Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-10-03
CyTRIICS.
FROM THE NATIONAL INIELLIGENCKR,

In late number of the National Intel
iigenCer we took occasion to notice ~
terms of strong commendatio, the liberal
provision maize by the state of Connecti-
cut for the support of schools. We held
forth her conduct on this important point,
SO far as it involved the endowment of
,chools, as worthy of the imitation of eve.
~ state In tie union and we awaited our
selves OF II as cogent a gument In favor
| OF The superiority Of republican institute
ons, rema,king tsat Connecticut IN the
STRUCTURE of her government, was
NE most retub ;cTn siufe IN tile uuion''
MS language we find has been mis-
understood by some, aud mIsapplied by
others: among The last description Of
persons it has been made use of by wri-
| ter IN The Courant as amounting tn an TN.
dtSc'smtnafe enumeration Of me manner in
which The governmen of Cosilrc ficut has
| 6eSn administered, and consequent CEN
sure OF The opponents Of such administra-
ion. No hing, however, is more remote
tom the true m aning of the paragraph,
| ar from the belief of lis writer. The as
cr'ption of republicanism is exclusively to
The structure of tue government, and MOI
TO the adminfSt,a 'ion of il. The one NAV
be peri Ct and the other vicious
&" For Forms of government (says Pope) let fools
Contest,
'Whate'er is best administered is best"
Anu does not the incessant censure Of the
admin tration OF the general government
by iedera i,sts, in the same breath that
hey avow an Idolatrous devotion to the
Constitution prove that there Is no incon-
slstency between warm appreciation of
the Strue ure of government, and strong
disapproba ION OF the manner in VIII CHI II
IS administered! The ruth is, .hey are
| absolutely distinct things, and that no III
ference Can be drawn of the appreciation
of the one from that of The other.
Called upon, as We are, by the Courant
unequ vocally 10 express our opinions of
the manner in whIcl, the government of
Connectcutis administered, we shall take
the liberty oil making some remarks which
should not otherwise have been drawn
from u.s. We wish it 90 be understood
that they are on this occasion extorted in
asmuch az they are only means of pre-.
, venting misuse ofour previous remarks.
We consider, as we have before said,
Connecticut, in the structure of her go-
vernmeot, the most republican state in
the union. Why? Becau {, not only her
Governor, Assemblymen, aud Councillors
are chosen every year; but because all
other Executive and Judicial officers, SUI
perIor or subordinate, are likewise annually
appointed by men elected by the people.
There are various senses in which The
term republican" is used. 1t will, how
ever, be apparent to any man that reads
our remark, that we used the term in its
most popular accceptation, and that when
We called the government the most re-
publican, we meant that, according to its
structure, it flowed most directly from
the people In this acceptation the ac.
curacy of the declaration will not be inn
peached.
We did not mean to say that although
this government was the "most repubIi-
cam" the CoHstifvtfon was therefore the
best or the most republican. Here again
are two distinct terms meaning different
things. The government is not the Con-
stitulion. Sometimes the terms are used
as SYNONYMOUS. But it is evident that
they are not always so, from the fasl that
all countries have governments, while
many have no constitutions. We believe
this to be the case with Connecticut; and
are therefore reioIced at the prosnea of
her soon obtaining one by the Efforts OF
her best patriots.
We did not mean to say, nor did we
say, that the liberal allowance made for
the support Of schools was properly APP
Piled. On the contrary we had great re A.
son to believe that it was not. Still this
consideration did not, in our mind, dero-
gate FROM the magnitude Of the obiea
We hope these remarks will be allowed
to be unequivocaI by the writer in the
Courant, and as that print has as we con
ceTe' misrepresenied the observations
previously inserted ~ this paper ,,ge trust
It will consider itself under an oI,Iicatioe,
at our request to insert the above.