Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-01-20

us no more facts.
A mutiny lately occurred on board tn,
schooner Alexander of Pensacola, at Pas
Christian. One man was murdered Tn
mutineers have since been arrested, and wi
be carried to New Orleans for trial.
The GENERAL TICKET SYsTEM.-We Sc
thatthe Legislature eff Alabama, have adopt
ed the general ticket system, in the election
ofher members to Congress, in the place @
the District system, which has heretofore
prevailed in that State. This has been dom
in the name of democracy, and proteSsedly 70
the good of the people, but we are compelled
to believe, that it is the very opposite of De
mocracy, and that it is for the benefit, not O
the people but of party. BY this means, I
few counties, (some two or three) in North
Alabama, will be enabled to send the entire
Congressional Delegation of the State. The
political and the local interest of South Ala.
bama, will be entirely at the mercy of north
Alabama. Democracy, is a government Of
the people, government in which the ma
jority has the rule, but, in which the rights OF
the minority are respected, and not only res
pected but protected; learn once, either in
theory or practice, to disregard those rights,
and sooner or later your Democracy will
degenerate into nlobocracy. Where polt-
lca officers are thus elected, by the entire cit
liens of State, local partialities, and local
jealousies viii prevail to much greater ex-
tent, than when the State is divided into Dis
tricts, and the candidates thus have an oppor-
tunity of becoming acquainted with large
number of their should be constituents
Again, this mode of electing members of
Congress, is equivalent to an entire exclusion
Of all poor men from that office. Where can
dldates have TO travel in every county in the
State, as candidates for Congress should do,
it is a tax upon the them, which none but the
wealthy can afford. 1t affords the people but
limited opportunity of becoming acquainted
with the moral character of those, who pro.
pose to represent them, and let man, be
what he may at home, if you attempt 10 ex-
pose him, when he is in counties remote from
that home, and where he is unknown, he i'm
mediately raises the cry of persecution, and
those who have lived long among the warm
hearted, generous spirits of the South, know
the effect of this cry. But are the men who
have taken this course in Alabama, them
selves sincere in believing, that it is for the
good of the people, or is it done by set of
political aspirants, who residing in wing coun-
ties, feel, that this is their only chance for po-
litical preferment. The following extract
from the Flag of the Union, which we find
in the first paper after this important change,
speaks the motives of some ofthe people loring
Democrats.
"GF The Hon. Felix G. Neon
nell, Democratic senator from the
county of Talladega, is a candidate
for Congress-"
Now reader, remember, that this county of
Talladega. from which this Democratic
Senator" comes, is one of the counties !
composing the wing District, now represented
by the Hon. George w. Crabb.
Our readers will find much force in the
subjoined extract, from the Louisville Journal
of December 31st.
GENERAL TICKET SYSTEM. We
announced, the other day, the passage
OF law through one branch of the AL
ALBANIA Legislature, providing that the
Representatives in Congress from that
State be elected by vote of the whole
81 the people, or as it is usually term
ed, by general ticket. Want ofleisure
prevented comment at the time; nor do
We propose now to go fully into the
subject. We barely wish to suggest
Q the authorities of Alabama whether
hey are notsetting an example, which
followed out generally, must be de- I.
of the influence and power oil !
he small states in the popular branch ,
# Congress. The policy ofobtsining
or Alabama the full weight of party | {
trength in the House of Representa- t
ives, if adopted in the single large I'd
State of New York, would throw Ala s
anna and all those Of the inclining into il
hopeless minority. a
We are inclined to think that the f
eneral ticket system is repugnant to Il
le true spirit ofthe Constitution; and y
lat it would, If generally adopted, be v
lost pernicions inits effects Our in y
itutions are already sufficiently under j
Re inaence Of political parties. No y
ound thinking man can wish TO see pf
lem more so. This system would "
I'D greatly to that tendency. hesitate p
aving as many Representatives, would :.
yer carry on a Congressional contest :
kept between two nominated tickets, j
ID between two organized parties. II
e system would not merely invite but !;
might be said oft, that it would COM N
d the Organization and keeping up of kn
'litical parties, for she purpose Of ii,