri,bed
"a 'he other hemisphere, in the course of the ,ast
10y centuries, not one is now surviving! All
nave sided into the kingly system, while not a
lican form! 'ss 'NS 4eP9o-
convinced of the impossibilty of removns an.
'e.ensipns which have their foundation in nature
Se' que 10 the cause of popular rights and ~
- o'e'hments, to answer the objections which,
ave oeen urged against tbs election of our Presi
ZEN anu Ice PRESIDENT By direct vote of the peo
PIE Analysing these several objections for the mr.
pose OF exposing their futility' thew are found ,o
resolve themselves into several distinct classes
VIC .irS' OF which springs from the supposed cor
r"P'ion' Ignorance, and violence of the American
people Inc coRnittee would remark. that. in q
pe''oa Oh two thousand years, the friends of the
ne'eaita,y principle have got no further than 10
wy phrases upon these three ideas tn,
address of the Roman Senate TO Oc,av;,. r.
teee"ihg MN TO accept the Imperial dignity. and
tiat oil the french Conservative Senate to the Fi,,
No"sui' begging OF him the same favour are each
sohpos ofnothng bat dyersificaion oftLese tbree
,oeas, supported by an infinty of examples drawn
.to'n 'ae conduct OF elective Governments Mel;
'"s. .hese IDEAS themselves, nor the EXAMPLES
winch support them, have any analogy or anpIc.-
o'y 10 The state OF the lie, ofthe nature of IN,
government, or the condition Of the coun,rv i,
~hich we live. The charge of ignorance can
nave no foundation among people with whom the
aren't OF reading and writing is nearly universal:
h,ciisence IS Kept up TO the progress of The
age by the multiplication and dilvusion of ner,s
papers; whose daily OCCUPATIONS, az citizens
Is daily Improvement Of their mental fscnJ,ie
WIN "hom the institution of schools and COLI
- maxim OF primary policy, and the ed
ueauon OF their children considered as an enSovy
!i.eN' more precious than the richest inheritance
ppm serh people The imputation of ignorance
Is at uniounded aspersion, and will be an aspersion
sui more unfounded in It's application To their nos
.efity. But the imputatioD il not only unrounte5
"" Is even contradictory in the mouths OF those
VINO utter II /; Tor even these admit that the peo
PIE are sufficiently intelligent, 10 choose electors
l'u mat .hese electors are bound TO vote az the
peoie "'fec' 'hem- fiere, then, the theory OF the
Popuiar election Is admitted and TO deny the
p'ae'ice while admitting the theory, to refuse q
ro'e 10 the people IN person, and TO allow il tn
'hein IN The person OF an elector, involves con
uaoic'ion which defeats the objection and exposes
'he eiecior to the suspicion of being wante,l for
purpose which has not been discovered After ali
au"''ine that the mass ofthe people may not be 30
wen informed upon the qualifications of Psesden,ii
candidates, as smaller and more select BODY ,niaht
De, yet Ibis disadvantage is more than compensae.,
ny .he greater disnterestedness of their condition
ana iheir SINCERE desire, growing ont of their obvi
Gus interest, to get the best man for President.
ihe mass oil The people always 90 for their coun
wy Poiiucans, too often for themselves and their
party, and it is believed that there is less danger to be
spPrehended from the honest mistakes of the peo-
PIE, than from the criminal designs of ambition.
pohiicians. But the objection goes TO the root OF
all republican governments. For, ii the people
are incapable OF elecng their own chief magistrate
'ney are 100 ignorant, iactious, and corrupt,
70 make This choice Tor themselves, il results, as
an Inevitable consequence, that there il no other
alternative but TO take refuge under that Providence
winch Is supposed by the friends of the herediiar9
Principie, to provide good Kings for bad people
nat 'HeTe Is any reason to apprehend violence
IN The popular election of President, cannot be adj
mitted. The examples quoted from foreign coun
"les nave no foundation in any thing analogous in
our own, and The idea itself is coniradicied by the
history of all elections among ourselves. Every
foreign example which can be adducod. combines
two great causes of excitement, (to saw nothing of
minor ones the union of which il INDISPENSABLE
Tor The production Of violence, and neither of which
can exist in our Presidential election the FIRST.
de'1ued from Personal intercourse bcf,cee,l
me candidate and The UOterS /; and the sEcoNp.
from the AsSEaIBLAGE Of AI.I.f the rOters ut o,,s
single election ground, on the DAY of election.
Examine the Instances so often referred 10, the e.
lection OF Roman Consul, Of n Polish King Or
even OF sovereign PonliiT /; each will lie found
10 combine these two great causes of excitement
ana no others can tie adduced in which The same
principles OF action do not exit. Compare one Of
these elections, that of Roman Consul as the
iairest ana most opposite with the plan of cleo.
ton Tor the American Pi RESIDENT which tl,. com
mIuee recommend, and observe how completely
one includes, and ie o;hsr excludes the two great
causes H excitement mentioned, and a number Of
minor ones which iniiane their operation. The
candidate for the Roman Cons1lship was bound bv
o custom, III the early ages oil the Republic, aul
oy law IN the later, 10 appear in person, aud
canvass Tor the Office, face TO face with all tlre
voters Treats and entertainments were not oulv
allowed, but expected and required. Besides stand
ing, on public days, uroo the highest places in tho
forum and the markei, he was bound at rertain in
teTvais 10 cIfcumhinbuls,e the city, in all the forms
OF regular canvass. The Vomp and circumstance
oil THIS display were emineB;ly calculated TO act
upon the iuasinatiOns and to- iniamc the PASSIONS
OF Tie people. Every circumstance, calculated to
produce effect was carefully selected and skilfuIv
arranged, beforehand. The day was chnsen with
careful regard TO lie state Of the weather and the
convenience OF the public. On The morning of thsc
day, an immense crowd assembled at the house o!
the candidate, made him their sslutations and Coz
Quoted bin TO the Capitol, amidst the loudcsl ac,
clamaiions. There the procession was formed,
and The canvsfs regularly opened. The Candidate
on foot, srayed IN The Ipga Candida, comnenc-
ed his RECOMMENDATION al tie city follow Ell by bis
Sectotorcs, .SODicHcidforeS, INTERPRETERS, Uipi-
sores, SeqDestres and all The crowd besides, which
interest and curiosity could collect ~ fbe metropo-
lis OF the world. An open dress allow ed linn q,
display the scars OF wounds which lac had received
in battle the manners of the age permitted hintiu
recount the exploits which himself and his ances-
tors had performed, aud 20 point out the services
which they had rendered 10 the state. In this form
every street. and square, and suburb Of the city,
,yas yisitet citizen saiufed h,, ,,,.,a