James Madison, “the father of the Constitution” and also a Virginian present at the Convention, asserted his version of Hamilton’s assurance that the Electoral College would prevent a “man of low moral character” from holding the highest office in the land and that, if such a thing were to happen, there was always the remedy of impeachment:
“There is one security in this case to which gentlemen may not have adverted: if the President be connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found guilty.”
At that time, no political parties had emerged and the idea that an entire party could be corrupted by a demogogue and his billionaire buddies was inconceivable. So, of course, they thought, the “honorable men of the Senate” would vote to convict and remove from office a president caught selling pardons.
Sadly, and obviously, it hasn’t worked out that way.
