the fathers of the constitution-第24章

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of　Congress；　but　some　further　safeguards　were　necessary；　and　the　whole　question　accordingly　turned　upon　the　method　of　his　election　and　the　length　of　his　term。　In　the　course　of　the　proceedings　of　the　Convention；　at　several　different　times；　the　members　voted　in　favor　of　an　appointment　by　the　national　legislature；　but　they　also　voted　against　it。　Once　they　voted　for　a　system　of　electors　chosen　by　the　State　legislatures　and　twice　they　voted　against　such　a　system。　Three　times　they　voted　to　reconsider　the　whole　question。　It　is　no　wonder　that　Gerry　should　say：　〃We　seem　to　be　entirely　at　a　loss。〃　So　it　came　to　the　end　of　August；　with　most　of　the　other　matters　disposed　of　and　with　the　patience　of　the　delegates　worn　out　by　the　long　strain　of　four　weeks'　close　application。　During　the　discussions　it　had　become　apparent　to　every　one　that　an　election　of　the　President　by　the　people　would　give　a　decided　advantage　to　the　large　States；　so　that　again　there　was　arising　the　divergence　between　the　large　and　small　States。　In　order　to　hasten　matters　to　a　conclusion；　this　and　all　other　vexing　details　upon　which　the　Convention　could　not　agree　were　turned　over　to　a　committee　made　up　of　a　member　from　each　State。　It　was　this　committee　which　pointed　the　way　to　a　compromise　by　which　the　choice　of　the　executive　was　to　be　entrusted　to　electors　chosen　in　each　State　as　its　legislature　might　direct。　The　electors　were　to　be　equal　in　number　to　the　State's　representation　in　Congress；　including　both　senators　and　representatives；　and　in　each　State　they　were　to　meet　and　to　vote　for　two　persons；　one　of　whom　should　not　be　an　inhabitant　of　that　State。　The　votes　were　to　be　listed　and　sent　to　Congress；　and　the　person　who　had　received　the　greatest　number　of　votes　was　to　be　President；　provided　such　a　number　was　a　majority　of　all　the　electors。　In　case　of　a　tie　the　Senate　was　to　choose　between　the　candidates　and；　if　no　one　had　a　majority；　the　Senate　was　to　elect　〃from　the　five　highest　on　the　list。〃　This　method　of　voting　would　have　given　the　large　States　a　decided　advantage；　of　course；　in　that　they　would　appoint　the　greater　number　of　electors；　but　it　was　not　believed　that　this　system　would　ordinarily　result　in　a　majority　of　votes　being　cast　for　one　man。　Apparently　no　one　anticipated　the　formation　of　political　parties　which　would　concentrate　the　votes　upon　one　or　another　candidate。　It　was　rather　expected　that　in　the　great　majority　of　cases〃nineteen　times　in　twenty；〃　one　of　the　delegates　saidthere　would　be　several　candidates　and　that　the　selection　from　those　candidates　would　fall　to　the　Senate；　in　which　all　the　States　were　equally　represented　and　the　small　States　were　in　the　majority。　But　since　the　Senate　shared　so　many　powers　with　the　executive；　it　seemed　better　to　transfer　the　right　of　〃eventual　election〃　to　the　House　of　Representatives；　where　each　State　was　still　to　have　but　one　vote。　Had　this　scheme　worked　as　the　designers　expected；　the　interests　of　large　States　and　small　States　would　have　been　reconciled；　since　in　effect　the　large　States　would　name　the　candidates　and；　〃nineteen　times　in　twenty；〃　the　small　States　would　choose　from　among　them。　Apparently　the　question　of　a　third　term　was　never　considered　by　the　delegates　in　the　Convention。　The　chief　problem　before　them　was　the　method　of　election。　If　the　President　was　to　be　chosen　by　the　legislature；　he　should　not　be　eligible　to　reelection。　On　the　other　hand；　if　there　was　to　be　some　form　of　popular　election；　an　opportunity　for　reelection　was　thought　to　be　a　desirable　incentive　to　good　behavior。　Six　or　seven　years　was　taken　as　an　acceptable　length　for　a　single　term　and　four　years　a　convenient　tenure　if　reelection　was　permitted。　It　was　upon　these　considerations　that　the　term　of　four　years　was　eventually　agreed　upon；　with　no　restriction　placed　upon　reelection。　When　it　was　believed　that　a　satisfactory　method　of　choosing　the　President　had　been　discoveredand　it　is　interesting　to　notice　the　members　of　the　Convention　later　congratulated　themselves　that　at　least　this　feature　of　their　government　was　above　criticismit　was　decided　to　give　still　further　powers　to　the　President；　such　as　the　making　of　treaties　and　the　appointing　of　ambassadors　and　judges；　although　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate　was　required；　and　in　the　case　of　treaties　two…thirds　of　the　members　present　must　consent。　The　presidency　was　frankly　an　experiment；　the　success　of　which　would　depend　largely　upon　the　first　election；　yet　no　one　seems　to　have　been　anxious　about　the　first　choice　of　chief　magistrate；　and　the　reason　is　not　far　to　seek。　From　the　moment　the　members　agreed　that　there　should　be　a　single　executive　they　also　agreed　upon　the　man　for　the　position。　Just　as　Washington　had　been　chosen　unanimously　to　preside　over　the　Convention；　so　it　was　generally　accepted　that　he　would　be　the　first　head　of　the　new　state。　Such　at　least　was　the　trend　of　conversation　and　even　of　debate　on　the　floor　of　the　Convention。　It　indicates　something　of　the　conception　of　the　office　prevailing　at　the　time　that　Washington；　when　he　became　President；　is　said　to　have　preferred　the　title；　〃His　High　Mightiness；　the　President　of　the　United　States　and　Protector　of　their　Liberties。〃　The　members　of　the　Convention　were　plainly　growing　tired　and　there　are　evidences　of　haste　in　the　work　of　the　last　few　days。　There　was　a　tendency　to　ride　rough…shod　over　those　whose　temperaments　forced　them　to　demand　modifications　in　petty　matters。　This　precipitancy　gave　rise　to　considerable　dissatisfaction　and　led　several　delegates　to　declare　that　they　would　not　sign　the　completed　document。　But　on　the　whole　the　sentiment　of　the　Convention　was　overwhelmingly　favorable。　Accordingly　on　Saturday；　the　8th　of　September；　a　new　committee　was　appointed；　to　consist　of　five　members；　whose　duty　it　was　〃to　revise　the　stile　of　and　arrange　the　articles　which　had　been　agreed　to　by　the　House。〃　The　committee　was　chosen　by　ballot　and　was　made　up　exclusively　of　friends　of　the　new　Constitution：　Doctor　Johnson　of　Connecticut；　Alexander　Hamilton；　who　had　returned　to　Philadelphia　to　help　in　finishing　the　work；　Gouverneur　Morris；　James　Madison；　and　Rufus　King。　On　Wednesday　the　twelfth；　the　Committee　made　its　report；　the　greatest　credit　for　which　is　probably　to　be　given　to　Morris；　whose　powers　of　expression　were　so　greatly　admired。　Another　day　was　spent　in　waiting　for　the　report　to　be　printed。　But　on　Thursday　this　was　ready；　and　three　days　were　devoted　to　going　over　carefully　each　article　and　section　and　giving　the　finishing　touches。　By　Saturday　the　work　of　the　Convention　was　brought　to　a　close；　and　the　Constitution　was　then　ordered　to　be　engrossed。　On　Monday；　the　17th　of　September；　the　Convention　met　for　the　last　time。　A　few　of　those　present　being　unwilling　to　sign；　Gouverneur　Morris　again　cleverly　devised　a　form　which　would　make　the　action　appear　to　be　unanimous：　〃Done　in　Convention　by　the　unanimous　consent　of　the　states　present　。　。　。　in　witness　whereof　we　have　hereunto　subscribed　our　names。〃　Thirty…nine　delegates；　representing　twelve　States；　then　signed　the　Constitution。　When　Charles　Biddle　of　Philadelphia；　who　was　acquainted　with　most　of　the　members　of　the　Convention；　wrote　his　〃Autobiography；〃　which　was　published　in　1802；　he　declared　that　for　his　pa