The Tarboro' southerner., 1871-02-02

..e.~ssrr For, the sontherner.. y
Why the President takes his
Seat ON the 4th Of March. g-,
Having been often asked this ques,
tion. aud deeming the subject of suf-
6cient general interest, we take occa-
sion to givea public answer, stri e4ca
The Revolutionary War, which is
by some considered TO have begun
with the battle Of aAlamaace, n. c.,
May Is, 17T1, and, by others, with
| the battle of Lexington, Mass April
/ 8, 1l775g was practically closed with
the surrender of Cornwallis at York
town, Va, Oct. 10, 1881. TIE pre-
fiim:nary treaty of peace was sigaed at
& aris, Nov. 30. 1882, and the de6ui,
tive treaty Oh Sept.a3, 1888 e Owing
to the great imperfeetions Of the Al
tieles of Confederation adopted by
the States in 1873, the affairs Of the
country were in a condition Of com
paratiye anarchy for some five years
| subsequent to the Peace Of Versailles.
Tofremedy this state Of things, a gen
eral convention was called, which met
at Philadelphis May II, 1887. aud on
Sept. II, 1887, they adopted Con
stitution, and submitted it to the peo
pie Of the States for ratification.
The ratification Of niue States was
| to be sufficient for the establishment
of The Constitution between the States
80 ratifying the same. By June 2l :,
1853, nine States had ratified, and the
Constitution was binding for them
Virginia followed ou the 26th of June.
and New York on the 26th of July,
1888. (This left only North Carolira
and Rhode Island; the former adopt
ed the Constitution Nov 21. 1889,
and the latter, May 29, 1890 On
Saturday, Sept. 13, 1888, the Federal
Congress-, in session at New York, pas
sed a resolution that the first Wednes
d j in ] lnuary, 1889, should be the
day for the appointment Of Presidcn-
tiaI Electors in the States which. be
fore that day, should have ratified the
Constitution that the first Wednes
day in February should be the day for
the Electors to assemble 10 their res
pective States. and vote for President
nd shat the first Wednesday in March
should be the time and New York the
place, for commencing proceedings
under the Constitution. They natu
rally wished the action to begin with
the New Year ;and they selected Wed
nesday, the middle of the week, il
order to give the people to go to auc
from their voting precints withou
having to travel 90 Sunday Th'
election took place as ordered Th'
fft Wednesday in March, 1889, Wa,
the 4h day Of the month. CThis may
be seen in the official documents o
that year, and may also be calculate
be an easy set of rules which we May
give your readers before long, as they
serve the purpose of Perpetual Cal
endar.) 4 10 .-E
I There we're no steam or telegraphi'
facilities in the days Of the formation
of our Government SO that but few
Representatives and Senators assem-.
bled 10 New York on the 4th day 0
March, 1885, Still some met, enc
kept adjournipg from. day to day, un
til the House Of Representatives ob
tanned quoi um on the 1st Of Ap1i
and the Senate on the 9th of April
On Monday, the 9th of April, the.
opened and counted the votes, an
fund that George Washington wa
unanimously elected President. o.
the l4th of April, messenger hande'
Washington, at Mount Vernon, az of
fetal announcement Of the fact aud
on the 10th, he set out on his cariag
for the Capital. The joyous throng
: ing OF the people, the RIGGING Of bells
the booming Of cannon, the lighting
) of -bonfres, the display Of flags, tn
erection of triumphal arches, the de
!. livering of addresses, the singing o
a honorary odes, marked his progress
: He reached New York on the 23i @
. April, having thus occupied seve
days in going 245 miles, distanc
> nov traversed by the steam-car in te
hours.
Congress occupied another week i
> arranging the formalities Of the inar
guration, aud in debating by what ii
: tie to address the President =
On Thursday, the 3Oth OF April, IT.
Washington was inaugurated. Th
next election would have reguarl
taken place the 1st Wednesday /
January. 1898; but to prevent r
currence Of the delays incident upo
the first election, 10 Act was passed b
Congress, and approved March i, 179'
that the Electors should be chose
within 81 days preceding the lst Wee
nesday iu December. 1892, that tt
Electors should meet and cast the
votes on the 1st Wednesday in Decen
!. Der, that certificates Of the votes shou
be delivered to the President of tt
y Senate. at the seat Of Government. b
= fore the 1st Wednesday in Januar
that Congress should be in session {
} the End Wednesday in February, ar
should then open and count the vote
aud declare who are elected Preside1
aud Vice President, and these office
,r should lie inaugurated on the 9TH d.
of March. This last provision was,
- course, because the 1st Wednesday
u March, 1889, was the 4th day OF Il
month. To have the election come
J the same day in all the States, an A
was approved Jan: 23, 1o45, requiri'
that the Electors should be chosen
d all the States on the Tuesday next ,
ter the ist Monday in November. I
IE original, time fixed for the elecsi'
might not, perhaps, have been chan
ed in ,fs2, had the Legislators forese