6900. PRESIDENCY, Electoral college.—[continued].
I have ever considered
the constitutional mode of election ultimately
by the Legislature, voting by States, as the
most dangerous blot in our Constitution, and
one which some unlucky chance will some
day hit, and give us a pope and anti-pope. I
looked, therefore, with anxiety to the amendment
proposed by Colonel Taylor at the last
session of Congress, which I thought would
be a good substitute, if on an equal division
of the electors, after a second appeal to them,
the ultimate decision between the two highest
had been given by it to the Legislature, voting
per capita. But the States are now so
numerous that I despair of ever seeing another
amendment to the Constitution, although
the innovations of time will certainly
call, and now already call, for some, and
especially the smaller States are so numerous
as to render desperate every hope of obtaining
a sufficient number of them in favor
of “Phocion's” proposition. Another general
convention can alone relieve us. What,
then, is the best palliative of the evil in the
meantime? Another short question points to
the answer. Would we rather the choice
should be made by the Legislature voting in
Congress by States, or in caucus per capita?
The remedy is indeed bad, but the disease
worse.—
To George Hay.
Ford ed., x, 264.
(M.
Aug. 1823)
