Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-08-08

Content myieli, for Ihe preient, with,
few authorities chiefly drawn from -
al tents. ~
OF the authorities derived from the !,
clenss, they will be principally thor.
which are relied upon by the Able h.
thelcmi, 10 his celebrated work, en,;tla
the Travels OF AnacharGs, the younp,,
in Greccs, more particular thole Which
h: quotes in his chapter /" Of tie na,m.
OF government, according to Ariao,!c a.,
other Philosophers" and his chapter q
thesprcfent government Of Athens
A right in the people collectively /,
enact laws, and try offences COMMITTED
agsina the laws Of the fate, is Of the e.
fence Of democracy. This is the pohtio
70 be further ilIuarated.
II may not perhaps be improper, in
this place to remark, that it is not mean,
10 convey an idea, that the will Of The
people, in the enaeting Of laws, in de.
mocracy is cxpreaed in one way only,
or 10 an saenbly where all are collected
this will be afcertained by taking I'll.
votes Of the people Jfriatam, or foccef.v.
ly, in fmalI collections, or tribes, as was
iometimts prs6ifed in Athens and other
cries in Greece, the majority Of the Who'll.
votes deciding.
Aristotle observes "a that all mat.
| tiers Of deliberation should be decided by
| al the people IS consonant to demsc,ay
but is susceptible of many variations.
| for all the people may be entitled to dellbs.
| rate and decide either e0'leaivsy or luc.
| ee1Fuely." Hence whether the votes Or
suffrages Of all are given collectively, still
it IS the majority eff the votes of the whole
that is to decide in the formation Of
| laws.
| Our knowledge and notions CT demo.
cracy have their source in the ancient &c.
mocracies, or what we find in ancient
writers concerning them. All Of modern
| date have had those for their model.
To this source, therefore, we must apply
| for correct information, relative to their
Distinguishing chara aerlstlcs and compo-
sitlon.
! The general aeristics Of demo.
cracy are thus described by Aristotle.
The nature ef demoeraey ,eqairfs that
the Jubreme aufbo,ity Of The gsvsrnm'r'
/ @sa4 rsGde, not in the distinguished few
| but, IN fbe graf body eftbs pea9ze. (t)
That all the offices OF the magistracy, OF
at least the greatest part, should be con-
| ferred, by lot, on each individual. That
aUtae enizeas be alternately dfribmea q
! tie carts az ;gqiee. That a senate b
instituted to prepare those affairs whiel
are finally to be determined on IN the aa
fioual and ssversigu aVSmbly, az aubifz
all THE eniSrns may be present ~
| Fora particular case shall select tn
celebrated Athenian democracy.
/ Solou determined tsat the spbvm
! soqver s5oaA ,esid< in the assemblies, a
/! which every eitjiz<u sbeald 6ave rigbt 4
, be p,2seg, and where all ordinances re-
| soeoing peace, war, alliances, laEos, IN
| ports, and all the great interests OF tn
state, should be finally decided. [gl
| The assemblies were held IN the tiieaf
| of Bacehus, in the public market, or nj
spacious place near the citadel named sID
Pnyx. III
| Six thousand snfrages were requisite
| give the force of law to several DEGREES
/ FL 1t was not, however, at all ure
practicable, it seems, to obtain this nun
| Der; for during the whole course Of tn
| Peloponnesian war, irwss found lInpossl
| BILE, to collect more than five thouSan'
| people in the general assembly. Lsl
!! Herodotus says that Alistagorus, am
| bassadoi from the Ionians, found It bar
! der to deceive one Spartan than thHt
thousand Arhenians meaning IN zoos
| way, the qvb0le stafe supposed TO be met
n