1819 May 24

Defence of | | Ballot

Caucussing 1 unavoidable

2 beneficial

5

Not by depth of judgment but by want of it are suspicions &c[?] of the usefulness of Caucus produced

Thus then, with or without the formalities of an Election will be formed a knot of selectmen by whom in the character of persons regarded as exclusively or preeminently well qualified to form each of them a self-formed judgment, the judgment of those who not regarding themselves as qualified to form any other than a derivative judgment, will be derived.

And thus it is that, in relation to /on the occasion of/ a choice to be made among divers candidates for the purpose of filling as they become vacant the several official situations contained in the entire official establishment, there will be a set /knot/ of persons by whom or in case of disagreement /non concurrence/ by the majority of whom in number and influence, the choice /appointment/ is in the several instances respectively determined.

In every one of the United States of North America in the first seat and source and example of good government to the designation of an association of this description the term /noun substantive/ Caucus has been appropriated: to the operation of making a such association and joining in the transaction of its appropriate business, the correspondent term /participle/ Caucussing.

Nothing it has been seen can be more simple, nothing more salutary, nothing more pure of all sensible evil, nothing more unexceptionable than its operations and its effects.

The operations which come /stand/ naturally the first in the order of law are those in and by which each Member makes trial of the influence with which he himself operates upon the rest. This matter being settled in regard to the whole business of the Caucus taken in the aggregate preparative is thus made – a ground is thus laid for the several particular decisions which from time to time may come to be made on the occasion of the several Elections.