The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 183?-1840, 1839-08-16
From the New York Wing.
THE OFFICE OF VICE PRESIDENT


THE OFFICE OF VICE PRESIDENT.
The Philadelphia "WorDdT' suggests that
the office of Vice-President ought to be a
polished. The editor Of that paper does
not give his reasons; but as we fully concide
with him in opinion, we will briefly state
our own views of the proposition.
We look upon the Office Of Vice President
as an anomaly in our political system. That
officer, though nominally the second in rank
in the nation, is not an executive officer
he does not assist in the deliberations, of the
Cabinet, and has officially no voice in the
administration of public affairs. The Vice
President is in fact simply President of the
Senate, and his whole duty, according to Mr..
jefferson, is ''to preside oper the forms Of
that House. He cannot participate in the
debates or deliberations Of that body, and
has no authority to vote, except when the
Senate are equally divided upon aquestion,
and that is an event that rarely happens
The Office approaches nearer to a sinecure
than any other in the govomment. And the
only possible advantage the country can de-
rive from it, is in case of the death, resigna-
ton or inability OF the President; the Vice
President then succeeds him until another
election. That is an event, however, which
has not occurred since the establishment of
the government, and may not in a century to
come. The remote probability of such an
event certainly never has had the least in.
auence with the people in selecting a man
for Vice President who has suitable qualifi-
cations for the Presidency. 1t is apparent,
that the nation would be equally as safe, if
the President ofthe Senate, elected by the
Senators, or the Speaker or the House of
Representatives, were to supply the vacan-
event should happen.
There would seem to be no good reason
why the Senate should be deprived Of the
power of electing their presiding officer. If
it be said that such an election would give
to the State, one of whose Senators should
thus be elected presiding officer, an undue
weight in the deliberations of that body
how much stronger is the argument that the
election of Vice President gives to the state
from which he comes, an undue influence
over the Senate? Some have urged the sa-
wing % Che Treasury as a reason for abolish
ing the wee, Presidency; but that is an ar
Rnment Of tile force at the present day,
when mere lculations ofdolIars and cents
seem to have zen lost sight of by rulers and
people. Ten years ago, the saving of five
prudent and economical as any that ever
existed, would haze reused the Republic.
The s.reformersn from Maine to Florida
would have rallied the "radicals" would
have put on their rel shirts-and the 'ssans
culotte politicians would have made the
welkin ring with the gloaE of such "retrench-
ments." Now, the wing of FIVE, hum
dred thousands is matter little talked, a.
bout, and less cared fol- "Retrenchment
and Reform have had their day. The of
fce-holdeTs have ridden that horse to death |
and the Peopie-the free and intelligent
PenpIe-are very much in the condition of
the man doctered to the brink of the grave
BY duacks So terrible have been the eff
fects Of the Needing and steaming and stuff
fng ofthe poiiical quacks, that they have
hardly the sjIength to get out into the pure
and renoEatIng atmosphere.
The main argument, however, in our
for abolishing the Vice Presiden
s.. IS that it has pernicious influence up
81 The choice of President 1t not only
occasions contentious between the candi-
dates for the two Offices and their friends,
but The Office of Vice President is virtually
brought into the market, and rendered to
The highest bidder!-not, indeed, for money
but, what IS infinitely worse. for votes for
he Presidency. When the friends of
candidate for the Presidency End large
tate hostile to him, or even hesitating they
re apt 10 select from such state the candi-
late Tor Vice President. These offers are
generally made to large, not to small states,
81 The latter have few votes to give, II. was j
his consideration which ripened the intri-
que that placed 1fartin Van Bliren in the
flee Presidency. A that time fears we're
Entertained Of New York The dominant !
,arty, having pretty efEsetually used up DIR.
calhoun, looked next to the most powerful /
lly they could secure BY the boon Of the /
ice Presidency Il is so now. The admi- {
.istTation see that they have no foothold 10 {
zentucky, nor indeed any where IN the I
sreat Vest. Col. JohnsoB Is therefore to {
8 sacrificed, and, as Virginia and Pennsyl- i
ania ere nearly balanced, the Vice Presi- I