Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-02-01
The Constitutional Method.

The Constitutional Method
Citizens of every class and every
opinion have right to ask that, in the
settlement of the Presidential question,
the Constitution of the United States
shall be scrupulously observed. Only
by that course can we hope to arrive at
settlement which shall command the
r, spect and confidence of Intelligent
men. But what does the Constitution
require? There are differences of opin-
| ion, as il natural, considering human
fraility. 1t would be too much to ex-
peet of many statesmen that they
would stoutly adhere to an interpreta-
tion which would bring defeat to all
their hopes, because they had adopted
that Interpretation at time when it
was essential to their interests. Ac-
cordingly, we find that Democratic
Senators, who have hitherto been con.
spicuOus as defenders of State rights,
and who stoutly denounced the throw.
I
ing out the vote of any State even on
the ground that it had rebelled and
was not in political relations with the
Union, are now among the most zeal
Gus in urging the right of one house of
Congress to throw out the vote OF a
State al pleasure. On the other hand,
We find Republicans WHO asserted,
during and after the war, hastily,
loosely, and almost without limit, the
supervisory power of Congress over the
returns from the States, and who now
uncompromisingly deny the right of
Congress to go behind the returns. In
these circumstances is it not right for
us to look behind interpretations, shap-
ed by the political interests of recent
years, and to accept as true and binding
that Interpretation which was given to
1.-THE Constitution by the men who franz
ed it?
Hundreds of extracts might be made,
from debates in convention, docu-
ments, and speeches of the early days,
proving that the controlling object of
the trainers Of the Constitution, in de.
vising the electoral system, was to re-
move the Executive as completely as
possible from legislative control. But
these expressions OF the views of indi-
viduals, however influential and dis
tinguished, all seem insignificant in au
thority compared with the formal de-
claration of the Constitutional Conven-
tion as body, and this, fortunately,
we find in the resolution adopted ON
the 18th ofSeptember, 1887. Itappears
in an appendix to an edition of The
Federalist published in 1912, and was
adopted under circumstances which,
givei it peculiar weight. The convention
had completed its draft OF the Constitu.
tiOL, and that Instrument had passed
from its hands, to be adopted or reject
ed by the States. Then il was urged
that the provision respecting the count
ing of electoral votes was liable to
NObottoNtiOit W tnO VIEWS vi
those who desired to maintain the in.
dependence of the Executive and the
rights of the States in the choice of
Preside mt. And thereupon, as an in
depreciation, and, so to speak, codiciI
of the Constitution, the very conven
tion which had framed that instrument
formally adopted the following:
Resolved, That it is the opinion of
this Convention that, as soon as the
conventions of niue States shall have
ratified this Constitution, the United
States, in Congress assembled, should
fix day on which the electors should
be appointed by the States which shall
have ratified the same, and day on
which the electors should assemble to
vote fer the President, and the time
and place for commencing proceedings
under this Constitution; that after such
publication the electors should be ap.
pointed, and the Senators and Repre-.
sentatives elected; that the electors
should meet on the day fixed for the
election of tae President, and should
transmit their votes, certified, signed,
sealed, and directed, as the Constitu-
ton requires, to the. Secretary OF the
United States in Congress assembled;
that the Senators and Representatives
should convene at the time and place
assigned; that the Senator's should ap.
point a President of the Senate for the
sole purpose of receiUing, opening, and
counting the rotes for President; and
that, after he shall be chosen, the Con-
gress, together with the President,
should, without delay, proceed to exc.
cute this Constitution.
With this authoritative interpreta.
ton, the Constitution was submitted to
the States. With this understanding
ofits meaning it was adopted; and no
one can review the history of that time
without the conviction that, had any
Interpretation less favorable to the
rights of the States been given to 1t,
the Constitution could not have been
accepted. Upon this Interpretation.
also, the Constitution was enforced at
the first election, and George Washing
ton, who had signed the resolution
above quoted, was declared the first
President of the United States by 90
President of the Senate for the sole
purpose of receiving, opening, and
counting the votes" Nor Is this all,
for precisely the same form was follow,
ed at subsequent elections; proposal
once made in the House to assume a