Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-04-19

To- the CASE OF 4 PresdenL elected and nt qna!liyng
for in this respect the language in each Constitution Is
OF equal force And will be commended, that Pre-
sdemt of the United States, elected by the people,
should die refuse 10 qualify, that another election
could be made to fill his place, and that tile Vice Pre-
sdrnl would not he rntlllcd ~ the Office Just much
as if the President had qualified and been ns,aed?-
Certainly would contend for such proposition
rhis s!ews the folly Of the Wing in choosing the Federal
C.nstitution from which to draw lis arguments have
heard other Wigs quote Kentucky, beca Lieutenant
Governor is acting there Governor. They do not OBJ
serve the characteristic differences between the Cons
tuition Of Virginia. where the Legislature is Tic elective
constituent hod aud those Constitutions Which make
the People the elective constituent element. Ih8
Constitutions which provide for popular election Of Co.
vernon, PRESIDENT generally prescribe the manner aud
time Of holding the elections, and even where the time
may be changed by law 1t would be, in most cases. at
tended with much inconvenience, II not frequently
operate surprise fraud upon many OF the electors
Hence these Constitutions for very wise purposes are
construed as The Wing has stated What Il CONFUSION
would The u. States be thrown lnto Il Case OF vacancy
should in the oliicc OF Presdent and Congress
should undertake pass law ~ hold election sooner
the usual time, if the Constitution expressly
authorized it, We should hear OF frauds, surprises. and
every thing calculated to alarm the Nattecs! What
would be the in prnusy vunia, New York, or Ken
lucky, it such thing attempted, though were au
thorlzcd: No could to!esee the excitement. And
it is or this reason, that such things intended
in popular elections Indeed, it would SCENE strange to
require any argument, where ice President Lieu
tenant Governor is elected ut the time and place,
and in the manner President Governor, (and
expressly ACT alternate in The place Of the pIln
cipal prove, that in The contingency mentioned he
would be- entitled abs ulurly TO exercise the functions Of
President or Governor for the balance Of the 1t
would scen that person could think Of any thing else
And is equally strange, that any argument should be
drawn from case, 10 control tie construction Of
our Constitution, which is altogether different.
In some of the States, pennsy lvania such thing
: Lieutenant Governor is not known The Speaker of
the Senate acts the alternate for Tie Governor In
Others Maryland and Virginia, the first Councillor
acts; but in North Carolina, where there is also Coun
Gill; the Speaker of the Senate acts In these three Hast
mentioned States, il not said howong the Councillor
or Speaker is TO act in the place Of the Governor. In
South Carolina there is Lieutenant Governor vino first
acts and in default deuh of Governor and Lcuten-
ant GOVERNOR the President of the Senate acts But
neither Of these altenales act by the Constitution
longer than till The Legislature elects Governor 10 fill
up the balance of the vacant So in Georgia, the
President Of the Senate act in place Of the Govern
Or until The next meeting Of the Legislature. In Ma
ryand Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and
Georgia. the Governors elected by the Legislature
In tn: two latter South Carolina and Georga for the
term of two years and hence the express provisions IN
their Constitutions, as to the time the Lieutenant Co.