Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-07-20
Message Of the President of the u So

The President on Saturday sent the follow
ing message to Congress:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives:
Experience has fully demonstrated the WIS
dom of the trainers Of the Federal Constltu-o
ton. Under all circumstances the result OF
tbeir Iahors was as near an approximate to per-
lection as was compatible with the falllblllty OF
man. Such being the estimation in which
the Constitution is and has ever been held by
our countrymen, it is not surprising that any
proposition for its alteration or amendment
should be received with reluctance and dlstrust.
Whilst this sentiment deserves commentator
and encouragement as useful preventive OF
unnecessary attempts to change It's provisions,
it must be conceded that time has developed
imperfections and omissions in the Constltu-
ton, the reformation Of which has been de-
manded by the best interests OF the country.
Some OF these have been remedled IN the man
ner provided in the Constitution itself. Ihere
are others which, although heretofore brought
to the attention of the people, have never been
so presented as to enable the popular Judg-
ment to determine whether they should be cor
rected by means of additional amendments.
Ny object in this communication is to suggest
certain defects in the Constitution which seem
2SSoAAAAAAShAA
that the Judgment Of the people be taken on
the amendments proposed.
The first of the defects to which | desire to
direct attention is in that clause OF the Constl-
tuition which provides for the election OF Presl-
dent and Vice President, through the lnterVen-
ton of electors, and not by an immediate vote
of the people. +a-'.~
The importance of so amending this clause
as to secure to the people the election OF Presl-
dent and Vice President, by their direct votes,
was urged with great earnestness and ability Dy
President Jackson in his first annual message,
and the recommendation was repeated IN i've
of his subsequent communications to Congress
extending through the eight years of his ad-
ministration. In his message OF 1929, he
said = iii s..s ~. ~
ITO the people belongs the right of electing
their Chief Magistrate; it was never designed
that their choice should in any case be defeat
ed; either by the intervention Of electoral col
leges, or by the agency confded, under certain
contingencies, TO the House Of Representa-
ltives.'' Lua E.l...-.s ,l:..l M
He then proceeded to state the objections to
an election of President by the House OF Rep
resentatiyes. The most important of which
was that the choice of a clear majority Of the
people might be easily defeated. He then
closed the argument with the following recon-
mendation: '-.t->1 > ~ 1. ''
II would therefore recommend such an amend
ment of the Constitution as may remove all IN
termediate agency in the election of President
and Vice President, &C., &c. = en-. s.. -
Although this recommendation was repeated
with undiminished earnestness in several OF his
succeeding messages, yet the proposed amend
ment was never adopted and submitted to the
people by Congress. The danger OF defeat OF
the peoples choice in an election by the House
of Representatives remains unprovded tor IN
the Constitution, and would be greatly lncreas-
ed if the House of Representatives should as
sumo the power arbitrarily to reject the votes
of a State which might not be cast in conform
itv with the wishes Of the majority in that body.
But if President Jackson failed to secure the
amendment to the Constitution which be urged
so pcrsistently, his arguments contributed
largely to the formation Of party organizations,
which have effectually avoided the contingency
of an election by the House of Representatives.
These organizations, first by a resort to the
caucus system of nominating candidates, and
afterwards to State and National Conventions,
have been successful in so limiting the number
of candidates as to escape the danger OF an
election by the House OF Representatives.
It is clear, however, that in thus limiting the
number of candidates, the true object and spirit
of the Constitution have been eVaded and de-
feated. It is an essential feature in our repub
can system OF government that every citizen
possessing the constitutional qualifications
has q right to become candidate Tor
the office of President or Vice President,
and that every qualified elector has
right to cast his vote for any
citizen whom he may regard as worthy. OF
these Offices But under the party organlza-
tons which have prevailed tor years, these
asserted rights of the people have been as aitec
tualIy cut off and destroyed as if the Constltu-
ton itself had inhibited their exercise. The
danger Of defeat of the popular choice 10 an
election by the House of Representatives IS no
greater than in an election made nominay by
the people themselves, when by the laws of
nartyl organization and by the constitutional
provision requiring the people to vote for
electors instead of for the President or Vice
President, it is made impracticabe for any
citizen to be candidate except through the
process Of a party nomination; and for any
voter to cast his suffrage for any other person
than one thus brought forward through the
manipulations of 4 nominating convention. 1t
is thus apparent that by means of party organl-
cations that provision of the Constitution
which requires the election Of President and
Vice President to be made through the Elec
toral Colleges has been made instrumental and
potential in defeating the great object of con.
ierring the choice of these officers upon the
people. It may be conceded that party organi-
cations are inseparable from republican govern
ment and that, when formed and managed ia
subordination to the Constitution, they may be
valuable safeguards of popular liberty; but
when they are perverted to purposes OF bad
ambition they are liable to become the danger
Gus instruments of oVerthrowing the Constitu
ton itself. Strongly impressed with the truth
of these views [ teeI called upon by an impera-
tive sense Of duty to revive substantially the
recommendation so often and so earnestly
made by President Jackson, and to urge that
the amendment to the Constitution herewith
presented, or some similar proposition, may
be submitted to the people for their ratlhca-
ton or rejection. -