Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-18
RICHMOND WHIG.
0NTHE PRESIDENCY
IS. NICHOLAS OF LOUISVILLE.
R.rst tnnblishsd in 1910; rcpnblishel in 1859.
NUMBER VII

| NUMBER VII
"Anl tNev gave oth ihcr lots and The fcl on Matthias
ne lab s.ed WITH tie eleven apostles"
There is q c5mnendsbe dsincin ition to any substaH
al innovation upon the structure OF National Gov
erpmen'. The anscendeDt wisdom Of those who framed
requires that should conf 10 much TO the imputed
perfection OF their work. and dstrust ability to in
it. But h part of that Wis iom 10 suppose
perfect. l. uol merely admits the poss billy OF iis
containing uperfectons, and comedies the power OF
correcting them when Gs ertaned bat 1t renders IL
duty to the Constitution itself TO correct such parts as
prove 10 practice not 10 work according the theory
upon wCi.h the whole built Il lie no dtjonted s.
connected ba ch OF abstract doguas but admirable
oircs Of political mechsnism its several parts berg n'
cudcd TO aid sustain Gn1 depend upon other. ns
preservation requires that L should continue to Get
N the princiIlss upel which IL was Get 10 mooa.
| Whenever ia practice one part proves destructive
Of another, It is su)versiye of the principles upln
| Ehich the whole was framed, and needs amending
or the very purpose OF preserving those principles
Whenever after sufciont experiment. il Is found that
Any piri does not work according to the theory OF tho
vhol; IL eb aims in essential degree less
than intended for il; floosfs that support
itself free from those checks that Intended
Cor Il, or Il il IL pro incty Of or accompanied by
evils it intecd d TO obv Ite aad guari az lns
may be morally eertiin that such part s not merely
~ imp rec ion, but sooner or later must become the
,auss of destruction TO other parts When such dsrov
cry ia made, the painest dictates Of puience suggss
he propriPty and necessity OF smendmt nj. We may
aot single effort be successful In achieving the de-
rdd perfecto. but each sffJrt Will approach nearer
20 H. It'll 6lally attlined. No: 70 IN Ike the fort s to
De creant 10 thai which the constitution cent les
each succeeding generation and the exercise Of which,
sith prudent clurous discretion, viii, in all time to
;om', be Necessary 10 preserve the Government IL
leathful SETON. To sUpposs the poope Incapable OF
.atccug tuch AN evil or ltckng virtue to correct IT,
TO suppose them inclplbe of selfgoVernment and TO
Dele the noblast truth incucated by Institutions
TIE previous numbers have been written in vaio. If
yery reader Is not stefed that the mode OF choosing
ur Presidents net only does no. work Ia practice &c
c1rding 10 the ancipaiiOns Of tho trainers OF the Gov
ernment, hut oducryo Of the very evils nendd
b, guarded agaiuFt 10 threaten II not Ultimate de-
ttucon the whole Government AZ lels, that of near
" all the benefits derivablo from It's other paris. IL
tlnds as n c)rces!op taken from the admission OF al
he prominent statesmen of all prties tha, tie EGecu
i've department has not merely acquired vastly more
lower than intended but has cast itself FREQ from all
hech and control Tho time. then, for amending and
emodehDg ha! DEPARTMENT must have arrived, in order
preserve the Constitution itself aud this is the great
duty which the present generation toward that
cred instrument This srs enphadcily the great duty
,hich the Cuiin in'cig cf the day TO their
repataio to their generation and ID all pos
erity.
|. vii be in vain TINT We slal seek pailtives and
,orrecrcs of III, evils )wrc from tho presi 'elta
lec'ions by am,sGiny tbs modi Of clacdon. Most o.
those evils Inherent IN every d. Of election. Tic
)nly alternative il to abolish hi election altogether We
must provje Pf3siiels for the couary by so meth
3D. which If 4 ptr,sKe o! th. character OF election
V al mast be in SO remo.. dagrss, as 10 clu3s ap
rebeusOn Of g'aer'ting, to any graz ent those ills
tha the nl url a.sel! ln3 upon al elections, whelh
e legislative or popular
This resul can b, a.taiad and "a only to be attained
o5 .ki,g the choice depend mainly upon lot. Tao
jan have proroi9d is more mo16 jtion Of that sag
Jsiei many gears ago by dS.ia3G 'h'd SRs!or from
Connecticut on the eve of his retirement from public
lie legloy OF a5v.os TO his oouatry. L. is in sub
stance, this:
To form electoral college, By electors chosen by
he people Of the ifsrent States in ths ratio those
having population ltss than five huud ed thousand TO
sot one; those with that population bnt less than
uion, 10 cec Two; thoie over two, fnl with less than
our milon TO elect threc and those with over four
million to d;c four electors, From he college 30 form
d. to select any proper number say sevan by lot I'd
rom those seven the other q ctors 10 choose thc Pas
Lent Immediately whou: a. aij1unmsn. or dablte, by
riyd vocs got dropping the hlndmos. a: each ballot
Ill one hasa j0.y, until to Is produced, and in
,h1 event, giving tie power Of choosing from tl"se
having al eqpay OF votes TO tha Speaker OF the House
Of ptcieutA;ves, or to the Chief Justice or some
other officer Of the Government Tie Vice President
De then chosen in the slme manner. Both to hold
heir oiccs for iour ytar5 The veto power to DO so re-
iused, that the replsags OF q bill by jority of al
the members Cl:ced to both Houses, shah overrue the
Presidents veto. TIE holding Of any other Office TO be
no diqullcaoa for the Office Of eectoF aud requiring
cccor 70 be ei;!A OF the State electing him
rhe al cor5 70 be allowed p7cuniIry compensa ion
but such would barely their travelling expenses
IL will b. readily perceived that the main idea upon
which this scheme is oEssd Is TO have 1t arranged,
that BY no posshl ty the Presidential chair can ever be-
come tho su ct of party contests. 1t il presumed
that this is the only mode Ia which that object be
properly attained but IL is pr rsented by which Il
can successfully be accomplished aad Of the simplicity and
av l.iy with which Il can be done, without
,ola ing any cardinal principle of republican
or dieturhiuy that
,romise Of conflicting interests, which Is the foundation
Of the federal constitution II Il be the bes, plan lis
acu'sion and consideration will serve st sasi to elicit
the suggestion Of that best plan.
BY this mode chief magistrate codd be safely pro.
'ded for the nation, without heat turmoil or strife OF
l1y kind. Those politol national cabas which have for
heir the elsvRtng particular men, and obtaining
he Offices and power OF the government which have
,ong distracted the country, would at once aud
clud never he revived Federal politics would long
minge with, or, at sas they would control the
,nT,irs Of the Sac governments. The legislation Of
Congress and the State LsglsauTes would cease to bs
contaminated and controlled by the corrupting .aven
OF that vile party spirit crossing out OF contested Pres.
identisl elections Oar Congressional aud legislative
Halls wouli no longer be & lied by men having
for their greatest merit, their adherence to po-
liioa aspiranis. Our a ctions would no longer
30 polluted by bought or ill'gal votes, nor by the
acts OF fraudulent oftcss. The President would no
longer possess uneontrolsble power above the consu
Subjected eff Give responsibility 20 the represesta.
tves Of The peoJe their mutual party ties being sever.
Cd or they being no longer bound TO support him. II
order 10 sustain themselves In fne should be Civ.
ing the constitution fair play, to solve by fair expert
ment whether we are compstent to safgOve.nrBept or
not
Every motive for .bs ersatda and every principle Of
adheeon for party bIsed peFsonal sesh con-
sideratous would be taken away aud none such could
exist Parties, no doubt there still would be-, but not
of that tendency TO the dba3ment Of public moral1
which all pIrties hava that framed for ndiv dual
elevation and aygrhnig ,ment The only great national
division, most probably, woul be, into those who en-.
deayor TO eulIrge aud hoss who endavor TO curta the
powers Of tho general government auoh parties are
heathful in their operation and should always exist
Their tendency ia to results whiei lie at medium be
tween tho extremes OF both. Political striies about alb
sract principles, or mere questos OF policy In legsla.
tol 6alcnlsed produce that dangerous te.-
OF popular excemen which is the nevtr-ts-
ing Accompaniment Of scr,mbss for Office through the
means Of popular elections The most important popn
lar elections would be those for State GIvsrnors and
D.. Tna