The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-01

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were entertained by the people Of the West, lie
was acquainted with the country whence most
Of them had emigra,ed, and with their fathers. and
was confident the sons Of such drrs could not
entertain such extrayagan, sentiments. Tbs
protection Of property and the Encouragement
Of honest industry constituted the basis Of civil
society. and were the primary objects OF govern
msnt. The possession Of property was generally
an indication Of other qualifications. lie would
exclude all who had not tho capacity to discrim-
mate between candidates. nor the Independence
to exercise the right. In his view, universal
suffrage was prrlous 10 us and 10 the country,
and, II IL was sanctioned. hs should regret hay-
Ing been a member OF the convention"
1t VIII he remembered that, In the year 1924, the
custom Of nominating candidates for the Offices OF
President and Vice Presiden, In a Congressional
caucus came 10 IN end, and Tho mode OF nomi
nations by National Conventions has since been
substituted. Rufus King was 81 the opinion that
both method wers unconstitutional We find
This opinion expressed in a letter dated from the
Senate Chamber on March %. 1924. Having
had occasion. he writes, TO examine the Cons'i'u
ton Of the United States With reference 10 nomina-
don by a Cong ressional caucus, ] have arrived
at the conviction thai no provision Of II authorizes
or countenances any general meeting for the
purpose Of concentrating the votes 81 The States
in the election of President, but, as the ~incipient
measures for the Presidential election are assig ned
and limited to the respective States, this manner
Of beginning the election excludes every other
manner. Each State must appoint the Electors
10 whom II Is entitled within thirty four days
Of the day Of giving their votes. The Electors are
required to he within their own State for the pur.
pose of giving their votes on the same day, and
the Electors Of two or more States are not atlibcr,y
To convene In a third State. From the short
ness of the time In the exercise Of their Offices,
it becomes imprac,icable that they should hold
intercourse with the electors Of a third State,
a circumsts nee which secures them In some degree
from corruption. The election Of aPresident,
as IL is one Of the most important. so II is opc Of
the most intricate provisions Of the Constitution,
and. In It's object, except in The first stage ofthe
process. is assigned to the States acting In their
Federal equal capacity. For this reason, meas
ures which may no employed in the several States
under regulations and provisions Of simple and
single sovereignty. could not be adopted In the
balanced system of the Constitution Of the United
States, a compact between the States which CON
tains special provisions whereby the Executive,
Legislative and Judicial officers must be ap-
pointed" Mr.. King conclusion was: Because
conventions may be, and are held 10 nominate
State officers. 1t does not hence result that they
may be held In order 10 concentrate the opinion
Of the States relatively to the election Of any officer
| OF the rnited States" II will be observed that
MIR. Kings objection applies equelly tn a Congress
sional caucus and a National Convention, regarded
as the source Of a nomination for the Presidency.
Three days had not elapsed after John Quincy
Adams had been inaugurated President on March
4, 1928, when he offered the mission TO England
10 Mr Rufus King. The latter term Of service as a
Unitcd States Senator from New York hal ex-
pred on March 3, and he had declined a re election,
Intending to retire from the public service. Mr..
Adams tells us In his Memoirs that Mr.. Kings
first and immediate impulse was to decline the
offer He said that his determination to retire
from the public service had been made MP, and
that the proposal was utterly unexpected to him,
OF this | was aware; but | urged upon him a variety
| Of considerations TO induce his acceptance 0f the
offer; the general Importance Of the mission,
in my estimation not inferior 10 any one Of the
Departments: the special importance To New York
and Maine Of certain interests then under ne9ota
ton with treat Britain: his peculiar qualifications
for the conduct Of those negotiations his duty
TO the country not to refuse services so important:
and for which, perhaps. no other individual would
he so well suited; the satisfaction which the appoint
ment and his acceptance Of 1t would give to the
Federal party throughout the Union, the ten
dency II would have TO heal our divisions and
harmonic the feelings Of the people. the oppor
ulnity which he would afford me OF pro-
noting this recon citation OF parties, ard, at
the same time, OF proving by my ex-
ample the sincerity Of the sentiments avow ed
In my address, The result, was that Mr..
King. although vel advanced in years, ac-
cepted the appointment, and prepared again
70 represent his country atthe Court Of 81. James,
although only upon the condition that his son,
John 4. King, should be made Secretary Of L.e-
alton. On June I, 1925, Mf. King sailed for
Liverpool, accompanied by his son. John A.
King, and his wife. and by their two oldest and
| their youngest daughters. He arrived In England
| much debilitated, and did not reach London un-
Ill the latter part Of August. The state OF his
| health continued TO be such that. on March 20,
| 1895, he was compelled to resign his mi seion,
and he embarked for home on July 5, Of the year
| named. Soon after reaching New York, he
| removed 10 his house in Jamaica, where he died
on April 20, 1927. Among the conversations
| with his son Frederic on board ship. he had al
luded to his approaching death. and said, among
other things, that he desired TO be buried in ia
| maica, in tho churchyard OF Grace Church,
between the graves Of his wife and OF
his son Charies's wife, and that his grave
should be marked by a plain marble stone,
inscribed merely with his name and tho dates
| Of his birth and death. His wish was carried out
In a concluding estimate Of Rufus King life
and character, an estimate based upon the data
set forth in these six volumes, the editor reminds