Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-08-29


affords a better evidence of the will OF the "'aloy
than a representation by States, is papabiy -.
BILE But what if they were not? However ' s
general principle, that majority shouo 81 n ,he
Is not the fact, either practically or no ma
government of the Uatted States l. was ;,I,,
;ortv Of one consolidated people which gave s''auy
TO our Constitution, hut majoris'es OF ota.S f.rorn
the Legislative Executive oranc".s =. nr,nc,.
ment is based upon the conso''oa '
pie. ); orr.n;zed upou an
,,nror;ma,ion 10 that principle; but Tue SENATE "a "
regard 10 teach State having therein an equai ie
nresentation with oil the rest; and these 'oeee d.:
a,,ta the legislative power. The ELECTORS Vi 'e''
H., and Vice President are not chosen by maJoty
of the neople Of the U. States nor by ma]ol"yc -
The voters nor yet by majority OF the o'a'es
Constitution gives to each State two Eec'o's " -
present lis Senators, and TO them ADDS as many n
ms it has Representatives in Congress. nc -,
of President, therefore, approaches nearer ~. y
princIple than the Senate, bat not so near as VIC
of REPRESENTATIVES. The votes are nor ass's.e :,
1aajority of tie People, but are apporuoneu ou' " ~
States The Electors do not represent 'ne 90.
the United States the people of the seoeTaf
The election is in fact election oy WaJoI"e' y
States (lust as the Constitution was aoop'eun Ia, u
based neither populdr equati'y nor o u ~, 80 :
but on q compromise and compound OF Tue W r..
cioles An attempt to make the election coh'o'm "
ops nr;nci,le or the other, by adopting 1t IN nominal
inc candidates is therefore, utterly suoVersVe o' 'le
nrnc,ples and compromises OF the Consuluuoh' anu
Of dangerous tendency.
But wby do not the advocates OF the majority primer
Mo carry il out, The South Carolina Convention
cboee two Delegates to the National Convention ano
recommended the rest 10 be chosen by Congress,ona'
Districts Those two, standing in the place OF oena'
tors, have nothing to do with popular OF maof''y p
ciple: Why do they not discard mem. WY ,nc,ne
nine delegate. tho invention, when that prnc'pe
would enl,le her but screen: Why not reduce t"oae
Island to two delegates instead OF TOUR ana
and Arkansas TO one each, instead oil three' ne ~"
iorty principle would require H.
That is not all Is the majority referred 10, mao
rity of the entire population, men, women ano choeh
black and white? Are women, children ana slaves 70
be consulted to whom they prefer as ffesiaehU we
presume not. The majority meant, must be ha)oTt'
~ of the cotcrs. Now, some States gam Representa-
tIyes IN Congress- and consequently Electors OF IRE
sident and Vice President by counting hve slaves as
equal to three voters BY the majority PRINCIPLE these
should be struck off Nor is this all The r,ght OF
suffrage very d,feren, in different States Iakns
the same numbers Of white people IN Pennsylvania ano
Virginia the number of voters among them IN the Tor
mer i, believed be than twice as large as IN 'nt
latter. By the majority principle, all voters shou'o
have eouai power whereas The Virginia voter has twice
as much as the Pennsylvania voter. IL South Carolina
would adopt the pure ajory principle, let her strike
off the delegates she has elected IN place oil her De
material Electors, two more which she gets oy
her slave and one or two more, to reduce
her voters a level in power with those OF Pennsyva-
MIA New York, Ohio, Kentucky and many other
States and then may she stand ready IN all fairness
to 90 into Convention with her sister States upon that
principle! :, m.
What is the effect of her plan proposed: Ihts,
and nothing more less: To retain, IN the nomtna'
t,on and election all the advantages 'chieh the COnSt'fu
ton eices HER. and require N.,c York. Pennsylvania
and other States similarly situated, TO surrender al the
advantages the Constitution gires THEM. The two
Electors and the slave held by virtue OF thr
compromises Of the Constitution, and so IS The power
of other States concentrate their votes IN the choice
of President. She proposes 10 retain IN the nomna-
ton her legates and slave representation,
and at the same time claims from them surrender OF
the power of concentration And this, most papa
bic departure from tie ajority principle, she endea-
yors TO maintain by appeal 10 that uery PrinePtei
STATE EQUALITY!
Another leading argument in favor of the South Ca
rona plan u.s. in substance, that, by going into Con-
yention and thus concentrating the Of the party
upon a single candidate, the small States lose the
chance they have giving equal vote with the large
States in the election Of President by the House OF
Representatives, and that Tor this sacrifice, they ought
to be compensated by advantages in the nominating
Convention.
Surely, those who press this argument, have not
we'll considered the differences which 1t necessarily
thorises.
/. II is totally inconsistent with the majority prnci
pie, which zealously pressed by the same politi
clans. In one BREATH they tell The Delegates ought
TO be elected by Districts more truly to arrive at the
will Of the popular majority the next they glye az
ptncipie. little, alter all do they regard The
altogether and give the States equal. vote in the
Convention. "Conent' the word used by the
South Carolina Convention, and "con,ent is the
word adopted by those who advocate their plan. They
prefer, however, an intermediate course, but still in
subverson of the majority principle, and securing ad
vantages to the small States beyond those secured TO
them by the Constitution.
2. An argument like this, implies oversight OF
the great object which the Democratic party have in
view 1t has reference solely to local power ndi.
..oI
administration. Not 10 secure any principle pro-
mote any measure, but 10 obtain local or individual
advantage in The election, is the sole basis which IT
rests. The Convention, trust, is not TO waste its
energies in struggles OF this Sort endangerng for local
and personal objects, the great measures which is
called TO secure.
s. This argument is inconsistent with one of the
principal objects in holding National Convention =
That object is prevent the election from devolvng
upon the House of Representatives, where it has
entered without poisoning the fountains Of both
patronage and legislation. Ought Democrats TO ask
compensation for giving up such "chance' as this
Has it been OF any to the small States practically
Is Of service them that their members of Congress
shall have "chance to sell their votes for office or
money Is this ''chance' now to be made consider.
alton to secure local advantages in the nominating
Convention Can the Democracy give any consider.
alton for it, which is not subject to the taint and
liable 10 the same abuse
A PRINCIPLE INVOLVED.
There is an objection, upon principle, to any COM
promise of This The election of President by the
House of Representatives voting by States is provided
for by the Constitution, simply of securing
the country Chief Magistrate after the failure Of a
bona fde attempt to elect by Electors. II is the
duty of every citizen in every State by all proper
means, to promote an election by Electors No man,
and State has right TO defeat such election for
the purpose of throwing it into Congress. To do So is
an aggravated abuse National Conventions are means
to effect such election. Are they proper means ,
If not, Democracy should have nothing to do with
them. If they are, no portion of the Democracy can
honestly defeat their object in consideration Of any
dvidual or State advantage which may result On the
contrary, it the duty of all 10 unite in them, and
promote their success by all proper efforts.
To ask consideration for uniting in the proper
means TO secure an election by the Electors, implies
claim of right TO prevent such election 1t implies
that those who claim it, either do consider it their
duty to promote such an election, wish TO he paid
for doing their duty Far be it from mpute such
a motive 10 those who advance this argument. They
have not well considered II, and object to call
their minds directly and distinctly the principles nd