Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-12


was Justly termed the "rcign Of terror
passed the odious Alien and sedition laws
cut down the Liberty poles Of tho people
hunted them with the Philadelphia and
Lancaster Light Horse-errested and i'm.
prisoncd the honest yoemsnry Of BcrEs
and Northampton for advocating Liberty
and Equal Rights ard refusing TO wear the
Blnck Cockade-thc badge Of LOYALTY 70
the administration.
The fourth Presidential contest coming
on, the Eedcraiists rc-uomnated Mr.
Adams for President, with General PiuLk-
ney for Vice President, and the Rrpubli
cans nominated Mr.. Jefferson and Colonel
Burr. This was Il contest between the
rights Of the people and centrhlization and
the former gained grand triumph in the
decisive election Of Jefferson and Burr.
by the Constitution as IL existed 1T TINT
period each elector voted for two men
without designating which wAs 10 be Pres
ident, and be who obtained the greatest
number was TO be President and the other
Vice President Mr.. Jefferson and Colonel
Burr had nh equal number Of votes, and 1t
singularly occurred that the States were
equally divided. The election according
to the Contribution wRs 10 be decided By
the House Of Representatives. The people
had designated Mr.. Jefferson for President
and Burr for Vice President, but the
friends Of Mr.. Adams, in the House Of
Representative, took advantage Of the
situation and endcavored 10 elect Col. Burr
This resulted in prolonged contest, and
after thirty-fye bA.lot, tao Federal mem
bcrs who had voted blanks withdrew on the
thirty.sIEth ballot and the result wa the
election Of Mr. Jefferson to the Presidency
and Burr to the second place On the
9TH Of March, 1901 they were inaugurA;ed
and one Of the fret acts Of Prcsident JEFF
fcrFon was the opening Of the rrison door
and setting free the friends Of liberty and
equal rlghu that bad been hunted, arrested
aud Imprisoned by the mArshals and mill
tary cohorts Of President Adams.
The Constitution having been amended
ON the 18th Of October, 1909, respecting
the manner of olecijng President and
Vice President another election was AZ
preaching. Mr.. JcfIcr+on was nominated
and reelected. with George Clinton FOR
Vice President, Aud they we're sworn into
Office on the 4th Of March, 1906, under The
l2'h amendment. From that time until
1876 every President and Vice Prcsider,
Of the United States ha. been elected hy
and under the provisions Of the fsme Ar,i-
Gle tthe I2thJ Of the Constitution By
another of those amendments it was crn-
phaurally declared that 'thc powers not
delegated TO the United States ty the Con.
siitu'iou, nor prohibited BY il to The Statos,
are yescrroi 10 the States respectively, oF
TO the people" II follows that the right
thus yeserved to the States must have been
rights inherent in the sovereignty of the
States. The frs, clause of The second sec
tion of Article declares ,hat the "Housc
Of Representative shall be composed ot
members chosen every second year by the
people Of the screvai Sfat,s, hnd the elcc-
tors in each State shall have the quAlfca-
tions requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch of the State Legislature,
and the third section Of the same article
4 declares that "Thc Senate of the United
States shall be composc1 Of two Senators
from each State, chosen by the Legislature
thereof for ak year,, and each Senator
shall have one vote"
/ We have thus given an account Of the
( origin and character Of the Constitution A.
briefly a. was consistent with the oh eci in
view, viz 10 prove the important fact
( that the States retain their reserve rights,
and have elected their Senators and men,
bers Of the House Of Representatives Of
I the Federal Congress without tho attempt
Of interference and intimidation BY the
presence Of federal marshals, supervisors
aud soldiers At the elections having been
made from the time Of Jefferson TO the ad-
ministration of Grant, period Of 6s
I years. And now the momentous issue
arises as to whether the federal government
ss attempted 10 be administered, isa gov
eminent Of limited powers, or s military
I despotism whether we are 20 be frcsmen,
or slaves : These questions will be the
subject Of future comment
PATRICK HENRY.