Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-12-06

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Sas ,in c1gs bs esdT;se rvs. Qoafry Eoiicassctst
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A Departure from the spirit OF the COnstitu-
ton and its Retribution.
Il seems 20 be an ordinance Of Providence that every
departure from the path Of reedtude shall sooner Of
later, be followed BY its appropriate punishment Thh
great truth Is equally applicable u communities and in
dvduals-and We haves striking illustration Of t. in tho
present unhappy condition Of the country When oui
fathers framed the Constitution Of the United States
they evidently intended that the Presidential electors
should be chosen BY single districts and HOt b. general
ticket, The theory this subject was that the people
AZ large could not be Sufficiently acquainted with The
character and Qualifications Of public men, to enable
them to select intelgenty among the different eandt
date for the Presidency Ia obya,e this inconvenience
tbe Constitution ordained that the people should not
vote directly for President and Vice President but that
they should select their Wsest and best men, whom they
knew, aud in whom they eondded, electors, to
make an election for them. This involved no
disparagemeut Of the virtue or intelligence Of
the people but vas the result Of that far-sighted
sagaci.y which distinguished al the deliberations and
acts Of sthe founders Of the Republic. Il well
known that the people in their primary capacity would
not frame laws for The government Of the country, and
heuce il necessary for them 20 choose representatives
TO perform that function for them. Similar consideration
OF The impossoy Of millions Of people scattered over
continent being accurately Informed to the ability
and fitness Of any man TO an the Presidential oce, a-
ducsd The trainers Of the Constitution provide for the
election Of representatives 20 choose for them Presi
den; to execute the laws But to give full eject to the
theory and purposes Of the Constitution, necesa
~ tina: the Presidential electors should be chosen from
sia7s dsireis The people viii generally be able to in
form themselves 70 the Of their own district and
viii be able to make proper selection Of an elector for
themselves But when you substitute the genera! ticket
system YOU at once depart from thesprt Of the Cous
tuition and naugh all the reasons which governed
the ac,ioa Of those who framed t. While the people
iy be very able to Judge OF the Who resides in their
own district bow can the citizens Of Hancock or Lee
knox ANYTHING Of tho merits Of elec;Or in Acoomac
Tasy would be muca apt TO know the character and
publications Of the candidate than Of the distant seefr
an thus the intentions OF the founders Of the Covert
msut have been entirely frustrated BY the introduction
OF the general ticket system.
We believe that the single district system prevail
for some tine after the government went into operation
and We have heard &c seated that Chief Justice Marshall
was 50 veil satisfied tina, the general ticket system was
ia violation Of the Constitution that he refused to vo,s
IN any Presidential election Tor many years after the H.
nosiion Vas made.
or impression is that the general ticket system
aH srti device Of that prince OF demagOgues and Dem
ocras Aaron BUR- for the purpose Of smohering the
voice Of the minority in New York Other States, in
self defence followed the iuiqgi,ous example Of New
York and thus the general ticket system finally
troiucsd into an Of them.
The whole system on which the general ticket Is found
"a is aoirepu5lican and tyrannica. The object and
che resl, il % smother the voice Of minorics in each
Safe and is practical eject Is sometimes 20 secure tie
eiection Of President By minority Of the whole pOpn
lar vote. Tais - al wrong and should be changed.
The evils Of the general ticket -ysem have just been
made hiFrsudy manifest 90 fbs election Of Lincoln, and
~ s-rs7ag che North sad the South against each chsr
On strictly geographical principles. Under the single
district sys-m. Lincoln could not have been elected
President uorcoad ore section Of the country have been
arraysd against the other Uajer /, Lincoln might have
o5,asi ore or two votes 10 che South, boz he wouii
have lost thirty or forty votes in the NcrJh. II tie clec
toa had been by single districts, at least nice in ~
York six Or eight ia Pennsylvsaia many 10 OhiOve
or ak in ILLINOIS, and hko number in Indiana, TO say
nothing Of other States would have bsenclst for the OPP
posing candidates. This made manifest by the results
o. the Congressional elections
Taus We see that this Ubiquitous Democratic coutri-
vance has after the lapse OF many years come back go
plague is inventors The device sdoped 70 Perpetu-
a,s Democrats power has oyerthroWn Il; The cunning
engineer has been hoi,;ed by bis Osn petard
Eow that experiences has demonstrated the folly and
The vickedness Of this tangled expedeut to sas the
f expression Of public opinion let address ourselves
90 the proper remedy Lee insist amendment
70 the Constitution BY which h shall be provided that the
Electors for President and Vice President shall be ehos
Gu BY sings districts. This vii be po;ent guarantee
against sectional contests in future. Toe voice Of mix
E,u and half Of conservative men in the Northern States
can no longer be senced BY tyranucd majority. The
sntiuert Of the people ia all parts Of the Coniederacy
VII be fairly expressed and seeiionalism viii be edsctu-
aly baoi.hed from our Presidential contests.
We respectfully call the attention Of southern mem
hers Of Congress 70 this subject in the belief that h viii
be one Of tae most 1ss AMI useful amendments to the
Constitution that could be made.