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' - -v Xr , V ' ' ' -.-'' i W'.,;':-; -' V.tT"' ll - . v.- 1? meigri Vol FR1DAT, AUGUST S3, 1S20. . . :... - " HALKHili, (N. C.) yKIN'TRD, WEEKLY, BY LUCAS & HARVEY- -;vwt of &ulscri.ion t Three dollars per year, 01,elia!fto be paid in advance No paper to be (jontinuevl longer J than three months after a st&r's subscription becomes due, and notice tier'of ultVl hve been given: tfcytit'mtiut, not exceeding 14 lines, are in Vv.rt'd 'lirice for one diUar ; for twenty -five i'crts -.eh -subsequent insertion: and in like propo-'" on where uiere is a greater number of nies t ian fourteen The cash must accorripanv rhose from persons unknown to the editor. f$o subscription can-in any casr; be received "without payment of at least gl oO in advance : no discontinuance without payment of ar it-irs, :r-.l"v -.t the ontion rf the "ili'ors to the fullest extent, their liberty ; that their views. Can there be stronger tt has guided us through peace .and war, evidence than 'this f the defeat of such (or, imriy two years past ; ami that Mn-ja system ? In this case, the people of u tic jidiiun jas grown great anu powerful. This is true, and tire reason New Jersey had no more to do in that election, and their "foice was as little l li. I. . . l i i . . 1 . . . . tor it may ub sougni ana tounu in the heard a3 was that oi the citizens of Ca pcople tueinselves. Such a brave, high nada. At the lime of votinc for rr u'rS. jiri'ssional Uebiite. 'ji'hiitziL OF MR. SMITH OF N. CAROLINA, ' ON THE J'r.vniticn to amend the Constitution so (ti -y establish (in uaifonwtu in the n "k nf llctting Electors and Jtepre- H'nttilir-cs to Congress'. -INTHOIOUSE OF REFUESEN TATIVES. Mr, Chaicman : The resolution be lire us i i one of more than ordinary im jmriance. It proposes noliing less than to amend that iustrument which, to eve ry American, must be considered the jialladimn of his liberty, the Constitu linn f the United States; and a, part of it. too, whic h the citizens of a repub lic kIiohUI esteem far the most valuable ami imports, I "ean that partvhich rcgul-'itcs tlitf elective franchise. Sir, I am aware of tho ground on vhirii-1 stand. I am aware of the mag. nitude of tho subject before me. That the people of those states have, for this instrument, the most devoted attachment Mid profound reverence, musf ho obvi as to the most superficial ohserver. Thev view it as the most noble work of '.iici. anrestors, and every attempt that ra watlfr tK alter or amend itr-will excit uifitrust and jealousy. Hut, sir, every day's experience teacli !sumI frailty and imperfection of all luuiiari productions. When we take a retrospective tiew cf the works of man, we c.innot deny the vast improvements that, have been made in science, in me chanics, and in every department of hu man indiis; . We look back with as tonishment at the vague and visionary theories that were, in their day, consid ered the most happy efforts of human genius. Although I believe that this Constitution surpasses all other Consti tutions, as far as the sun does, in splen dor Hie smallest star in the heavens ; yet I am compelled to believe that it is ca- pable of amendments. I am not one' of those that believe that our fathers had more virtue and talents than the present1 gpneration. I admire the political sa-j enci'y of the wise men who framed the, Constitution of the United States ; and if there is any thing about it that ex-, (iites sin prize, it is, that the work should fiave, been at that day made as perfect G3 ij h. When we view that called a great man, at a -distance, he appears to us as a giant ; but as you approach him, you And him dwindle down to a pigmy ; iike the distant horizon, he appears a- mindtd, and virtuous people unhack neyed in the intrigues and viced of for eign countries and foreign courts, could have gotten on s Most without the form of a written constitution. 1 And it is true, that, at this day, when! all is calm and tranquil as the morning,' when there are ho parties in hoHtile ar ray against each other ; that tho reason ings that would in ftther daysand, at other .limes, of narfy race and violence, i ciuauvu4 ihc vuicr never ui'oatlU o such a result ; he supposed -that, at the proper time, he would again give his vote for electors. Sir, these strfe so many avenues left open to intrigue, fraud, -and, if t!n;y are not made the common pass ways of the day, it is because the inducements to navel them are, at thjs time, not suffi ciently strong. .-The Chiet Executive office iT litis have had great inlluer.ee and-eflect ongreat and growing Republic. is a very the minds of men, have now but littltjimpoi taut one. A n office of great trust or no effect. And v ill be contended, nvand patronage; and so guarded should uouut, uy inofle mat arc oppuseu w a-iiiie -man lo inai t UKe oe, that none ny amendment, that, if there is eviT stahonld pass thereto without being 'able, to necessity of auiondin this iusirumcn', shew a passport li tm the. people the m the day is very remote, sel ves, from a majority of all, the pco- . Sir, wo all view danger at a great dis- pie. Hut, "sir, under the present sys tance from us w ith perfect indifference ;tcr,?, it is possible, by a species of league but the most hardy amongst us. begin to feel its effects as it approaches near to us. Nothing can cons itutc a more im portant quality in a statesman than that lie should have political sagacity to see danger threatening his country at a lis tance, and skill to provide, before itsi approach, the means of averting it. If, then, there is any .defect to found in this instrument, why should we not ap ply the remedy at this time ? Do goi- tlemcn expect.that a more favorable ml ment over can present itself? oi uarsain ami ale. to niace a ncrson in this high ollicc, who shall only have the voles of three-tenths ot the people, con trary to the wishes and the interests ol seven-tenths' of the pcoplo of the United States. I will, to make my. self understood, li- lustrate this in tlm .way: Suppose that the partios that we have had in this country still existed, and were known by the same names of Federalists and Itenub- icans, and that the parties in carh of the states of Massachusetts, New-York, No sooner did this orrnrrenr take olace of the ffnifoil Statpa. nrlin'- wlio than the people did resolve to amend the' chosen, should by ballot, in their constitution, so as tb guard in future a tive states, choose a chief magistr gainst su'efr occurrences and such abu- This mode combined the fepnij ses. the federative principle and guar One of the strong arguments used a- gainst the objections of bias thaj gainst the proposed Amendments is, that, brought against the legislature, al; itls interfering with state rights. The lectors thus chosen would be str large states may be deprived of some of to the cbicf magistrate, and w their power and influence in the general most likely to make a correct r government, and states arc like indivi- partial choice. The CQnveotic duals; they dislike to part with any j due deliberation adopted this for portion of their power. It is to. be re-jit became a part'of the constituti grefted that there should have been such The mode being fixed, the ncx a want of equality in the size and pop. was to provide, in the event of ulttion in the states. If they had been more candidates having an equa about the same size, we would have but lr of votes, who or what body , little; state jealousy,compared with what decide the contest. (Tt was-first we have at flii9 day, arid the only me-'eed, that the Senate should by find that I can discover to remedy this decide, but this was objected to, t evil, is by adopting the amendment pass-Tthis woujd be making the preside ed. At this dy it is the interest of th0 the federal principles entirely, j large states, they contend, to retain all then proposed that the House of j .thmnfluenrc, it is true, that the largesentati ves should decide j this w states may, hy a kind of bargaining, jected to, on the ground that it Wf obtain some more than a due, proportion making the choice solely on ther As beforo hinted, there was a time Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North or nearly so which many of the states in this Union artcd on the plan now proposed from their own sense of propriety. IJiit soon as parties ot uinerent political characters began to spring up, and when the two great contending parties, that have for some years past agitated the minds of the people so much, had for med themselves under their respective leaders, and had put themselves in hos tile array against each other ; and when the contcsMor power and ascendancy was vet doubtful; each party, anxious to augment its scope of influence, lost Carolina should btf equa of the offices of the general government ; but this is little calculated to make the condition of the great mas3 of the peo ple happy. It may suit the views of a few aspiring men. But it is at all times difficult to per suade men that they have in their hands more than a due proportion of power and influence ; or, if you can make them sen sible that they do possess more than a due proportion of weight in the affairs of the state or Union, yet it will be by far more dillicult toget lhera to abandon it. Of this we have constant examples ; and here permit me to notice one or two. In North Carolina, that tract of country as moionv in each state : now, by the general ticket plan, or by the plan of electing ele tors by the legislature, each of those stales can give the whole nitrn lier to which they arc entitled, far the Federal candidates. ---- The number of Senators in tle 22 states i3 4i; the number of UepiTpenta tivesislSG making, in all, 230 ; which would be the whole number of votes giv en for a President : a majority of . 230 is 116, which happens to be exactly the no opportunity to mane every iuingjnumbcr of votes to which tnc five stales yield th.it could be made to yield, to above mentioned are entitled. Now sup their ajnbitious views : When it vaspose that every man in the seventeen ascertained that one party had a lew9tafC9 not mentioned, should be renub- to the Federalists, having a very small ilm'mo,,iatJ on the sea-board, and for hundred votes majority in a tat& that party would resort to that mode of elcc- liran, anrl nearly one halt ot the live states enumerated republican also ; does ting Electors that would promise ixioft.it not appear clearly that seven-tenths effectually to stifle the voice of the rain-are defeated by three tenths of the peo ority, and at the same time give tlie'nle ? '" Jove us.- although wc may occupy a greatest majority in favor of the prom inant party. No other considerations than these, seemed to have had any influence on the minds of the respective le aders throughout tht orduous strug gle. But now, wlwn things have resum ed their usual channel, and when the minds of men are left free, and can be acted upon bv reason, and a sense of justice and propriety why should vie riot consider, coolly and dispassionately, whether this amendment might not, with safety, he made? In changing from one system to ano . I . .. A, . ...i tm.itii much more clevateuThan the oner"'' UIC ru,r,nca J"" '"", j which our eyes are directed. ,-, In iccoliciling the various, and confiu ting interests of thirteenstate9, dissim ulate in climate, pojiulation, and extent of territory, the coiventionalists had a difficult task to perform ; and, being ' themselves conscious that the instrument v.ould require amendment they provided a way by which" it might be amended in part, without submitting tho whole to the discretion of a Convention. If the proposition before you propo ra the adoption of a new principle, I 'biwuld be ready to shrink from so per-nieiuurt-aiid dangerous, an undertaking. "lut, sveh ii not 4hefact. It only. goes tvj regulate' established principles, ami t place thrra upon a ground more con genial, wih thtf (rue spirit and genius cf rcpiibll1" aii government.' Nearly all the states inlho Union liave 'exercised the privilege of the elective franchise, 'at - some one period, the way iiov: pointed out in. the resolution oii your table. " 1 ' ' ' This amendment proposes that eaoji Eate shall be laid but into as many dis--trie! s as such state shall be entitlfd, un der the- constitution and laws of tho IL great heat and confusion was often gene rated. lhe state ot rcnnsylvania, in one of those great struggles, came very near loosing her entire vote ; tho legis lature was nearly equally ' divided, and the contest doubtful ; in that case each party-had to make the best bargain thai they could. Now, in' a struggle of this kind, tho voico of the people, vas not heard, nor their wishes consulted. The leadet'3 of each party were doing, in fair bargain and. sale, the best they could for their own interest, together with 1 ha? of their friends ; and we must calculate upon mope than the. ordinary scope of human imperfection will justify, if we may not suppose that the state of things will again occur, and continue to recur, so long as if shall bejeft in. the power of the state legislatures to change from one mode to another, as their interest may dedicate at the moment. Massachusetts, at one time, for the purpose of. effecting her purpose in the Presidential Electition, divided herself! into districts to suit the sectional resi dence of the dommal' party ; districts were made 'of territory not contiguous: towns were added that were in the f remember the Again, the census of 1810 gave the population of the United States at 7, 500,000. Tiie five large states have one half of that number say 3,75i,0i)O ; now, as the federal majority was a bare majo'ky in these satcs, there" will be only in those states 1,870,000 Federalists who will have elected the President, to the exclusion of a candidate having the united Voice of" seventeen states, and al most a majority of the other five; and againit the voice bf C,fi30,00l) of the leople. This is actual demonstration; there, is no deception in it. Is it then a good 'svstem that can admit of suciralmses as might thus ' be practised I That the effect the rights of tho states : the fede majority shall rule is the vital principles rative principle is preserved. There wa3 of jill republics. ,JBut,lsii, that-princi-1 not any part of the constitution, in its nicxioes not -seem to be secured hy tne 1 jrmati in, that war? so dilucidt to fix up- present node. But gentlemen will shy on as the part relative to the election of that this is an extreme case, not likely ;a chief executivs magia'rate. At one to occur. I admit that it is tn xfrrn israe it 7as proposed to elect the. ptesi- (ase, ami, thougu it migiit not occur , dent directly by" tho people, on Hie pop- exactly in the fji m here jViin'ed out, yet ular principle ; thv.t was. objected to (if some distance back, was, in the first set-lleiiK-nt of the country, laiiKout into small counties, and the tract of country back towards the mountains, was laid ut into counties of a much larger extent of ter ritory. Tho consUtution of the state gives U each county, one senator and twj representative." The effect of this is to give a piepondcrcnce in the legislature to the easlci njiorlion i ( the stale. Al though the number of the population in the western counties is almost double, this cannot he altered without a conven tionnnd a convention cannot be called without the consent of the legislature. Now, sir, attempts have been made to call a convention, -froTu time to time, but in vain. The people cry out for county rights, and, although every man of can dor must admit that they are enjoying more than an equal proportion of the power and influence of the state, yet so sweet is power, that' they hold on with the iron grasp of death. I believe that Virginia is in the same situation and c qually without a remedy. Mr. Chairman, nothing can be more true, than that all the citizens of instate should enjoy equal "privileges, and that mutual concession and good will should exist in all its parts ; but this never can be the- case, if one portion? by, a forced construction of the written compact un der which they live, are always endea-. voring to exercise powers that, in. jus- lice, are not their own, and which belong to another portion in part. " Sir, the proposed amendment will not hat each district shall as - ' . k .00,1 r ronton- they gave to them the name ol Ger territory, , and, the sama district .rjnanacrs. . i..wt-nnn TciArrr in vfttft for Pies'c . The State of New Jersey elected by . 4-' r.ntn l tf-t twiBl rfllofnifo XrrZt HhalT LVapeof those districts were so singular nearly as can Cos shall dent nf thcTTnited 'States, and for Vice general ticket; but, just before a P csi iN'csideht. The other two Electors to dential election,1 the Legislature bf the which each state shall be entitled, hall State met, and finding, that, if the tlcr hnplrrtMl hv tlie states, in such manner tors were chosen by general ticket,- tin as the IjCcislaTurts thereof shall directjuote would not be s'uph as would ' please n . - . . . 1 1 it-f l. AVW I. A.. .....v-l.. A I. - I I . 1 ' I am aware that wo shall betom tnai im-n., mry icpcamu inu jaw,. -anu, ai trris 'Consfitution does' not require any once, proceed, to take-' the power into amendment r. that is good enough, -ann Uieir own hands, and choose such fi'oir servi it may occitr, witn, some mollification, and the effect woulJ'bc about the same. . May not the day. come when such at tempts may be mde-i Sir, we have :ecn, during tiie short existence of this republic attempt1 made to subvert the very spirit anil .mearpng of the constitu tion, and in regard to the .election of Chief Magistrate too. I allude to the liw election -of Mr. JeflVrson. Aaron Burr was run at tnc same time for Vice President, aiil the number, of votes, was equal. The constitution, was not suffi ciently definite on that subject ; jio dis tinction was required in the votes,, and the friends' of Burr contended that' his claim was'equal u that of Mr. JeftVji-sori to .the iTesKlency ; anu the House el Representatives had to proceed to bafi"", according to the mode pointed out in the constitution, lor a President., and it was n it 'until 3G separate and dist inct ballot.- in uT)ticr it the. people lia7e cnyed'nfnon themselves as;prm'rscd td' sc iiigs had takeujdace, that a choice was made. Now, sir, in that case' it was notorious that not one -man had voted for rn- Buir ith the view of jiiakin1' him P sident. Biit, if that4 defect had been pointed out previous to that, time, the Ivocates for the constitution, wilhou? a.iy amenumenr woiiiq nave crieaiui i hat it was an extrerae casiiand not like ly to occur. - - , " The people lean frctn , exncricpcc I am correctly informed) on the ground that the federative principle should like wise be preserved ; that, the chief ma gistrate would preside over the states in their federal character, as will as over the pedple ; and that to elect by the pco pl directly, would destroy that impor tantifeatnie, which it was thought to he important to preserve. It was propo sed, in the next place,Jthat the president should be elected by the joint vote of bolir houses of Congress, and this . pro position wm adopted under the belief lhatin that form, the federative and popular . principle' would be preserved, and it-remained fixed and determined until near the. .rise. of the 'Convention, when doubts began to arise whether Congress' was tho properhady 1 to -fleet the chief magistrate. Those lliat doubt ed the policy of confiding to (lilt body, this important trust contended that, from the "acquaintance and intimacy that would exist between the president and members of Congress, they might be biassed in their judgment towards the incumbent of the executive chair. But no objection was made-ta the principle on which such a choice cJuld be founded. It was de- tcrminetk then, to cive to eacn, state in the Union a right to choose as many persons as, such state stiouhJ nave re,'iu seiitative and Bcnato-s ii the t.OI'irr?? Lhe ft uentf aluel alii principle ; hut to avoid this objsc' was moved that the House shoukl by states, each state having on which would combine both prir, nd, in this form, it was agreed t I have used this to prove th. Convention, throughout were detet to guard against the .eticroachmi the states on one hand andf the j on the other ; and that theimeK vujvu iii f tuimiuu ui ui ay pies. ; - air, atiopt the proposeu amcn- and you will give the people a ft port unity of being heard in thech that important officer, the chief I trate of the Union. The tnajoii7 the minority in the respective star'; have a fair opportunity of being If there are political parties, they tairlyJieard-i-it the contest js Aboi and if there are no political pa fair expression of the public mind had. It will guard and protect tl pic against intriguing and de men. They will not be able t their innuegco into every conn neighborhood in a large state ; b can into those assemblages callc! cuscs, winch arc gotten up abo6 seats of the state legislatures, i j their sessions, if you will auc.i proposed amendment, and ther should ratify it, which I am col they will, the people will not wayj the state legislatures a caucus, who shall be electors. They wk ble, in their respective districts, to a man with whom they are acqu on whose intelligence and virtu can rely, for the choice of a dhi Kistrate.. You will bring the ijear to the people, and consequ will make them place more v elective franchise." which is all tant in a republican form of gover. As to the mode of election now Used, .they are equally exception; If the legislature elect the elector are heaping on them duties fore their duties as state legi by this mode you make your more compTcx. When the citizei bout to vote tor a fit person to re him in the state legislature, he n collect also that the same person iiiuricu u vuio iui vicuiuib, wu thus chosen, have a right to vo chief magistrate. The members they convene at fheir legislature then-have tficir caucus ; and a fj portunity is offered for intngueji will make the ejectors from thCjf Knrtv "jlnl ,fo! Incivvn llipir nwi'tc If the election is by general tick legislature indirectly elect tire cl They form a caucus, and make 1 1 oku i, iu auu iuo uviuiiiioi'i ynnj . .. ... - state, wiin as many nameson it state is entitled to enoose elector this is sent'out to the people. N this, in fact, is electing"the clecto the subsequent- voting by the whatever may be said ot it, is form, the shadow of a shad sir. if the" ticket -displeases a fen tion of the state, yet tht j cniv alter it. Who can resist tais t! dons caucus recommendaticii J arc political parties in the st ate, tljjj of the minority ircmirely Stifled system. And i9 this tb?a syste will -Becure- state-'rights ffTUat with which .gentlemen arso del Sir, let the people ha Ve the rought near to them, u'j mixed tber flections, that they may knot they are doing when th ry give votC3. vo not DC ioanuL oi irusu with what belongs to .thj(;elves.l arc honest, and it onw J whaCrvl i. - N iv: ,j II 1 Ami :: . J"l
The Raleigh Minerva (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Aug. 25, 1820, edition 1
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