Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-03-16

If&1S14tuiS NAY, ISiHUtc lIiCtu HUH UthsS )
although the conftisation declares that
they ihall not be removed, except open
impeachment and conviction of mifde-
mea9of 10 Office, and aifo compels them to
fwsar, that they will Import the confi-
tntion and regulate their decifons by il.
II, therefore, tie pretent Corgreis .fhculd
think proper to declare it high treafon to
icenfure Of ridiculc The rreGdent, or their
ovn. riocecdings; totesy tax upon Gee
pslf ofShe unisn ard to exempt ano,hef J,
or 10 PATS any o,hsy unconstitutional Law;
fhe Judges muA either execute faeh law,
in violation Of their osths, or ellie fubmit
to a removal from Office. Not content,
however, with this fxeepins principle,
which in general terms bring down the
judicial department from the high and
commanding ground on which it was
placed by the contribution, and renders tia
humble and paiive infrument for the exc
cption of whatever the ambition or the
vengeance of faetious Legislature, or an
afpiring executive may require, the ruling
party have carried their excels of violence
ell farther, and plunged the deadly fhaft
fill deeper into the yitals of the conti-
tition. As though fearful that fome ,vef-
t,ge oflife might yet remain, which the
friends Of our government, at future
day, might cherifh into renewed activity
aad vigour, they have proceeded to demo-
lih the only part off the. sonaitution, re-
lzfire. to this department, which remained
inyiolate after they had uflrpei and ex-
erciied the power Of removing Judges.
This is the part which declares, "that the
Judges, ihalls at Rated times, receive for
their f.rvices compensation which fhall
not be diminilhed daring their continuance
in Office. BY the bill which has now
paGed both houfes Of Congres, two judges
only of the circuit court are continued III
Office, and Eve hundred dollars Fer annum
are taken from the la,aries of each. 1t
would isem as though the p,oprietors of
thefe >violences had relolyed to fix upon
the planet and moR unequivocal parts of
the contribution, for the purpofe Of remov-
ing all doubts of their determination to
treat that folemn compact as a dead letter.
Under thefe diareiling circumstances we
pronounce, with grief, that all islN.-
tits true,. that we may be governed, for
4 while, under the prefent order Of things:
we may fnbmit, for fealon, to the do.
mination of judges Whole only law is the
will of faction on whom they are con.
fcious of dependence for their powers and
their falaries But this period cannot be
long. Even France, more corrupt and
better fitted than we are for iubmitting to
defpo.ifm of the mcit at,rocious nature,
could rot, for a long time, be fubjetted
to the oppreiion of revolutionary tribu-
mails, who aiked no other quelion refped-
ing cauies brought before them, than
avbat rs the 1hGIart Of 'xr matters in this
cafe?
The time, then, mua fpeedily arrive
when fuch tyranny will no longer be to.
lerated. What will then be the lot of
our devoted country !! To refore Our
former contribution will be impoflible, and
if pofible, would perhaps be ulelefs ince
the nation could never again be brought
to place confidence in an inatrumen, which,
from experience, has been found unable
to withfand, for one year, the attacks of
its enemies when in power. To frame
another, in which all the fates would a
gree, is a thing devoutly to be wilhed,
but not to be expected. Our buGnels,
however, is not to predict, but to in
form the public of things as they an.-
Let thofe who have de,poliihed the roble
fabric, reared and fuRained by Waihing-
ton and his adkerents, faithful to him and
to their country, row farnifh better if
they can: ifnot, let them anfwer to their
country and to poferity for the COME.
quences which mutt follow.
Little more than a year has elapied
Ence nation was made H,ourner by the
lois Of Warrington, our common friend
Il