Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-12-07
For the SPECTATOR.
Amending the Constitution.


Amending the Constitution.
The proposition to change the Con-
stitutiOn of the United States is very i
grave one and should be carefully con-
sidered in all its bearing on our COM
pick system of government. The
reasons which moved the wise founders
of the government to the adoption OF
the existing form should be carefully
studied and we'll understood before an
opinion is formed or a change at
tempted.
Government is probably the most
difficult problem which has engaged
the mind of man through all the ages
of the world. To the present day there
| is no common consent of mankind as
| to which is the best. The large ma
| jority maintain the monarchical form
| in it's various notifications. The far
removed locality of the thirteen col
onies from the great political centers
of Europe and other favoring circum-
stances suggested the formation of
government upon the best theory and
principles, drawn from the accumu-
lated experience and history of the
ages, by learned, patriotic and wise
men, who had been rocked in the
cradle of liberty and breathed the pure
air of American freedom, and who had
never bowed the supple hinges OF the
knee that thrift might follow fawning.
The convention with Washington at
it's head took the subject of framing
constitution for the country as an
loriginal proposition. They kept clear
| of the defects of pure democracy on
the one hand and monarchy or oil
garchy ON the other-producing a
representative republic, with novel
and finely adjusted features; pro-
tecting liberty, avoiding anarchy, pre-
serving safe equipoise in the con
stitution of granted powers; with con-
centration, energy and efficiency In
every emergency, and yet, tracing
through the whole a continuous thread
of responsibility to the source OF
sovereign power The system though
unique, complex and multiform con-
!, stitutes one indivisible harmonious
, whole, with indispensable checks and
balances of powers. The proposed at
tack on this great instrument is direct
) ed against the mode of electing the
) Senators, who are now chosen by the
! Legislatures of each State, It is pro
posed to change, Ito elect by the PEG
lple" of each State. The fathers of the
constitution contemplated choice by
2 the voters of the States of the mos
competent and trustworthy citizen!
to the Legislatures who in their repre-
sentative capacity, should select the
Senators on account of their expert
!. ence, learning, patriotism and identity
with public affairs. The Senate in the
: system constitutes a conservative checl
upon the excited exc esses of the House
v of Representatives and an ADVISORY
3 body to the Executive in making al
! the higher official appointments a
. home and abroad.
The Senate was purposely SO con
y stituted in the system as to give it suf
' ficient permanence and stability tt
check the ebullitions of popular excite
ment amp fury as manifested in the
: House of Representatives until reason
} could reassert itself. Mr.. Madison OF
, this point says that, II shall not scru
pie to add, that such an institution
1.-THE Senate) may be sometimes neces
sary, as a defense of the people agains
their own temporary errors and delu
, sions. AS the cool and deliberate sense
of the community ought, in all govern
ments, and actually will, in all free
governments, ultimately prevail over
the vices os it's rulers; so there are par
ticular moments in public affairs, whe1
the people, stimulated by some irregu
! lar passion, or some illicit advantage
or mislead by artful misrepresentation
of interested men, may call for meas
; ures which they themselves will after
wards be the most ready to condemn
In these critical moments how salutary
will be the interference of some TEN
perate and respectable body of citizens
1.-THE Senate) in order to check the mis-
! | \ IL. Il
meditated on the people against them
selves, until reason, justive and truth
can regain their authority over the
public mind? What bitter anguish
would the people of Athens have often
escaped, if their government had con-
tanned so provident a safeguard, the
tyranny of their own passions! Popu-
lar liberty might then have escaped
the indellible reproach of decreeiDg to
the same citizens the hemiock on one
day, and statues on the next"
Mr.. Jay says: "The convention ap.
pear to have been attentive to both of
these points; they have directed the
president to be chosen by select bodies
of electors, to be deputed bi the peo-
pie for that express purpose; and they
have committed the appointment of
Senators to the State legislatures. This
mode has, in such cases, vastly the ad-
vantage of elections by the people in
their collective capacity, where the ac-
tivity of party rule, taking advantage
of the unwary and interested, often
place men in Office by the votes of a
tho rros;d.,nt 90 vii ~ ~ ct too1 1s
islatures who appoint the Senators,
VIII III genera, De composed OF the
zans tbare iS reas"n 4 70 ,e opesr th o