Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1844-03-02

wv 'l''iifh ll'lH k'lNE INV WV fif"''
whore the smaller States would have the
advantage intended to be secured tothcm
by the Constitution, by being placed on an
) equality with the larger
Such being the intHled object and
g. elect, now submit 10 Every candid MUD,
whether the Convention ought not to be
SO constituted, as to compensate IN the
, nomination for the important advantage
in the election, which the smaller States
surrender going into Convention. Would
II not be unlalr-a palpable want of good
latin and subversye OF the Constitution
10 withhold III Or, if demanded, would
| it be short OF an insult to refuse ii! Can
II be thought that the smaller States are
50 debascd and absorbed in the party poll.
tics oil the day, as to permit themselves to
be thus indirectly stripped OF right,
viii ch their high minded and patriotic an
cestors held so dear, as even TO prefer The
loss Of the Constitution itself, rather than
surrender 1t.
object, then, 10 the proposed Conven-
ton, in this connection, because il makes
no compensation to the smaller States for
the surrender OF this unquestionable and
important constitutional right. Instead
OF that, It's advocates peremptorlly and
Indignantly refuse any, and treat with
scorn every attempt 10 secure it. Some
have even gone 50 far as to deny that the
eventtul choice Of the House constitutes
any portion oGthe election, and to manifest
open hostility against the provision Of the
Constitution, which contains it.
If there was no other objection, the one
under consideration would be insuperabl e
TO me. | differ utterly from the advo-
Gates of the proposed Convention, in re-
ference TO this provision. regard it as
one OF the first Importance, not because
desire the election to 60 into the House,
but because believe II to be an lndspen-
sibe means, in the hands Of the smaller
States, Of preserving their just aud con.
stitulional weight in the Presidential cleo
ton, and through that, in the Executive
Department and the Government itself
which believe to be essential to the pre-
serv0ton Of our sublime federal system
regard the nd ustment of the relative
weight of the States in the Government
f 10 90 the fundamental compromise in tn,
4 Constitution, and that on which our whole
political system depends. It's adjustment
constituted tie great difficulty in forming
the Constitution. The principle on which
it was finally effected was, that, while due
concession should be made TO population,
a provision should also be made, in some
form, TO preserve the original equality Of
the States in every department of the
Government. The principle was easily
carried out in constituting the IegisI alive
department, by preserving the equality
OF the States in the branch, Che Senate
and conceding 10 population its full pre-
1ponderance in the other. But the great
and difficult task of reducing it TO prac-
tlce was, in the Executive Department,
at the head of which there is but u single
officer. So great was il, that it occupied
the attention Of the Convention, from
time 10 time, during the whole session,
and was very near causing failure at
last. 1t would have been an easy task
10 constitute that department either on
the principle of the equality of The States
IN the Government, or that Of population.
10 combine the two, in the election of a
single officer, was quite different affair.";
but however difficult, it had 10 be perfor-
med, al the hazard of losing the Const-
tullon.
II was finally accomplished, by giving
to the larger States nearly the same pre-
ponderance IN the electoral college as
they have in the House, and 10 the small
Ter, in the event Of choice by The House,
the same equality they possess in the Sc
nate; thus following closely the analogy
OF the legislative department.. To make
II as close as possible, il was at first pro-
posed TO give the eventual choice to the
Senate, instead Of the House, but it was
altered and the present provision adopted,
Tor reasons which did not affect the prin-
cipIe.
1t was believed by the trainers, the
practical operation oil the provision would
be, that the electoral college, in which
the influence of the large States prepon-
derates, would nominate, and that the
House voting by States, where their equal. /
ny spreserved, would eject who should
be the President. To give it that opera
ton IN practice, the provision, as It orr
glnally stood in the constitution, was that
elector should vote for two individuals,
without discriminating which should be
President or Vice President, and it no one
had majority Of the whole votes then,
out Of the five highest, The House voting
by States, should elect one, and the per-
son not elected, having the highest num-
Der Of votes, should be the Vice Presi-
dent. II has been since altered, SO that
the electors shoulddesignale whichshould
DC President, aud which Wee President
and the selection Of the House was litnl,