[WILLIAMS] SECOND PRESIDENT LINCOLN 137 



undiscriminating multitude of voters and the high office of President. '^ 

 They feared that if the Legislature should elect a President it would 

 be the work of intrigue, of cabal and of faction, it would be like the 

 election of a Pope by a conclave of Cardinals and that real merit 

 would rarely be the title to the appointment.^ Election by the people 

 was liable to the most obvious and striking objections; they would 

 be led by a few active and designing men^ and it would be as unnatural 

 to refer the choice of Chief Magistrate to the people as it would be 

 to refer a trial of colours to a blind man.'' A popular election would 

 be radically vicious; the ignorance of the people would put it in 

 the power of one set of men dispersed through the Union and acting 

 in concert to delude the people into any appointment.^ 



So the Fathers determined that the appointment of President 

 should be left to Electors. These, of course, would be men of 

 high standing and clear judgment, not filled with party spirit 

 or influenced by regard for any man ; they would feel the very great 

 responsibility cast upon them and would anxiously canvass the merits 

 of all natural born citizens of the United States who had attained 

 the age of 35 years and had been for 14 years residents of the United 

 States and they would vote for those best qualified for the high offices of 

 President; he who received the most votes would become President 

 and he who received the next greatest number Vice-President. And 

 thus there would be no intrigue, no cabal, no faction, the people 

 would not be led by a few active and designing men, no one set of men, 

 senators or others, acting in concert could determine the appointment, 

 and real merit would be the sole title to the office. 



The selection of these electors being thus of the most serious 

 importance, the citizens of each State examined with the greatest care 

 into the past history, the ability, clearness of vision, soundness of 

 judgment, uprightness and candour of the prominent citizens, to see 

 who should be entrusted with the grave responsibility of acting for 

 them in the selection of their future four year Monarch. An ordinary 

 agent for every day affairs or a lawyer, one might take chances on, 

 but a Presidential Elector! Never, no sir, never. 



And so it came about that in at least most of the States a minimum 

 of ten per cent, of the voters knew one, or possibly even two, of those 

 for whom they voted, sometimes indeed only by name but occasionally 

 by sight. 



Naturally these splendid specimens of American citizenship 

 were impressed with the tremendous importance of their solemn 

 task ; and naturally they communicated with each other most seriously, 

 asking and giving advice and exchanging views. 



