The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-06-07

No question has ever arisen, as TO the
constitutionality Of either mode. except
that Ola direct choice by the Lcyi.la-
ture But this, though often doubted
by able and ingenious minds, has been
.frmly es~biishcI in proctice, eyer since
nc odoptom ofMc Constitution, auI
ooeS "of "ow seem to admH Of conho-
0ersy even it'a suitable tribunal existed
70 adJudlcatc upon it. At present, in
nearly all the States, the electors are
chosen either by the people by a gem
eral ticket, or by the State Legislature
lhc choice in Districts has been gradu.
SLY abandoned, and is now crscvercd
in, but by two States" These havc
since changed
Governor johnson, long an orna-
rncnt Of the Bench in this State, in his
message of November AZ, says, aThc
present system has wor kcd well here
tofoie, and | am, upon principle, op-
posed to any changes, unless certain
and practical advantages are to result
from them. This certainly has ono
advantage. The members Of the Leg.
islatnrc have greater facilities of asccr-
tanning the qualifications and claims
Of the candidates than the great masses
of the people, and are therefore less
liable to be imposed on by the artful
misrepresentation of designing men.
If you should think otherwise, it will
be for. you to determine whether to
elect them by Districts or a general
ticket. 1t is obvious that if the gener-
al ticket system is adopted, the up
country will, on account Of the greater
number Of voters, have the entire con-
troll of these elections" Then speaking
of tile compromises between the up
and low country he says, The prin-
cple of this compromise, has generally
governed in the election of Senator'S to
Congress and good JaiM requires that
it SHOULD be carried out in the lection
Of electors
"Ihc Constitution Of the United
States authorizes the Legislatures Of
Che several States to prescribe the
manner of appointing electors, and I
have heard it urged that rs the power
was limited to prescribing the manner,
the Legislatures themselves had not tho
power to appoint. Our long continual
usage gives the answer to this areu-
mcnt; dm V'Mc question pus nor open,
| do not think there ould be room
Tor much controversy about it. Tho
power to appoint, necessarily involves.
ight to direct the manner in whieli
the power is to bc executed, and the
idea hat one may authorize that to be
done, which he himself is prohibited
to do, would seem to involve a contra
diciion.s
+ Mr.. Madison says, "W .thout the
intervention Of the State Lcgislatu, cs.
the President of the United States an
not be elected at all. They must III
all cases have q great share in his APP s
Pontment, aud, will, perhaps, in most
cases, ctMcmselpes delermiae it,"
These are my views and authority
for them. But if the people will have
change, predicate that change upon a
special issue, made up and decided at
the ballot box. That much at least, is
due to the present mode for it's age and
the good it has done. | repeI the
allegation that desire "to withhoM
their rights from the people," econ
stitntiona checks are necessary for the
preservation Of popular governments,
SO said Joh3 Rutlcdgc, and added, 'lhe
people want to be protested against
themselves; no man is so absurd as to
suppose tho people collectcdly will
consent to the prostration of their lib
critics but if they be not shielded by
some constitutional checks they will
suffer them to Ec destroyed to be
destroyed BY demasogucs, who flch
the confidence cf the people by pre-
tending tc BE their friends; dersa-
gogucs, VIII, at tile time they are sooth-
ing and Cabling the people with bland
and captivating speeches, are forging
chains for lhcm demagogucs, who
AIRY daggcrs in their hearts, and Sc
ductiye smiles i'll their hypocri.ica,
faces; who are booming the people to
despotism, when they profess to be cx-
clusively the friends of the people q:
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