The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-05

The speech sf Mr. Tssnhs.
The speech of Mr.. TOXINS, on Saturday, in
the House of Representatives, on the Wing
nomination and platform, was heard!with great
attention by an uncommonly full house, and BY
MANY senators and others. The unusual con-
diion of parties and of the countryside pecu-
liar course of the late Wing convention, its un.
certain effect on the people, and the attitude of
the Union party in Georgia, of which Mr.
TooMBs 10 a leader, all combined with his high
reputation ~ speaker to surround him on this
occasion with the prominent politicians now in
the city.
Mr.. ToomBs made an emphatic assault on the
whole policy Of national party conventions.
They were destructive Of distinguished public
men, fatal to all the claims Of great public serv-
ice and ability, to candor in politics, to popular
sentiment and to the exercise of popular will in
the choice of Presidents.
We concur with him generally in what he
said against the convention system. As a ma
tional system, il was devised or applied by Mr..
vANBU Rem, and helped him to he Vice Presi-
dency and Presidency when nothing else could
have done it. Bot what il little curious, Mr..
VAN buren, who was the founder of the syetem,
was also its destroyer. The moment it operated
against him, and his friends, he turned against it.
As it often happens that the Legitimate schemes
rssorted to by politicians, for their own promo
ton, are the instruments of their obstruction.
The convention system, like its predecessor,
the caucus, was designed to prevent the election
from going into the House. The almost sue
cessful attempt to elect BURR, and the actual
election of JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. turned the
Republican party against an election by Con-
gress, although, as in that body, each State has
one vote, it is perhaps the most federative fea-
ture of our whole system, and the most effectu-
al barrier to consolidation.
1t is we'll known that in forming the federal
Constitution, the small States insisted on equal
power with the large ones, whilst the latter con-
tended for power in proportion to population
A compromise was effected which extended to
every department of the government. The le-
gislative power was conferred on two houses,
one representing the numbers in each State, the
other representing each State equally without
reference to numbers The judicial power was
given to bench Of judges to be appointed by
the President and confirmed by the Senate The
executive power was to be exercised by Presi-
dent elected by a majority of districts, but leav-
ing each State to control the whole of its vote,
by majority of its own districts, which all the
States have done. According to the original
provision, however, it was not intended that
even the Presidential electors should elect a
President but should vote for two men of whom
the one receiving the highest vote should be
President, the other Vice President. And i'll
the interests of a popular majority thus consti-
tuted, should be opposed to those of majority
of the States, and should triumph by elec,iug
President, the States would secure Vice Pres.
ident to preside over and give casting vote in
their own body, and to succeed to the highest
Office in case of the death, resignation or inabi-
ity of the elect.
But more than all this. 1t was provided also
that in case no candidate received majority of
all the electoral votes-the House of Represen.
tatives voting by States equally-should choose
one from the three highest. And as under or.
binary circumstances, no man would get ma
jority of all the electoral votes, it was expected
that the election would be generally decided by
an equal vote of the States, for it could almost
never happen that of three candidates returned
to the House, one would not be the favorite of
amsjorty of the States, rather than of a maio
rity of the electoral districts.
1t was wise in the States thus to secure
preponderance in the Presidential election, for
the executive is the most active and powerful of
the departments, and the most inclined by in
stinct to consolidation
But this compromise of the Constitution has,
like most others, been set aside, and in this case
the scheme of national conventions has been
adopted to accomplish it. And the scheme has
thus far been successful. The right of the
States, as such, to elect President according to
the Constitution, has been defeated
1t il true, as Mr.. TooMBs said the conven.
ton system has been demoraixed by its results
VAN buren,, HARRISON, Polk, TAYLOR, and the
present nominees, afford most unlucky CON-
Parison. or contrast with their illustrious pre-
decessors. The convention system operates
like the ostracism of Athens. 1t banishes from
power, the great, the wise, the juat
As for the allegation that Congress or th'
House of Representatives is too corrupt or cor
ruptible to elect President, it amounts to al
impeachment of the elective franchise itself
And if members Of Congress-, who are elected
by q majority Of votes from their districts, can
not be trusted, how can delegates to Conven
ton, not elected by a majority, but appointed b
about one-fortieth of the people of district a
primary meetings generally packed.
But we think and hope that Conventions ar
no more. The thing has failed. General ScoT
has beeu nominated by mere sectional vote
only few delegates from VIRGINIA. MARYLAND