Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-10-02
From The Constitutional Whig.
THE. PRESENT CRlSIS.-No ..

~ W NhN p'''N'N
be necessary to take a brief review oil some OF
the prominent: facts and incidents connected
with the last canvass for the Presidency. IN
doing This il will be Impossible TO avoid the re-
petition OF some things which may be Already
familiar to many Of my readers, and 10 'hrse, l
must Of Course, appear tedious an! unih'erfS-
ing: but l must neg il TO he understood, 'hat
my sole object in taking up my pen. Is TO IN
s,ruct the ignorant, ard not to-eniighten those
who are as well Informed as myself III all thr
event, and circumstances which led TO the pre-
sen, state Of ,hings.
Among The remarkable Facts tina, belong 20
the history Of the last election, is tie un3rece
dentrd number ofcaudidaies who presented them
selves 10 The people a. competitors for the high
n, izc. No less than sic individuals were nam
ed. either by their fri nds or themselves, not
only as co5nDeienf 10 fill The ,Xa''rd station al
Chief Magistrate, but Us mer'flRg Thai dis,i"t-.
ton by The eminent service, they bad rendried
10 the republic. On no former occasion had
there been more than tUo persons oifrrd' 70 the
cheice OF The people. FINS sudden intrra>e IL
tic number Of competitors for IN Office Of s"c'
dignity and importance, might seem TO 'rsur :
corresponding accession 10 the Catalogue =! o"i
iiius.rious aud worthy c~iIlzenS: but, unIortu
nately, it may be accounted for upon q supposi-
ton less Aal,cring 10 our national pride. Ohi
race Of re, pulmonary worihIes closed lis hrlShi
career with James Monroe. While that race
continued on The stage Of action, the people had
no difficulty in making their selection III rrgu
lar succession. Bui the {, Id Of choice WAS now
extended: no common feeling Of patriotism and
+ Of gratitude united the people upon any p.rti
cular indiv idual: and every man was lcit 10 tie
capricious guidance Of his own partially nr pre-
ludicr.
,, IL this state Of things, il was by no means
i wonderful that vanity, self love, ambition and
The persuasive voice Of Il4tlcrcrs, Should Cnm-
: biue to Call foith numerous III pt iilOrs Tor the
, p ST of honor. Two. OF these aSpircrs,~ however,
, finding from the CANVASS that their Chances oil
T success were smaIl-or rather that a signal and
$ disgraceful defeat must be the crrI.in result Of
| their persisjence-prudeplly Withdrew from ne
, contest before the day Of trial arrived, and ieft
, their respective adheren's Il, liberty 10 choose
among The four, the justice Of whose preter-
, sions seemed 10 be more generally ackno" Ie0g-
, ed. 1T would argue . gross Ignorance OF human
nature, however. To believe that the Withdrawal
, Of these less distinguished prrleudcra, iessenrd
the number Of conflicting interests in the 2lcc-
ton. No man who is compelled by Circum-
stances 10 give up his pursuit Of desirable OBJ
E iec1, can ever cordially assist another to attain
o.. that object, however il may he beyond his own
reach Envy is ,he inseparah!e companion Of
anoilion; and disappointed ambition has no
feeling but for itself. However the TWO candl-
=. dates referred 10, therefore, may have seemed
o. take4 part N tia eiIttger esss ssNfE MAJ rhcfT aid
: vas given rather with u view 10 the GrEai OF
r hres antagonists, IEan 10 the success of that one
5 10 which thcy pruftssed TO attach themselves.
hey could with sincerity Of heart icin in the
/ cAuitatlon that hiree of their rivoIs were discom.
he'd; but their triumph was converted into the
B q - .,.,,N q Il ,.,, -
. ledge that the f0urM was victorious.
Thus II will be seen that, bcsid S the two re-
ilnqaisning, bat sun ambItiou, candidates and
their b4nIs of personal friends, there were four
~dlsiincr parties contending against each o,h-
eF III The efforts 10 win the favor Of The reo.
pie. lbc ma ura' consequence Of hi, was hat
me people D! The United States, distracted bv the
valley ol conflicting claims presented to their
consideration, were unable TO make choice Of q
Prcal"cEl; and II became, By the Constitution,
the duty ct Their Representatives,, in CONGRESS as.
stumbled, 10 select ore for them | say il became
the duty Of The Representatives, of Me peop5c, in
Congress assembled, 10 select d PresidcnI:-for
though the vote III Congress is taken by States.
aud each State has but one vote, yct,lat vote is
given IN the name and behalf Of The VeopR, AMI
not by virtue OF the sovereignty of the State
he whole delegation OF each State, in Con,
gross, Is feSaTden as ONE AGENT OF THE PEOPLE.
and not OF the STATE Sovereignty, which has no
voice in the election. ldwell upon this pecuii-
ar feature Of cur Constitution now, TIA, my
readers may bear IL in mind when hereafter i,
may pc found necessary 10 refer 10 it.
But The constitutions, less intlulgent to The
agents Of me people than to the psopie The mselves,
limits the number, from which they are to make
the selection, TO three; and prcscIb hes the still far
Their restriction that these shall be the three high.
EST on The list of those returned by the electoral
colleges his Constitutional Limitation neces-
sarily shut out one Of The candidates who had
been voted for by The people, and reduced IN.
number OF conflicting Interests in the second
lrlai to three. And here we meet with a,Dthcr
incident IN this election well worthy Of remark.
as being that which, more than any other. laid
the foundation of tha, opposition, which has
since grown into such virplcnce of hostility. a.
gains! the existing administration.
Ii So happnral H., Ia - u