The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-10
Amendments to the Constitution.

14ulGlllllllCA - w too
Mr.. GREELEY, who was not elected Presi'
dent, having died before the day on which the
Presidential electors met to cast their votes,
there Is a great wonder about it. Now,
somebody who was a candidate having died
before the electoral vote could have been cast
for him, we see how surprising things might
happep,-how the electors might elect whom
they pleased-and this puts men IN tue franc
of mind for tiukering the Constitution.
There Is no occasion for oil THIS. ihe
electors, according to custom, have always
considered themselves instructed to vote for
the candidates whose names were on the
ticket along with theirs !; and as the Consti-
tuition provides for the death of a President
or yice.President, there is no danger Of tho
Presidential chair being vacant 10y any such
event as death.
Originally tie Institution Of the electoral
colleges was intended to give to thcse-col
lcges the real power Of choosing the Presi-
dent, but the custom that has been estab-
lished gives them no power whatever, and
The people had just as well vote directly for
President and Vice-Presidcnt, without the
unmeaniug aud absurd formaiity Of the in
tervention of the electoral colleges. They
arc not electoral. They have no liberty to
choose whatever, and should be dispensed
with ia, utterly useless bodies.
But the propositions for amendment not
only embrace the direct vote OF the peopl"
in the election of President, but the limita-
ton Of tie duration of Office Of each Presi-
dent 10 n term Of four ycaIS-Sume say
six. Some suggest the prorriety, also, of
fixing the duration ef~ office-in-the civil SER
vice during good behavior and capability OF
the officer.
We think that DO amendments on-thcse
heads will be made. When the Constitution
is opened to amendments there will be so
many offered that the way Of amendment
will he blocked up. The "ins" and "outs"
will never agree. Those who have their
bellies full cannot agree with those who
are hungry and gaunt. The hungry outs
want to lave their day; and rs they want to
revel in the ilcsh.pots for eight years US well
their adyerSaIieS, and rs they hope to win at
the next election, they will not assist
to put q limit upon the duration Of the
Presidential Office or reeligibility Of u
President for the second term. The same
fond expectations OF L party triumph and
getting possession of tho offices will prevent
the outs from helping to tic the hands OF the
President by taking from him the control Of
the public ofiiceS-tIe power OF removal and
appointment.
There is no reason why the people should
not vote directly upon the election Of Presi-
dent, but that amendment nobody is par
ticuhrly interested in. The personal aspi-
rations Of no ono will be advanced by the
change, and us no one will be personally
benefited by pressing it, we shall not prob
ably, have Ii pressed. .s... @
- We ore %incredulous about any amendments
to tue Constitution for the public good. A
dominant and powerful party may force
through amendments for IFS own advantage
(such as the fourteenth, fifteenth, and six
tenth umendments), but when amendments
ore proposed for the public good there will be
reasons against them, probably; but If not,
those who have power to pass them will not
be " in the yciu."