Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-01-01

tnof OF tncu possessing Tue means OF excrtfS
due influence. What csa be more unequal than
that, in an election to be made by the People, ono
81 the candidates already wieds the whole power
and resources ofthc Government:
!. il shall be SAID tina man elected will have
;hen the means OF rewardiug his supporters, re-
Yty. Let each possess that chance equally. But
Che President, being candidate, has already the
means OF rewardinS his iIeuS3. hus John Adams,
alter his rejection by the People, appointed many
Officers. six OF whom were members oil Congress,
have said that election should be fair appeal
:, the uuiniluence3 judsme mt Of the People. How
~tan the election be fair, when the business Of thr
hdministrs;iOn draws into lis service some hun.
red presses, which exercise en- immense iniiu-
f-ce over the public mind! understand that
singie Office OF the Cove rnnept takes fioin %
presses, no less than $50 ne srapers.
Although that respectable aud powerful body Of
mem The officers of the United States, can never
he neutral when the President is a candidate; vet
between men, hot possessing power. they
will divide like other citizens, aOd viii not, rs
class, be :'angctous How can il be expected ina,
ihey will vote freely, and nuiniluenced, " hen
their salaries, perhaps their whole income, de-
ponds on the pleasure U. one of the candidates
IL the Chief Magistrate OF Nation, by wha,c.
yer tile he may be distinguished, shall come, :
" candidate, before that People over whom he
rules with powerless private citizen us his oppo
nent, !air d>passionatc election is not 10 be ex
pec;ed. 1t true this great influence has been
twice overcome in the United States; but that
neither proves that the i fiucnce does not ex-
opposi,ios had il III their power, both Of those
occasions, to bring forward extraordinary inen.
No one but Thomas Jefferson could have defeated
.hc first Adams. No one but Andrew Jackson
could have defeated the second. Such il the aj
vantage OF possessing power.
Sir, when private men only candidates, the
election will not affect the honor, the peydre, OF
the tranquility OF the nation or The j0trness n
elections. ltwould not, iii the year past have been
asked as a test, in every State election, whether
che candidates were in favor OF Jackson or Adams,
had not that question been of the import as
another; "are you for or against the present Admi
nistration OF the Federal Government. One par
", perhaps, conceived that they were called upon
Ivy their yalty TO the Government 60 support the
administration. The other party conceived that
their sacred regard for the rights and liberties OF
the People required that they should aid in put.
ting down the Administration. n % man, or set of
men, could possibly have produced the same ex.
ertion and excitement, had the two candidates
beenprivaie citizens. appeal 10 gentlemen 10
say, whether the lac Presidential canvass has not
produced state OF political hostility and proscTip
ton, unknown in their respective States Tor 90
years?
Should you, by an amendment to the Con:titu-
Ncn, deny TO the President reelection, he will
have motive 10 attempt either 10 silence or cor
rupt the People. He will regard the highest OBJ
lect OF his ambition as already obtained and con-
.ider that nothing remains tor him, but so to de-
mean himself 10 the lasting esteem of
his country. Say, then TO every future President,
=" Let your only design be TO secure your future
fame, and the happiness OF your fellow citizens"
Let the President be under necessity 10 please
party, however powerful. Let him be AZ liberty
20 pursue the true interests OF the nation, s. thus
acquire inperishabie renown. Perhaps you may
thus avoid the usual termination of the usual con-
test between rulers & tie People. Ji has hitherto
,aien happened, as history shows. that those ind.
sNiduals entrusted 30 rule free People, have
sought to perpetuate their authority. You may,
perhaps. close the door against men entertaining
the designs OF Cctav;us, Napoleon. ard Bolivar.
The Committee should remember, that by the
Constitution. President is eligible Cor life. II
AZ true that four Presidents have declined being
candidates at the end eli eight years. Shall any
part OF our Constitution depend On custom This
Imposes no obligation on AN ambitious man, who
sray come alter them. The committee should al
50 recollect, that, although the first intention o..
<Ae convention was, that the President should not
&C. re-eligible, they finally changed their opinion,
and inteudsd that he should DO reelected during
Sic. Here Mr.. Smith read, from the information
given by Luther Martin TO the General Assem-
lily Of Maryland, foows:l p. 10.
''One party, whose object and wish il was to a
ioiish and annihate all State Governments, and
80 bring forward one general government over
this extensive continent, OF monarchical nature,
under certain restrictions and limitations Those
who openly avowed this sentiment, were, il is true
but few: yet II is equally true, sir that there
considerable number who did not openly avow
IT. who were, Ivy myself, and many others OF the
convention. considered being III reality avorers
of that sentiment, and acting upon those principles;
covertly erdcavoting to carry into effect what
they well knew, openly ard av0wediy could not
.'he accomplished" Many OF the members were
Jesirous that the President should be elected Tor
even years, and not 10 be eligible n second iime
others proposed that he should not be absolutely
ineligible but that he should not be capable of be-
ing chosen second time, until the eSpratoH' OF
certain number Of years. The supporter OF the
above proposition went upon the idea, that the best
security for liberty was limited duration, and
rotation OF Office, in the Executive Department.
page Ga There was a party who attempted to
have the President appointed during good 6ehG-
:iotIr, without any limitation as 10 time; and not
being able 10 succeed in that attempt, they then
rndcayored to have him eligible without re-
straint. II was objected that the choice OF Pres
tcnt to continue in Office during good behaviour,
would be nj once rendering Our system elective
monarchy; and that, IL the President TO be re-
eligible without any interval Of disqualification, il
would amount nearly TO the same thing; since,
with the powers that the President is 10 enjoy and
the interest aud Influence with which they will
DO attended, he will be almost absolutely certain
fbeing re elected from time TO time as long he
lives. As the propositions were reported by the
committee of the whole House, the President was
30 be chosen for years, and not 10 6e eiigi
ole at anu time after. In the same manner, the
proposition was agreed to in convention, and so il
was reported by me committee Of detail, although
a variety Of attempts made TO alter that part
If the system, by those who were OF contrary
opinion, in which they repeatedly failed: but sir
Ivy never losing sight Of their object and choosing
:, proper time for their purpose, they succeeded,
At length, III obtaining the alteration, which was
not made until within the last twelve days before
'the convention adjourned" Here MIR. Smyth
read from the Journal Of the proceedings Of the
convention, in confirmation Of NJ s. Martins state
Jnent, as follows:l