Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-07
LETTERS OYTHE EPREsIDEYoY,
Brs. s. NICHOLAS, or LOUISVILLE.
F.rst published IN. lSi0;rspu5iishsd ia 1859.

LETTERS ON THE PRESIDENCY,
Brs. s. NICHOLAS, or LOUISVILLE.
F.rstpu5tishsd in. lSio;rePubiished ia 1859.
saMBxRII.I.
have said that the election Of President never will OF
ought 70 be given directly aod exclusively 10 the House
| of Representatives Il will because the large
States will agree to the present mode of voting
by states and the smaller States will not consent 10
change IL into a vote pr capita.
1t ought not TO be given, because, without dwell
nS host Of other objections there Is an ncowPad-
bity in the exercise of such power By the House,
| wben viewed 10 coDnexion with other features Of the
Const uion alone sufficient ptory forbid it To
give requisite energy aud tcency TO the Government
the President must always be allowed retain pow.
Grand atronage. Their fcise is naturally liable
abuse and corruption than all the other operations Of Gov
ernmept. The members Of tie House Of RepreseL
ves the natural, well as Constitutional, senGes
to watch and guard against it's abuse The President
should neither be their cielture their master. The
powers they severay possess practically and heorst
icsly Of anagonis. character aud wisely placed
as mutual counterpose. This counerpose is entirely
destroyed when he ID elected by the House. We nd in
practice, that the party in Congress wLo even lend the
aid Of their influence towards makinga President BY the
popular vote, are bound to sustain him right wrong or
at least do 30 sustain him, In order sustain Them
selves. The talepts and vigilance which should be de-
voted to hs detection and exposure of Executive abuse
of power, become its defenders and spologiss The
cOrrupuOne oil successfully
under the imputed virtue and vgaucs Of the represen.
tatiyes Of the people This is true aud Of easy proof
ss to every party President we have ever had The
great bulk of the people too removed from the i'm.
mediate Of action and source Of corrtct informa.
on either to detect the imposition themselves credit
its existence, when detected by political sdversarts
whom they hsb;ualy distrus aRd disbeieve. Ths de-
stuction OF the natural fuuctons and entire psrversion
of the assigned duties o the immediate Representatives
Of the people, constituting, does one OF the st.ong
eat ons to the present system, would apply with
redoubeo force TO plan vesting the election exclusive
y in the Il ouse.
The amen dment of the present mode, which seems
heretofore to have obtained most favor is that which,
taking from the House oil participation in the election
and aboishing the Intervention Of electors gives il
exclusively TO the people. This change might be step
from the bad to the less bad tut without any decided
approximation to the good Il isa mode into which the
M ton might be driven, in avoidance Of the evils Of ire
quent elections by the House but it is one which would
ne YER have been proposed adopted as an origina'
scl eIne for lis merit one likely 10 avoid any
of the ills or attain any Of the advantages within the
contemplation OF those who framed and adopted the Con
sti tuition.
The present blended plan is liable to objections there.
fore that would apply to either OF these amendments
sep,trately We have now all the heat turmoil, publ c
excl tement and corruption, that could possibly lt
from direct popular election, without any certainty OF
the cntest resulting in the election Of one who will be
cepsle to majority Of the nation. II it has not happen
in the case of Mr. Adams it is easy to see that t may and
often II happen from the mode Of voting and other
causes that the person selected by the House, will not
be acceptable not merely to mory Of the nation but
even TO a majority OF the members of the House. Tho
present pan therefore, except In the cases OF the con-
tests between existing parties has not even the
IL of securing to popular sentm mt certain control
the result Ths is radically wrong, and Mr. Adams
Is striking instance in proof that II so. SO long
the system Is kept up with an ostensble submission OF
the question to the popular voice, the popular voice
ought to control the result.
The great stiscton to the present plan or any mod
cation Of H. il It's inevitable tendency to generate Iay
feuds Of the most disgraceu character. The natural
proneness of all republics to this inherent vice Meth
er overlooked disregarded BY the Convention. The
misfortune is that they miscaculaed the srcency OF
the guards which they employed agairst it, The fact
was not then sufficiently known that tomake the peo
yls indirectly participate in the election was ultimately
10 give il TO them directly and exclusively. The Con-
venou was too well versed in human character no. to
kuow the vast machinery Of corruption that wonld be
put in requston TO excite the great body of the people,
IL the election were transferred directly and exclusively
TO them.
roctor Franklin proposed in Convention that the Pre-
sdsnt should be allowed no pscuniart compensation for
bis services Listen TO part of what he said in support
of his propuiou snd then judge whether human nature
yas undt r. TODD in thst day not: There are two
passions that have powerful influence the afis Of
men, These are ambition aud avarice the love ofpoS.
or aud the 10 of money. Separately each has grea'
f,rca in pro, noting TO action but when ulited 10
view of the s,,me otac they have in many minds toe
nost violent fleets Place before the eyes Of such pen
most of honS that shall be at the same tine place
of Drofl aud they will more heaven and earth 10 Or
tain IL The number Of such places IL Is that rem
ders the British Government tempesucus Tie strag
oles for them ara the OF all those ction
which are perpstuay dividing tue nation, osfrscbng s
councils hurr,ing sometimes rto iraiees and mische-
yous wars aud often compelling submission 10 dshon-
orible peace
"Apd of wha. kind are the meu that viii strive
tor ,his prcfssbe precminence through all he bus'e
of cabal the beat Of contention, the Infinite mu.
ua abuse of psrtos, tearing TO pieces the best 0.
Il viii no. be the wise and moderate, the
lovers OF peace and good order the f:e for the
trust It will be the bold aud the vic:nt, the men
of strong passions aud ndsiaga5e activity in their sell
fish pursuits These will thrust themselves into your
government and be your ruers And these will be
their vanqaishcd competitors, Of tic spirit and
10 distress their administration thSart their measures
aud render them ojious 10 the people"
Doss not this sound like a thorough know.
the wise old doc or had somehow realized his own queer
wish OF berg bottled up 10 good madeira, and after the
lapse Of fifty years. resasciaed to see what the country
had come to- and had given this graphic skech of the
working Of our system Of Presidential elections! lcs-
not refrain from giving another extract from tae tams
speech.
t viii be sail done propose to establish king
know Il but there 1, natural inclination in mankind
10 kingy government II sometimes relieves them from
q, ;s,ocrssic domination. They had rather have "