^^2 il^ATURAL AND CjyiLj 



reQomiftended it to jthe ^ccepta^c^ of the other 



iitates in the umOn. ,itl' itn > 



On the other ha^d it >vas said, that the pro- 

 posed alteration was avowedly for the purpose 

 of; securing a doubtful ^iid coutested election £ 

 that it: had no, other object than to place Mr. 

 Jefferson in the president's chair, which the par- 

 ty idlspaired of effecting in any other way than a 

 cj^ange in the federal constitution, made for that 

 particular purpose and . occasion ; and in this 

 way to give success and triumph to a party, who 

 could not obtain the victory otherwise than by 

 making a new constitution to effect their pur- 

 poses ': 'That the constitution was meant in fact 

 tO(elev«ate' that person to the highest honors, who 

 should hQ .^distinguished by the largest number 

 ©f votes, that all the principles of republicanism 

 required that it should be so, and were in direct 

 opposition to the proposed' alteration : That if 

 any alterations in the fedtjral constitution should 

 be thought uecessary, they never ought to be 

 niLLde to f.ivor ihe views^ designs, or promotion 

 of any man whatever : That the present was 

 tlie most unfit of any time that could be chosen 

 10 pursue such a measure, as the design of it 

 jwaa known to all mankind to be no other, than 

 to secure tlie election of a particular person, and 

 the power of a particular party : That the con- 

 stitution had been already violated and deranged 

 by the votes and vioience ol a prevailing faction, 

 and if it was now to be changed and twisted to 

 secure their power and preponderance, it could 

 not be of any avail, or afford any security ; the 

 same measures would be pursued, whenever the 

 wishes and interests of a prevailing faction. 



