Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-07-31

|
~ woNld Therefore recomma:d such TN
amendment Of TIC Constitution sa may remove
al Intermediate agency in the clcctiou Of
PRESIDENT and Vice President Tho mode
may be 80 regulated rs to preserve to each
| State its present relative weight In the cleo.
ton; and failure in tho FIRST attempt may
be provided for by eonfning tho second to q
| choice between :hc t"o highest oanli0atcs
| ln aon"ce ioit VII, au:,. a. ",.oa,,.ue.,.. il
! would seem advisable 70 'im:; The so.y:so Of
'hc Cssic, Magistrate: TO q sn,i, .csm oi cish..
ols OF six years. II, ,owoyo:, 1t should no.
DC adopted, i! 10 worthy .: confederation
whether provision dis4'r!lifyus 10. oloo
the Representatives ia Congress Oh whom
such o', election may have deyo!vcd would not
30 proper"
| Although this Recommendations WAS repeat.
ed with un,liminishcd c;rncst;es 10 several
OF his succeeding messages, yet the proposed
amendment was never adopted and subnsit:cd
to the people by Congress. The Danger cf a
defeat of tic peoples choice in an election by
the House Of Representatives should assume
tho power arbitrarily to rcjcc: she votes oe a
State wkch might not be cast in co... 'o.mty
with the wishes of the majority in that body.
But if President jackson failed to secure the
amendment to the Constitutior, which he ur-
god 80 pcrsistontly, his arguments contributed
largely 20 the formation o. party organisations
which have cffcctually avoided the con.;ugon-
cy of an election by the House of Rcprcscn.
tativcs These Organizations, first by resort
to the caucus system of om;nating candidates,
and afterwards 70 State and National Convcn.
tions, have bccu successful in 50 limiting the
number of candidates as to escape the danger
Of an election by the House of Representa-.
t:vcs
II is clear, however, in thus limiting the
number 0: candidates the true object and spir.
! Ii .: tio Constitution have been cvaded and
| defeated. 1t is au essential feature ia our
| Republican sys;om Of Government shat every
citizen, possessing the constitutional quallifi-
cations. has right 10 become candidate for
the Office of President and Vice. President,
and that every qu.i...fcd clcc;or has right
to ,as hs vote lor any citizen whom he may
fca,.n ,"s worthy Of ,acsc Offices. But undc.
thc iM.iy o..,"..":,ona wici h.lvc prevailed
tor yeas, these essential rights of ihc pooplo
have bcen Us chcctually cut of and destroyed
| q / i!.n Constitution :tSc!s had prohibited
,acir oGcgy.,,. The da9c! of defeat of tic
| oDN'"r clio &c a al cle:iion by The House of
Representatives. is nc gicaci than in oil clec.
80. iaade nomiHaliy by ti.o people themselves,
w.a:. by INC laws Of party organizations, and
, nv 81 a.
people TO voto for electors instead Of .oi .l:o
rscs;d,n. or Wool President, it is made IN.
practicable ior any citizen to be candidate
except through the process Of party aoni-
nation, sud for any votor to cast His suffrage
for any other person than ono thus brought
forward through the manipulations Of nom.
mating Convention.
1t is thus apparent that by means Of party
o..g,an! atoms that provision of the Constitu.
ton w.iioh require, .he oic:tion Of President
anu Voc! resident 10 DO made through the
Electoral colleges, has been made instrumcn.
ia! and potential in defeating the great object
| of comforting. tao onoicc OF these officers
upon yhc people. It may be conceded that
party organizations aro inscparablc from re-
publican government and that, when formed
| and managed in subordinaton to tho Const
tuition, they may be valuable safeguards Of
popular liberty; but when they are perverted
to purposes Of bad ambition, they arc liable
/ i 'a;ca"ne the dangerous instruments OF over
THROWING; the Constitution Itself syrp.p,;
impressed with tho truth of these views,
feel called upon by an impcratiy sense Of au
ty to revive substantially the recommendation
so often and SO earnestly made by President
jackson, and to urge that tho amendment to
Tho Constitution herewith presented, or some
similar proposition may be submitted to the
people for thcir ratification or rejection.
Recent events havogshown the necessity Of
an amendment to tho Constitution, distinctly
defining tho persons who shall discharge the
duties of President Of the United States, in
the event Of a vacancy in that oflico by death,
resignation or removal Of both the President
and Vico. President. 1t is clear that this
should bo fixed by the Constitution, and not
bo loft to repealablo oaactmcnts of doubtful
constitutionality. 1t occurs TO mo that in the
event Of a vacancy in the ofIico of Presidout
by the death, resignation, disability, or ro.
| noyol of hntl, that proe;dnnt ,nJ Viz, pros;.