Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-07-11
NO. %.

visit oil the counties In the stale In canva IAs
be remembered TINT the state 10 mors than 4UU ms'es
In length and containing nesfly l5O counties, and VINO
beevss that any candidate could be found Inst wovd %
willing encounter III necessary laMr and time t ira
great extent Of cuniry Not even The love
of office ITSELF the strength Of whi passin IN Vai-
ginia all testify could induce the candidates TOT
the gubernsorial chair to make great and frequently
al fra,,less an ernt Every epubl can Ia only vii
ling bu, ,ious the people IN the eniyment u -
much liberty may be compatible with their sstrsy
II. wond hail tho humblcst at 'he pulls caseing
his suffrage Independently and incllyen,ly lot every Oh
cer u the government; but IL TO bc feared frm the
gen extent of the state and other crcumsN1ces. thas
In the onmonwealt, p' ssesses sulicens weight
of character and celebrity, present him 10 the p~ps
fncbly TO enable them to vote f'f him directly and
ini.lgeny Al the palla Uuder the delusivs idea Of
sleciing their Governor by tr free and indspen-
dent right of Suffrage they would bs frequently mss'rd
and deceived by the dc,aon Of csucuscs and dssna'
gnrnes and induced 10 cast their vues for stne man.
peri 10 the mass of the people and sItSgcher
unworthy II he high irasi The candidates aud their
friends would he he opportunity of clscttn
eefiug imprererly. They w,ud resort 10 every spe-
cies of misrepresentation and co'rnpion in such csn-
II IL bo regretted ilfst much drcepii06 should
he partised in many oi e c,ions. aud 10 very OBJ
vns iien The nnnro of such copts, M the guberna"-
rial election by the direct vole of the peopl" wou'd be-
that should turbulence and vice than vsn-
ally resft iram other elections Aud Lat II not b. M
drlaoi in this placr TINT Tho writer to rcnsc,
upon the Indulgence If the people No man II more oo-
vo'el 10 the republican principle. Ito has never seen
the TIM yei that he did not fear less 'm tho tdbu-
lente oI demootacy than from ih ranny ot power. s
is advorate lo granting to the people the grsaets
mount OF liberty they enjoy conratlly with Their
safefy. ..tf
II Tho Convention should determine to mako .he
Governor elective directly by the people. and th"
candidates fu nj oire should fOm either exie
m,y of the Stlc, how would all the voters be acquant-
ed with them How would the people VI the scab'ard
counties know thu candidate from the west well a. 10
directly and int"llileny for him Aud now u re-
mains 10 seen what othef mnds " cho sing Gov.
en II had better bo adopted After much reflection. the
writer is Of opinion that ,he mode Of eecing the Prsi-
dent ol tie u = woul b. p,tcrab" TO any oitar. Wa
all know lha ha is chosen through the medium of tho
electoral colleges, The idea # The ffafnrrs II the Con
stnlion WAR; thntno mln was 3, conspicuous as can
ddae la he Presidency or tho U = even with tho ad-
vnntages Of long m imp ran services 10 the he
public geher with tie eclat aud hrlliancy ot an AMI
mated contest ir The Presidency, as to enable The mas
ol the people east their snllrages inellgeny r him
Hence tho propriey of medium Of ason u aid them
In The selection o OF Vi tue and alnfs u hll that
imp flant onire. 10 render the mode Of elecna 'hs
chrf magistrate prfrc pos,ibe. the francrs ~ tho
Consiisullon nd pied lhs indirect mode OF choosing hun
through The of The rlecofa colleges In prefer
n the direct pipd mode. IL, t.sss
In every soeln of counties en ghton'd virIuous
citizen may he found possessing the conence aud ess~en
Of the people in high degree 10 iuduce them Ia
scek his cnnnsel on important slons aud who" shc
neig,bors of such a ixen 10 Commune with him IN
suhee, 80 interesting them. Ia ,hcir gnorance VI ha
candidate lor lhe highest rus IN 'hr gi. u was desn
ed eNpedlenl by The irame's Of tho Federal Costtnr""
to constitute lhsczen the Elect Agent ofthe people
# his district in order that he might DWriun Nh u,.-
poilan part for tcm whch from the nntnre ot the case
they would mol ~ well dofor themselves. That the
people, reeosng sp al conJenco IN his talents and IN
legrty, might have an opportunity THO 'sh hun o' o",
slowing their slfages upon some enuh sned. ws, and
raifioe ciizen VIII se real merits were unknown ~
them. Such ignorance Of the proper candidates iof The
Pres denoy might exist wilhou, impugnny the general
Intelligence III the people Since n,sf os tho gres ava
good men Of the Republic, who distinguished themselves
in s service in tho Cablne, and the Field have b~u
gathered 10 their fathers new gencraton OF neo have
mounted the stage, trom whom. as matter VI neressy
we must select ourselves A cis " OF Missouri might
be acquainted with ther in Maine 80 wei nv 10 ana
behn his inteeently for him fir the irtsl-
drncy, md still he quite able man IN the common
an,irs nf life. Snperadded To these considerations one
which doubtl hal much weight with our Ancestor. 10
adjusting me mods oi electny the President. Il has
been that jealous The trainers :" ihe u nsti
VI the rights and liberties Of the people, 'hst'hey
de'emined 10 impose check evrn np'n The people
themselves To guard against the Iomocra'ic tenden.
ces Of the system If too much Ut mat spirt had been M
fused into IT, they determined 10 make the Executive de-
parment as strong M was compatible with the fighsM
the zens. They resolved II make his time Of service
longer III any oh"r Off 'er Of h. government. being
entrusted with tho duty o executing the laws oi the land,
tnfy b1W inc pIopIt'y VI cso'li"R ".'~
extraordinary powers and with view Of rendering nm
independent than the o'h'r departments, have
made his election bv the people m re Indirect 10 ns-
der make him fully equal ID The "theI branches q" ths
veinmen in every resp CT and preserve the IL
bum of our system. they have elevated him as ar q
boye the influences Of Tho democratic tendencies o our
yernmen as The safriy Of the psop'e wnnid prfinf.
II the Convention in rempdeling onr Constitution
shout res I've 10 make any oher form ct g"vetnmensa
mol.l, certainly system is ~ worthy OF their limits
Tim as our Federal G. nsijtutin Il s admitted that
the lines Indicate That the people demand the direct
election Of all th officers, but have hsv considered he
necessity of makig he Executive department, more s's'
bl. than the others That depane which has u ex.
ecilc The ardaus dntcs certainly teqnires the mss
power. In tho organxl,n Of al The other departments,
il is freely admitted nay conended That the people
onohi to have the direct eIec,ion Of all their ocers.
The same difficulties do not apn'y 10 the etecton ot any
,her officer as The Govenor IL The Judiciary dspsr.
eut for example, The Judges and ihe Magistrates are
acqnaninees and neghbors nay thoy ara our cnds
and il is particularly proper that they should be chose"
directly by The peoples IN the election 6 Magistrates
The ne pc would be less liable to than IN ch"sing
any of their officers Every gool tsels desp m.
erest in the admins ration Of The laws Of the ia"d
throughout the country but especially in his own
negh ghborhood. Many matters Of con roversy afss IN
hood in which the Magistrates made the ss-
biers between the parties with peculiar propristy lhe
parties tho witnesses with all The circums,aness 1t the
case. are better known to The Justice WIN 70 to tryn.
than TO any other Judicial officer. AMI the ppple know
inp those facts will be stimulated attend 10 the cleo
ii n of those public servants. Just SO with the Jadgre
Although they are not always neighbors and ihtis
a.. sTk kha IaV p