Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-06-02

ven,;on and in favor Of what with The same object We
shall call the Maryland plan, that State being the l's'
VIII Oh fully adopted aud recommended II.
AnG acre II IS proper 10 premise that as the MONT
naon acqniesccd u, would IL o5tc be the e!ec',na
far The OF the p4+ty concerned; we hou u
the iI.s place, 10 oe ut:sp "Sa5le, iiai 'S ose-
raj Convention should CONFIRM, as neal as may De,
10 the Electoral College IN Tue manner Of constituting
II, aud the mode .! voting and coming we vooes, !"
the next, Tia, every practicable means should De
adopted that the voice OF the Convention shall utter
the Of people ia c'nra-iisnctioa 10 poi,-
cal managers, aud that the relative weight oil lie
States as fixed by the Constitution, III the election
President and Vice President should be preserved
These We regard as fundamental principles, oy which
every proposition III relation TO the General GonVen-
ton ought to BE- tested None but those that eau stand
that test should be admitted They are loo obviously
lust and reasonable 10 require illustration. lie would
Ill deserve the naGle of Republican who objects to
them. Il 10 their test, intend 10 bring The points
OF difference between the two plans, which may be re
garGvd Is still unsettled.
We object. thea, L. the mode Ct voting and counting
recommended by the Richmond Convention, because
IL adopts prlncp pie unknown 10 the Constitution, and
which, combined with The number Of delegates pro-
posed 10 be appointed fom each district would IN p'ac
tice be destructive Of the most important oil al! Tue
compromises OF the Constitution, as we might with
truth saw the Fundamental compromise on winch the
whole rests As strong these assertions may appear
we shall unless greatly deceived establish their truth
beyond controversy.
IL is we'll known to all in the least conversant with
our political history the greatest difficulty expe
riencpd IN framing the Constitution, TO establish
the relative weight Of the States, IL the government oil
tue Union. Tae smaller States, placing themselves
the inconteStbe principle OF the perfect equality OF
rights between all sovereign and independent coTmu
mites without regard to population, insisted on
a like equality weight in the government! OF The
Union, while the larger and more popuious, admitting
the correctness OF that principle nsIsled that IN Fe.
dera Republic, composed OF States OF unequai sze ana
united for the common defence Of the whole, the
States which brought TO the common slock OF power
and the greater share should IN harness and JUS
tlce have proportiona,e weight IN the Government
Such the obstinacy, with which both SIDES man
tanned their ground, that ii one tune II was seriously
aoprehended The object OF the Convention would ia,l
and lis labofs end in doing nothing. The alarm, which
this caused. led 10 a COMPROMISE. The larger States
agreed TO an equality OF representation ~ ;he senate,
aud the smaller 10 representation IN the flonse proper
toned 10 population estimated IN federal uuUioers-
From these two elements, si The materials of Goa
strucng our beautiful and sod political fabric were
drawn. The Electoral College for the choosing OF
President and Wee President consists OF The two
blended so as 10 give TO each State the number q
electors that she may have members IN the Two Houses
of Congress
The modes Of voting as prescribed by the Constu
ton are in nn:son with these elements As there
but two 50 there bat two modes OF voting known
TO the Consttuon-thc per captta and thal by ma
jority, corresponding villa the ,"o elements When
equality and independent and so:eregn character, the
mode OF voting prescribed s BY delegation, each dele
gallon voting by itself, aud the majority dispo=ing of
the vote of the State bat tie vote OF the State III such
cases without esar to the humble. Of delegates counts
but one. Such was the mode o. voting and coauting
in the nation and adoption of the Constitution, and
such the mode prescribed for propositions 10 amend H.
and in the election Of President waea the choice de-
wolves on The House, by the failure Of the Electoral
College elect, But when the States are not intended
to be regarded, the vote and count is always per
capita and such is the mode according y, prescribed
Tor the two Houses of Congress in all cases, except
the instance cited and also for the Electoral College,
in voting for P:esideu: aud Vice President.
1t is well known, that IT was very difficult 10 agree
on the mode Of eleclag those distinguished officers
resulting from the sane conflict between the large and
small States that endan gersd has heen stated, the
formation Of the Constitution set That too, ended
IN compromise, ~h.ch gaze the larger States pre-
ponde:ance in the election by the Electoral College
and the smaller prePonce!ance ~ case OF failure Vi
choice and the election 6eyoiying on the House.
Ii was thus, that taS great and dangerous conflict
among the States settled by compromise, and that
which endangered The formation Of the Constitution
was by consuamate wisdom and SKILL made to fur
nish the elements out of which the Government
constructed and what irrecorcilab!y opposed
TO in the plan of the Richmond Convention is, that
il confounds these elements by combining together III
conpruous modes Of voting and counting, and thereby
adopts principle unknown 10 the Constitution, and
IT rests, and on the Observance of which It's balance
depends Our objection applies not To the delegates oil
the General Corve atom voting by States, that the
vote OF The States nd be given by the majority, but
what do object 70 a. blending nconsruous Methods
is that the vo.e OF State should be gwen by
lority but counted per capi;a. L is that, which
pronounce 10 be unkuown TO the Constitution, and
mons,rous and destructive IN lis character Virginia.
or any other State, mag take choice, 10 vote by ma
iority or per capita but h,chcver she may select
Sja Sitcttti 81
mode of counting, which the Constitution couor-
nifty It's compromises, invariably prescbes for that
mode If she should insist majority OF her dele
gates dsposng OF her vote, she mnst also submit 10
place herself on equality with the smallest State,
and count bat one, she would the Of the
Presidential Election gong 10 the House. If size de-
sires TO have her whole delegation counted IN the
House OF Kep:t seniaiives all ether questions, she
must vote pfr capa, and rGa, rs there, The hazard Of
division among her d.lrsates She cannot, witbou;
subverting the ptInc Lie> " tire Constitution. enjoy
the benefit Of both modes, and exempt herself from
their Disadvantages She cannot concentrate her
whole strength 10y cispusng OF her vote hy mujnrty
without placing herself IN The scale with Della
ware or count her full number without the hazard Of
division in her delegation. Choose which she may,
we for one shall not object, but never assent
that She or any other Stale, shall at the same time
grasp the benefit of boh and exempt herself from
Their Disadvantages. The advantages and disadvan-
tages of whichever may be selected, must be taken
together.
But we consider the plan of The Richmond Conven-
ton dangerous in ts practical bearings, as II ~
clearly unconstitutional principle II would tend
almos, rresiSbly TO concentrate the power OF eiectrg
the President the hands Of !he larger States amd
more popuous portions o. the Union and ~ necessary
consequence, gtve them the almost exclusive control
over the Executive Department oil the Government,
and, through lis power and influence, tie whole
Union We must look a things as they are. The con-
troll of the nomination. if acquesced in, would be in
fact has been premised the control OF the election,
AS far as the party is concerned and What could be
better devised concentrate their combined power in
che General Convention, than the plan OF the minority
giving the vote Of each State and yet &; the same
time counting per enPita, and thereby controlling IT'S
proceedings. and through 1t the nomination and lee
lion And what could tend ro;e powerfully than
tina, 10 destroy the balance OF the Constitutions, aud
convert our Federal Republic into great consolidated
and absolute Government, 10 be succeeded by all the
disasters which mus, inevitably follow
But nav We said, that the evil apprehenGed has
already occurred in another ierr-'hut their strength
is already concentrated The Electoral College; by
changing the system OF choosing electors 81 districts,
into tia, of the General Ticket, and that bu, right