WESTERN - .CAMOILMIAN..
8ALI81UMY, N.O. TUESDAY, MAHCH 10, 1821.
NO. 107.
Woi- iv.
MITM
' By VMM) WHITE,
Uktrtfd Jmw, Vifi Sunn.
Tli. term f Weatmi CT.rotlnUn U1
f i . '"-a Wricd at tiujf cent
pt Sr-iar for IM Br IxMrttoo, end tvcntj-fl
cent f"T each aubarqnrnt on.
AH IVtier iikWM-l to th. Editor, must bt
pt.pUd, or they ill not be attended to.
DILATE
h th IsfiiUiturf AVrA-Cif .Ld,
On Mr. KKflKH'S
ANTI-CAIXU8 KESOLUTIOXS.
VW thf Jlulrijh Regittrr.
Aficr motion hid been made bf Mr.
Jljrttim io postpone the Preamble and
Rcolution indefinitelyf
Mr. Either said, to meet the withes of
eme of bl friend, he hid conseoied to
modification of (be first resolution. That
Resolution was drawn up in the usual
form inttrvcling our Senator, and re
getting our Re pre tentative ; but there
were Mme gentlemen. opposed to rau
cuting, who tet doubled the propriety of
the legislature inttruihg our members
of Concrete. To meet their views, he
was willing M J alter the rrvIijtioD, a
Caucut, Mtif before the Home. Of
course, then, such gentlemen s were
Apposed lee the practh e of Caucusing al
Congress, would vote for the resolutions;
while thoae in fovor of thii usurpation of
the rights ol the people, would vote
against them. it h these explanations
Mr. F. said, he would proceed to consider
the subject.
When our forefathers came out of the
revolutionary war, thejr had hut half ac
complisbed the great object for which
they had gone into it j they had 'fought
the battle of liberty, and broken the yoke
of foreign tyranny j but it yet remained
for them to aecure, in permanent insti
tuiiom, the principle and right for
whuh they had o profusely hed their
blood. I hi was not an ordinary work ;
it required time, wisdom and patriotism
to accomplish it ; and we see, it was not
until after seven years of trial, that our
government was 6ir-d on a firm basia, by
the adoption of the Federal Constitution
I bis cotisti'U'iun has now been in exit
tence, for 36 eats ; ii is the work of somr
of the wiet heads and purist he ins, that
ever lived ; and if n is not undermined by
the insidious encroachments of that subtle
spirit of aristocracy which it ever on the
alert, to steal the power from the many.
s to give it to the few, 11 wi! not fail to se
j cure to our posterity the blessings of lib
! erty, for aces to come. This constitu
vtion, we have ireorn to support; and, ii
well becomes us, to raise our oice against
every practice which Roes to violate its
spirit, or Its letter. Suchaul Mr. v. I
consider to be the practice of holding
caucuses br members of Congress, for
the nomination of Presidents of the U.
States. The serond article o( the ennsli
tuti in expresslv prohibit member of Con
pre from attintt at Elector. What docs
this nrticl? mean f Docs it intend mere
ly to prohibit members of Congress fi oni
bearing the name of an elector ; or does
exercising the function of an F.lccloi ?
Names are used for the purpose of con-
.a . in,. I. .L. n!Ml
l IIIIIIU Mil IWI.U VJ I ii'iiij
an idea of things ;
and, it iv not matenal what names vou
give, if the thint; ioelf is the same : It is
the duties, .he, unction pf F.lcctots, that
the constitution forbids members of
Congress frm exercising -no matter
whether exercised in the electoral col
Irgr, or in a Caucut. If what members
of Congress do in Caucus, is virtually
exercising the functions of Electors, it
follows, of course, that ihcy do the very
thing which, by the constitution, they are
permitted not to clo. v What is the object
of a Congressional Caucus I 'I he friends
of the measure, themselves, tell us, that
the object is to induce Ihe people to vote
for some one person as"presidentT who
otherwise might not be voted for, and of
conscience, otherwise would notbeelec
ted. Now, in this object, the v will either
atl, or they- wilt , succeed. If they Uil
then the caucus was useless, and should
not have been held but if they succeed,
then does it not follow, that they have ef
frrtuHjrw(.creoeO In eaerttstn it,,,
functions of Electorsin doing what the
constitution prohibits them from doing ?
in making a President fot" the people ?
1 his beiii),' their object, now, said Mr. F.
1 would ask if ever a congressional cau
cus bus failed in its object ? It never has.
In-8l5; after much -mnient, a,cau-
e'us-'-Mfwt ;;r:t: feoKx'ress . ' ( ) ut of all
eembgVs of ConressV 119 only at
tended tbc rest bt ing opposed to it ; of
those ,w:ho attended, 63 voted for Mr-Mom-oe,
and 54 for Mr. Crawford.' Mr.
Monroe having aniajgrity of the caucus
in his favor, he went funh as the nomi
tted canUiUjtc, and according! y was dec; j
iti. Now will n person contewl, that
Mr. Crawford would rot,at this moment
have Ueti Prtident, If hhad aucceeded
in ik caucut I But al anxlou a "thl
w Vi e.idcu iiSl:itM1 UKJDi1
aoorj aa hy Wled in the caut'ua., Utt,
at toon at Mr. Monro w.t nominated
by the caucut, hit election wat considered
secure, tod all further opposition ceatedi
and, when the people of North Carolina
were called upon to vote for the Electors,
they considered it so much of farce,
that not more than one vote in ten was
given in J they felt that it was unneces
sary to spend their time in going to ihe
polls to' vote, when the caucus had alrea
dy decided the election. Ii it not plain,
then, that members ( of Congress, bv
mean nf these caucuses, do, indirectly,
what by the constitution they are inhibi
trd from doing directly f It is certain,
(hen, that the constiunion cf the Uni'ed
States, prohibit member of Cook rest
from acting at electors ; and it is equ.lly
clear that the intention of that instrument
it tu exclude them from any agency what
ever, in electing the president, except in
(lie event of no election by the people.
Now let ut enquire what are the reasons,
of (hit prohibition f Madison, Jay and
Hamilton, in a work that will remain
tiaiiajru as khj; aa w.t luniiiiuun
infi rm us, that the reason of tbis inhibi
lion was, to KUard against " cabal, intrigue
and corrupt ion . The frameri of the
constitution were wise men they knew
the depravity of the human heart ; they
had aetn in the history of our govern
ment to what lengths ambition would
lead men ; that many had waded through
corruption and blood to reach their object.
They knew that the Freudeney of this
great republic was a prize at which men
of (he greatest talents, and most inrrfi
nate ambi ion, might aim ; and it was to
be feared, that aome of these would stop
at nothing to gain it. To guard against
such men, on such occasions, it was tho't
wiser and safer to confide the election to
the people, than to intrust it to a fire ex
iling body of men. The people, at the
same time, throughout the union, vote for
electors these electors are thus created,
as it were, in one day ; and, before they
could possibly be corrupted, they have
convened, executed their trust,, and dis
persed again i So that there is no possi
ble chance of corrupting them. But is
thit the case with members of Con-
gress They are elected nearly two
years be Tore hand ; and, fur a considera
ble part of that time, are on the .spot at
Washington, where the inuigue and man
agement is going on : they are a tsngi
hie, pre-established body, and are subject
io be operated on by the arts and manage
ment of the candidates, w ho arc also gen
erally on the spot.
Members of Congress, like members
of this Legislature, are not always elected
fhrilietrTinnrs-TiTrd tarctrts r combina
tion of circumstances, without regard to
these qualifications, sometimes place
them in Congress. When there, they
are not less fjllible, than before elected ;
nav, if any difference, they ae more so,
for the very atmosphere of Washington
city seems to create a hungering? after
"loavea and fishes." There are in every
CohgressVa greaief oTtess nnmber of the
members seeking after preferment, either
for themselves or for their relations or
friends. It is known, that at the session
of 1820, not less than one-third of all the
members were applicants to the cabinet
r the offices created br the Florida Trea
Is it riot reasonable, then, to suppose
that the man who will have the offices at
his disposal, can, by holding out hopes,
operate on those who are so anxious to
obtain preferment To shew that it 11,
let us look to past experience, and con
sult the opinions of those more conver
sant than we are with the way in which
Jiings are managed at Washington. Mr.
Lfaylor, a distinguished citizen of Virgi-
ma. an uniiorm rcouDiiran, anu one not
unacquainted with the history of caucus-'
ihgTiri a speech delivered last summer,
says of Congreional Caucute- " The
mode of electing the President and Vice
President ot the United States, calls out
oudlv for amendment. The prgsenTTrie-
thod is the result oT intrigue functioned
too, hu mot of the membert of Congrci ;
fut&ahU Iran -fln ifte rlgfltt Of
tuffrage. The power of correcting this
evil is vested in the people, if they will
exercise it. Let them discharge thote
membtr who ufthold a fireidcntial caucu,
and substitute those in their places who
will use their utmost efforts to procure
such, amendments of the Federal Cousti-
ution as will produce one uniform mode
of election's, by districts, in each State
hroughout the union. Then, and not
till then, will the government be adminis-
rred by a Presidenjt and Vice-President
of theic own choice.V Onof the rea
sons why I quote the opinion of this gen-
tlcmaf), is, because hc of Virginia, and
there irt some in 4 fcousi.whd will e
teem them the mori on 'count., .
It will be rem' ' l till,
Mr. Monroe aw trcan.
didstei for the I Rev
lU'iuiiarr irv Sis Ins
portant services du and
his great ciperienci ir, had
pointed Win out to tl. an people,
as ihe successor of M. ' ison. At to
Mr. Crawford, he had no tuch elaimt to
the oflVe nevertheless, he wat pushed
forward ae candidate, and by manage
rnenf came near being Dominated by the
Caucus. I o give an idea how members
of Congrett may be influenced on these
occasions, I will read, said Mr. F. a few
extracts from the editor of (he National
Intelligencer, made at the time. These
editor ara arrv lntrlliirnf onilmi-r'
they were eye-witnesses of the intrigues
and management that were carried on for
the purpite of making Mr. Crawford
President. 1 hese gtriilenicn tell us,
that mhen CungreiiJIrtl met, no other can
didutt wat fiubUily tfioket of but Jame
Munroe." I hey add, se consult our
im lirution, and probably the interest of
Ihe greai Republican family, by avoiding
n examination into the circumstances, a
tombtnat'on of whuh had narly firoducd
nomination in direct chftottitun It the fiub
M Will. Xg.l,(' 11 I , 'l V ;t-d
we believe, that the acltiHy ad firi con
concert of the opponent f Mr. Monroe,
and fastidious delicacy of lis best friends,
which prevented active exertions in sup
port of his nomination, together, pioduced
a state of things astonihibo to most cj
the people of the United States, who ex
prcted nothing lea than that division of
sentiment wMch prevailed among their
Representatives. " Again; "On thnr
fiurt, (the part of Mr. Crawford's friends)
no exertion were scared. A no labour
wa too great, to no meant werr too hum
ble to aid their object." 44 If one half the
exertions had been made by Mr. Mon
roe's friends that were made by his oppo
nents, the nomination would have been as
unanimous, at it certainly would have
been as Congress first assembled whsn
no other candidate wat publicly ifioken of
but Jamet Monroe. Thit it a fuct, which
we ought not to overtook. These geotle
men, further give it as their opinion, th
to refer the election to the people, M would
greatly narrow the tcofie or'ee the ' and
venality. It would, moreover ikint the
foibility oj the finfiular wilt being deea
led by a cabal, which it now fiotttble to
tay ihe leatt of it, Ifc," Thi is the tes
timony of those who were on the spot
and were attentive to the passing scenes
preparatory to the caucut of 1816. I
shall, said Mr. F. read one more extract
Mr. Nile, one whose republicanism,
honesty and truth, have never been doubt
ed, in speaking of the caucut, that is to
determine the approaching Presidents
election, says, " I had a pretty near view
i)f SQme. of the proposed ..hjjdden things
that are going on, and do verily believe
just as surely as that I shall die and ac
count for my acts, that quati bargains have
been made, at Jor the tale of vttet, and that
thrte bargaint will be brought into a cau
cvs, if comiotrd of the membert of the fire
tent Congreti." This, then, is the nature
of a caucus, that is to deprive the people
QQhcar juiL4)riyUcges jAxhnsi.ng a chief
magistrate. But these are not the only
republicans who have disaproved the prac
tice of caucusing.. In every congress that
has held a caucus, there are many re
publicans who condemned it- I take
pleasure, said Mr. F. to mention among
these the name of our elder senator, Mr.
Macon ; he never attends caucuses. In
the caucus of 1812, only 17 out of the 36
senators attended ; and only 65 out of the
whole number of representatives attended;
so that only a minority of two fifths were
present at that caucus. . With this view
of caucusing, can the people continue to
tolerate a practice which is not only a
violation of the constitution, but an usur
pation of their just rights and privileges ?
But even admitting that caucusing by
members of congress, is not a violation of
the constitution, or does not usurp the
rights of the people, yet it is improper on
another ground. By the constitution, in
tlievenMhoplft-rnake-no-eleclien,
then the choice ,is to be made by the
House of Representatives, voting by
states. It is certainly highly improper
then, for the members to prejudge the
case by going into caucus, and solemnly
binding themselves to support this or that
candidate. They go into caucus and vote
for a president ; they return home, and at
the election for electors, vote a second
time for their man ; they go back to con
gresSraftd in the House of Represcnta:.
lives' vote a third time; so that they
have three chances while the people have.
but one.
Mi. F. further obscrvec', that he could
readily anticipate many of the arguments
that would be brought forward in defence
of the congressional caucuses r0nc pf
there would bei that they were accessary
to prevent the election from going into
the House or.Repretenttivct for If It
goes into tbe House, the choice will go
oy tiatctcacn aiate givvg out one vote.
K first appearance, thi it plausible ar
gument, but It will not bear examination',
f he federal constitution, ii most be kept
in view, it work of timfiromltt. When
the membert from ihe different states
met in convention to form new const!
ution, they toon found that it was a work
of immense diflkulty so conflicting were
thi feelings, interests and view of the
several states. We aie told, lhal at enc
time, they were on the point of breaking
up akd returning home, without having
come io any conclusions I but inspired b
ihe spirit of patriotism, they renewed
iheir labors. Each section of ihe coun
try gave up some of its views in order to
gain other ; and thus by mutual comfiro
mie, the, formed the federal constitu
tion, whick nrver would have been form
ed on any other principles. Mr. F. said
he would very briefly notice thtee of ihe
principles of coinpiomise adop'ed in the
constitution. The fust was, that the
snwll state should be protected from the
overwhelming influence of the great owe,
by being admitted to an equal weight in
the Senate. Without a concession of
this kind in their favor, tbe wm
uuiu nob. na.v nun tutu me union
I he next tomfiromue w in favor of the
southern state the partial represcnta
lion ef our slave population, by which we
gain one third of our v. eight in the Houe
of Representative. The southern st.tes
never would have adopted tbe constitution
without some provision of this-future.
The third principle cf compromife, is in
(ended fmther to .p-rjte in uvor of the
small states ; it is, when ihe nation fails
to elect the PiesideM. that then the elec
tion shall be made by the sta'es, each giv
ing one vote. Mr. MadLton, in his re
marks in the Virginia Convention, speaks
of this part of the constitution as an im
portant tomfirtmite, designed to concili
ate ihe small states. Tbis, then, is a
fim)r.mc, and the avowed object of a
caucus is to defeat this provision of the
constitution. Heretofore, caucuses were
against party now they arc against the
constitution. What would we say, if the
members from the non slave holding
states were to go into caucus to defeat
that part of the constitution, which allows
three-fifths of our slaves to be represen
ted, and thus to deprive us of one third of
our weight in the general government f
Would we quietly permit them to do so ?
No we would cry treason ! and march
either to defend the constitution or to dis
solve the union. Now, cannot the small
states with equal justness, cry out against
a caucus, that scheme to destroy the pro
vision of the constitution intended to
operate in their favor i Suiely they can!
We should not forget the golden rule of
doing to others, at we wish other to do
Ttinto' trs." thte part-trtnrrranstmmon it
as sacred as the rest ; if any part is more
so than others, it certainly ought to be
those parts formed on the principles of
concession and compromise : these it
were that brought the stales together,
and a violation of these, more apt than
any other, may dissolve the union. To
hold a caucus, then, by members of Con
gressrfor the-purpose of defeating-ihe
express provisions of the constitution, is
certainly doing what they have solemnly
sworn not to do it is violating the con
stitution, is cheating the smaller states
out of their just powers, and the people
out of the:r rights.
It will be objected to the election go
ing into the House oi ueprcseniatives,
that minority of the people, will be able
to elect the President. In reply to this it
may be said, that it is not likely that such
combination will ever take place be
tween the small states; but even if it
does, no Hanger can follow, when it is con
sidered, that the election must be made
from one of the three highest of the can
didates voted for by the people.
When the people elect members of
congress, it is with a view to legislation ;
when they choose electors, it is with an
eye to the President : hence the people,
in the elcuoralrolkgc, arcrcpresentcd j
but in the caucus they are not. But sup
pose the members do carry into the cau
cus, the wishes and feelings of their con
stituents. The first thing they do is
solemnly to hind themselves -te-auppori,
he man who receives the most votes,
houtrh he may be one of all others most
obnoxious to the people.'. Again, we will
be told, that we ought now to sanction a
caucus.-because caucuses have heretofore
i because rj.ien.be.rs of Congress have
he relofoic done" w ring?" we hnsf fuwify
them in "repeating 'therions-i-thus,
precedent is becoming law ; bjjt, it" is
to be hoped, tbc people of the U.""Htates,
will out a stop to it, belore-it becomoas
it revocfbic as the laws of Media and Per
sia. Mr. F. said he rejoiced to lee that
the people were already taking the alarm
that they began to see the dangerous ten
denctes of ihe practice of caucusing, i!
(hat they were raising their voire irt eve
ry part nf the nation gtiei It. Our aJt'
fCTfclate 1 ,... ., I m'.t .; Jt-wttM
ced it, and we may expert to see it put
down in every quarter of the nation. In
North-Carolina, caucuses have been un
popular they will fjerome more to. The
vote we are sloiit to give on these resolu
tion, will not be concealed from the pub
licit will go forth, and the people will
re who are their friends, and who are for
niving up their right.
FOHKIC.N NKWH.
LtTr.HT MOM rAIROfE.
Ily the packet ship Howard, captain
(foldridge, at New York from Havre, files
of ihe Paris papers to lhe"16lb of Janua
ry, containing lmdon date Io ihe 12th,
have been received. The following sum
mary and extracts, copied f.om Ihe Com
mercial Advertisar, embrace every item
of interest.
J)F.MO.'S UI'OX SOUTH AMERICA.
We have givin below an ailicle from
the London (ouiier, repecting a naval
armament 4d to be fining out by the
Mbi;;p
ricr more than hint that this expedition
is destined to operate against S. America.
The same letter which contain (ha
foregoing inhumation, states, th-t the
French Admiral, recently returned to
Uies', from the West Indim-station, has
declared th.t complete "anarchy exists
in all the South American States; but
th.it, all bo' there are to be found in tho
diiTiirni province partisans of every dif
ferent sect from ItnyalUt to Republicans,
yet none advoca'e either the sovereignity
of Ferdinand, or submission to Spain."
I his opinion coming from such a (pur
ler, together with (he speech of the
American Piesident, is said to have great
ly cooled Ihe ardor of the party in ilirj
French Cabinet, disposed to assist Spi-in
in regaining possession of those provin
ces. A Te Dium is also directed to bo
chaunted throughout Spanish America
and the Indies, fhe Courier Francuis
of the 14th says, "thisdi-crte cmi only
be regarded as an actual form ; but it is
worthy of remark, that the Spitnish gov
ernment, while it has the air of taking no
account of the destruction of its power in
countries, which it itnl includes in its de
crees, has renounced its exclusive and
rigorous principles, by confirming a part
of the officers, and promotion granted
under 'he constitutional regime.
Several Spanish officers who arrived at
Bordeaux, are said to have been throw n in
to prison.
I he king of Spain has issued one of
those silly and impolitic lc rees relative
O SOl'Tfl AMtHIC'A,
which "fia ve Tib Tre cj uc tuIy DY e n promuTga-"
ted during his imbecile reign. By this
decree he abolishes, what never existed in
the colonies, the constitutional system;
orders the inhabitants there to perform
Te Deum to the Almighty for the preser
vation of his person and family ; disbands
the imaginary constitutional Militia ; ub-
presses the convent, which the paniois
nWlnnjjTjlJo
it to be his royal pleasure that persons
holding offices not created under (he con
stitution (af which none were in exis
tence) should retain them, provided their
conduct had not rendered them unwor
thy. LONDON JAN. 1 I.
An opinion has recently gone abroad,
both in Paris and in London, (hat the
South Americans will be allowed the op-
(ion of purchasing their independence in
hard cash. There is some novelty in the
transaction, even as a matter of political
speculation. It would appear even to
bear its own failure on the face of it.
When the metropolitan power descends
to bargain away its authority in this man
ner, it may be fairly presumed that it de
spairs of obtaining any thing by the force
of arms. And what attention ure the col
lonies likely to pay to a power so redu
ced I
greeks and TCtiTcSl
A passenger in the Marcellus nrrived
here yeoterday from Cibraltar, which he
left the 20th ult. states, that in'elligence
hadJbxejx.jxsfjy.S.d.J'' ""'.t'f '- tle
preceding, ol important successes obtain
ed by ihe Greeks. 'v
1 he Greeks conunucc (o capture all
Turkish vessels, rtveral of which, richly
laden, hatr fallrif Thto their hands
Account Jroro C,onMai.tiii(.prc of 'the
Ot h Dec mbe K ac knriw&dgeu bat 1 he
fleet which tfreCabMft;PaMJff att" nwrffc&t
buck with him, amounted to only fifteen
vessels, Which were in a " bitdcoiuUilbrj.'""
I his had caused a nnmber of meetings of
ihe Divan, which had given rise to sever
er reports..