Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1886 — THE PRESIDENCY. [ARTICLE]

THE PRESIDENCY.

llow We Got Along for Several Years Without a President, When the revolutionary war ended, in 1783, Washington retired to his country residence at Mount Vernon, and took no part officially in public affairs until he was chosen bv his native State (Virginia) as a delegate to the convention' that formulated and proposed for adoption the Constitution of the United States, which asseriiblpd in Philadelphia in 1787, when Washington was elected presiding officer of the convention. That Constitution Was opposed by some of the ablest men in the Nation, but it was finally adopted. It provided for the election of a President and Vice President, and defined tlieir duties. In-the convention the commit; tee had reported that the President should be called “His Excellency,” but that did not suit the plain notions of plain old Ben Franklin, and he squelched it iu a bit of sarcasm by. immediately proposing as an amendment: “And the Vice President shall lie styled ‘His- Most Superfluous Highness.’” And so it was decided that the President should have no other title than ’•A*The President.” The Constitution did not; provide for the election of the Electoral College—“presidential electors”as now called—-by by a direct vote of the people* it left the various Legislatures of the States to provide a method of electing them; and the Legislature proceeded to elect them by a vote in toe Legislature, without any popular election. There were no political conventions or nominations made. The theory of the Electoral College was modeled after the republics of Venice, in the middle ages, that were governed by an oligarchy, tho best and foremost citizens selecting the ruler. So, as many of the foremost citizens of the American Republic as there Were Congressmen and Senators were chosen by the various State Legislatures as members of the Electoral College, who, in tlieir wisdom and without being instructed by political conventions, voted for a candiclate for President of the United States; but did not vote for a Vice President—the one having the largest vote, if a majority, was to be the President, and the one having the next largest was to be the Vice President. Everyone knows that “George Washington, Esq.,” was chosen President, and almost everyone supposes by the unanimous vote of the people; but the people did not vote at all, and his support was not by any means unanimous in the Electoral College, there being no less than twelve distinguished gentlemen with “Esq.” attached to their names who received one or more electoral votes for toe Honorable office of President of the United States. The first Congress under the Constitution assembled in New York City, Wednesday, March 4, 1189, and, there being no quorum present, adjourned from day to dav. until Monday. April 6. 1789. when the Senate elected John Langdon president, “for the sole pilrptise of opening and counting the vote for President of the United States.” "In joint session on the same day the vote was announced as follows: —-... ••

I S’ gif ggtg? =|s|: s’ aeJ a* aa,b§> >§ 2 . sj § S 2 If £ Z | SlbS w §Ms « 2 s £. M status. -ri ® I §? | | | =- P ?, g* ~ 5"! S ? 1,5 - ~ 5; 5 ■ h®t; u s ck, 2, ■ 'oo : s; s r s s g • a ■ a s * » ■ - -® - d : -z, • •tej* h : : K: : . » • £ *a|: • • • : • *r New Hampshire.»<s 5 .. > .. ... .. ..." .. Massachusetts.... 10 in , ~ Connecticut 7 5 2 ; New Jersey....... 6- 1.. 5 Pennsylvania..... In 8.. .. 2 .. : 1 Delaware 8.... 3, -.. Maryland. .6 J.. „ ~ „.„!.-. Virginia ...10 5 .. 1 1 „ 8 .. ... .. .. .. South Carolina.... 7 ...... I 1 .... 0 Georgia 5: 2 1 1 i T0ta1'....: 09 31 2 8l 1 C 3 0 V 1 l' 1 “Whereby it appeared that George Washington, Esq., was elected President, and John Adams, Esq., Vice President of the United States of America.” The States of New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island had not yet given their consent to the adoption of the Constitution of the United States, and had no voice in the first Presidential election.— Freeport (III.) Journal.