Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-02-07

Iinportant CONSTITUTIONAL right. lnStedu Vi
THAT, its advocates peremptorlly and in-
dignantly refuse any, and treat with scorn
every attemplro secure it. Some have
even gone SO far, as TO deny, that the even
tual choice of the House constitute any
portion of the election, and 10 manifest
open hostility against the provision Of Tho
Constitution, which contains il.
Ifthere was no other objection, The one
under consideration would be insupsrable
with me. differ utterly from the advo-
Gates of the proposed Convention, in refer
ence 10 this provision. | regard it as one
OF the first importance, not because ae-
sire the election to go into the House. ous
because believe it to be an indispensable
means, in the hands Of the smaller States
of preserving their just and constitutional
weight in the Presidential election, aud
through that, in the Executive Department
and the Government itself, which | believe
to be essenia! TO The preservation of our
sublime federal system. lregard the 'ad-
juslment of the relative weight of the
States in The Government, TO he the fun
damental compromise of the Constitution,
and that on which our whole political sys.
tenn depends. lis adjustment constituted
the great difficulty in forming the ConstI-
tuition. The principle on which it was
finally effected was, that, a provision
should be also made, in some form, 10
preserve the original equality OF the States
in every department of the Government,
The principle wes easily carried out in
constituting the legislative department,
by preserving the equality Of the States in
one branch, (lhe Senate) and concedins TO
population its full preponderance 10 the
other. Bu,lhe great aud difficult TASK OF
reducing it to practice was, in the Execu-
tive Department, al the head Of which
there is but single officer. So great was
it, that it occupied the attention of the
Convention, from ,ime,o time, during he
whole session. and was very near causing
failure at last. II would have been au
easy task TO constitute that department,
either on the principle of The equality of
the States in the government, or that. OF
population. To combine theIwo, in the
election of single officer, was quite a
different affair; but however difficult, ii
had to be performed, at the hazard oflosing
the Constitution.
Ii was finally accomplished, by giving
10 the larger States nearly the same pre-
ponderance in the electoral college,, as
they have in the House, and TO the small
Ter, in the event of choice by the House,
The same equality they possess in The
Senate; thus following closely The analogy
of the Legislative Department. To make
il as close as possible, il was q, tirst pro-
posed 10 give The eventual choice, to the
Senate, instead of The House. but il was
altered, and the present provision adopted.
for reasons which did not affect the princ'-
pie.
Itwas believed by The trainers, The prac-
teal operation Of the provision would be,
that The electoral college, in which the in
fluence of the larger States prepondera'es,
would nominate, and that the House vo-
ting by States, where their equality is pre-
served, would elect who should be Presi-
dent. To give it that operation. in prac-
tice, the provision, as it originally stood
in the Constitution, was that each eeclor
should vote for two individuals, without
discriminating which should be Presid nj,
or Vice President, and if no one had ma
iority of the whole votes, then ont Of the
five highest, the House voting by States,
should elect one, and The person not elect
ed, having the highest number of votes,
should be the Vice President. 1t has been
since altered, so that The electors should
designate which should be President, and
which Vice President, and the selection of
the House was limited TO The three highest.
I, is manifest, that if this provision Of The
Constitution had been left 10 operate by
itself, without the intervention OF caucus.
ses, or party conventions between the peo-
plo aud the election, that the practical op-
Grafton would have been such as have
stated, and such as was clearly intended
by the trainers Of the Constitution.
THE object intended is important. The
preservation of the relative weight of he
States, as established by the Constitution
in all the Departments. is necessary 10 The
success and duration of our system Of Co
verpment but it may be doubted, whether
the provision adopted 10 effect itin the
Executive Department. is not too refined
for the strong, and may add, corrupt pas
sions, which the Presidential election will
ever excite. Certain it is, that if the prac-
tice of nominating Candidates for the
Presidency, by Conventions, constituted
as they proposed, shall become the es'ab-
lished usage, il will utterly defeat the in.
ten,ion Of lhe trainers Of the Constitution,
and would be followed by a radical and
dangerous change, not only in The Execu-
tive Department, but in the Government
itself.
This danger was early forescen, and to
avoid it, some Of the wises, and most ex-
perienced statesmen Of former days SO
strongly objected to Congressional caucus
ses 10 nominate candidates Cor the Presi-
dency, that they never could be induced
t. attend them, among these it will be
sufficient 10 name Mr.. Macon and Mr..