Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09

nave nllinuprH OF men rapaUc ol uiilhS l!e
Office, and ii is perhaps right that 10 one man
should fill that all controlling Office for so long
period as eight years. Previous to giving the
election to the people in most OF the States, HE
general rule was to rc-elect the President, be-
ca,lse of the overwhelming inIluence which his
Office gave him over the State legislatures.
Ny second proposition in support of the bill
under consideration, is that the election OF
electors ought to be given to the people TO
prevent the election of President from devol-
wing upon the Federal House of Representatives; {;
and maintain that the other States have given
the election to the people in part TO prevent the
recurrence of such an appalling event. lh's
Union consists of thirty-one States, as sovereign
communities, which are so distant from each
other; their organizations so separate ana dis
tinci; their centres Of action 80 remote; their
interests so conflicting their principles SO anita
conis,ic that there rarely could ever be, at tlils
stage of the Republic, sufficient concert of coun-
sci and action among the legislatures to rally
majority of the electoral college upon any one
man. The result therefore in most contests Tor
the Presidency would be, that the election could
only be decided by the Federal House OF Rep.
resentatives As long as Washington lived,
he headed II party Of his countrymen, to whom
his will was law, and hence there never was any
formidable opposition to him, or his successor
whom he named. But at the very first election
after his death, what spectacle did the country
behold. The election Of Presidential electors
was then in the hands of the legislatures, which
voted for President on different days in neary J
every State. The aspiranss for Presidential
houors intrigued with the leading members OF
each Legislature, who had previously been elec
ted, and the election was thrown into the House
Several days were spent in frniIess ballots, allc
4, last two States, Delaware and South Carroll.
| na appalled, at tho approach of anarchy, votee
bLqnk. and Mr.. Jefferson WAS elected. lie I'M
nedia,elv bestowed high rewards upon those
who voted for him in The House, rs well rs up
on those who had controlled the State legls!a
lures. But at the same tune, he recommended
reform, and the constitution was amended, IA u
the mode of eec,ing President, and for the las
time up to this hour.
Subsequent to 1901, two candidates for tn
Presidency were generally put forward by ION
gressional caucuses, 50 rs to cooperate an'
unite public opinion upon one man by the parl.
in power, and upon another by the party IN op
position. This was done evidently to avert tn
!. catastrophe of the election being again throw
into the House. Under this system, the elec
tion of President gded on smoothly, until tn
are of peace, rs il was called, cam" on, whe
, four competitors for the Presidency were in tn
feld-Mr. Adams, General Jackson, MIR. Cla,
and Mr.. Crawford. In consequence of Con
rressional caucuses having fallen into dIsuse
Snd the present national convention system be
inc unknown, there wss no general concert t
elect President. Wire-puers were left flu
scope to intrigue with the Legislatures in sue
, of tho States as had not yet given the e!cctio
of electors to the people, and by voting for tou
candidates the election was again thrown int
the House, which became n second time an as
! scmbly of electors, instead oflegislatcrs. villa
indescribable srenes were witnessed in the r.
preventative hall, pending this election. Men
bcrs who wero aspirants for office and who's
votes might have an important bearing upo
, their prospects for Executive appointments, me
: at the hour of midnight, log rolled, urged temp
!. ling bids for the votes of influential member
and in their bachanal orgies over the wine-bott
:. the successful and more corrupt party chante
! ! the sentiment, that "those who fell with tn
. . first Adams shall rise with the second
= Mr.. Adams therefore was accordingly electc
n by corrupt coalition between himself and NJ
r. Clay, either express or implied" and the wi
>, of the American people was thus defeated acco
:, ding to the highest contemPoraneous authoril
! Such was the nude mockery Of the electis
!, franchise exhibited to the public gaze that ii
i President elect said in his message of ucce,
- tancc, that but for the absence Of constitution