Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-04-29

Sia,es.-The following articles from a cores
pondent, proposing sundry Amendments 10 Inc
Constitution. has been on hand some time. There
is no necessity for any congressional acuon upon
them. for the liberal notions Of the writer VIII
soon be adopted as the necessary consequence Oh
the present state of things.-Boston Courier.
WHEREAS thegreat business of the nation Is
uofing, taking and Preside'f-md6ang, 'he con-
stitution ought to be amended, so as 10 PIoVue
the machinery, requisite for such radical oeJees'
The first provision should be IN favor VI wt.
rersm sufferage; instead of the very RH't'ea SUI
frage now practsed. -,
And all will aoree that every white man in the
United States, of 81 years OF age or upwards
even if he pay no tax. DO no military uu'y' iaoo
not on highways and render no service to society,
ouoi,t TO have as much weight in the ballot-boXes
as the Governor of a State. | would not except
the man. who has served out his time the State
prison, for he has paid the penalty OF his crimes;
nor would | except the men who are paying the
penalty. They are as ardentiy oeslFous Vi i'io-
erty and equality as the best OF u.s.
The ripht of suffrage should be extended to
theship loads of emgrants from Europe, constantly
arriving on our shores, & the pilots who board the
ships ought to be furnished with blank certificates
of citizenship, to be filled and presented to the
passengers these men come to spend their lives
here and to be subject to our laws; and shall we
coldly deprive them Of a vote for the men who
are to make the laws? 1t may be said, that they
know not even the names of candidates. In this
respect they are on footing with half million,
who have been voting for years. The admins
tration postmaster or printer can put them in the
right way. We shall never have real democ-
racy, so long as the aristocracies of wealth. tai
ents and experience shall have any Influence III
our elections.
The second provision should be in favor of uni
versal talking.
Hitherto we have had some sientmen in Con-
gress. who vet presumed to vote. This IS all
wrong. No man ought to be allowed to vote un-
less he can assign his reasons in speech OF four
hours Such speech need not touch once an
hour OH the subject matter. Indeed, if it does
not touch upon it, so much the worse. for the
principal electors of the speaker care nothing for
the subject: they look for the quantity and not
the quality of the speech. and when our repre-
sentative Shows of in Six columns of "a newspaper
we exclaim triumphantly. .How we apples swim. ,
The past practice of voting for rich merchants,
mechanics, physicians, and other nOn-talking
men, to take seats in Congress, isall wrong. The
constitution ought to provide that none but poor
democratic lawyers shall be eligible to Congress.
and that each member, after his arrival at Wash
ington shall begin his chin-music and shall talk
without measure in and out of the house, and at
al! times and places, except when he is asleep
The man. who has the lungs of 10000 people,
ought never to be silent. We shall not enjoy
real democracy. until every member of each house
e ako fol no
hour of adjournment, and until each shall success
fully claim the floor for the next day. There are
now only hirty-ninelawyerS in the United States
Senate!
The third provision should be for the making
of Presidents.
On this subject there has been oflate some ra-
dicaI reforms, favorable to pure democracy
Formerly it was thought that talents and political
experience were requisite qualifications for the
Presidency. This was a doctrine. engendered
in the hot-bed of aristocracy, and, if successful
at the last Presidential election, might have ruin
ed the nation. Democracy is the government of
the people; it arises out of the botomless pit of
population, every elector is equally entitled to
the presidency. and nothing but the extreme vir-
tue OF the lower orders prevents every man OF
them from taking possession of his right. Let
o. our country. set up their claims. but be it
known to their cost and sorrow. that the Toms.
Dicks. and Harrys have the power. that they will
hold il free of all incumbrance, and if these good
patriots continue to be sorely pressed, they will
turn upon their oppressors and deal out fearful
retribution.
The constitution ought to be amended so as to
provide for the certainty of a democratic Presi-
dent. For this purpose the election ought to be
placed under the absolute control of the largest
class in the community. This is composed of
men, whohase no regular means of support, no
property, no prospect, and who as every thing
goes wrong with them, are anxious for perpetual
change, overturn and rotation. They will ma
turaly support candidates of their own degree,
- birds of like feather,'' and it, on the first tri
al no shall be elected. their choise shall next
be confined to the two, who according to aristo-
crate notions, have the greatest number OF posi-
hre disqunHfcations for the presidency.
To secure the sovereignty of the people, and
to keep the government out of the hands of those
who usurped and held it until the glorious 4th of
March, 1929, there should be a constitutional
provision, making it the duty of the President to