The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-08-06
JOHN WOOD.
REMARKS.

ihould conceive myfelf to have violated the
duties of my preient Office, if confeD.ed to
pats by the preceding communication without
crticitn or comment. 1t ahounds Tin my iudg-
menD with errors which may be productive of
niictief or fophifms which may impofe upon
the unwary. Should the Grictures which !
deem it necefIary to offer on thefe opinions, be
confidered harih or unfriendly by their author
have no apology TO make to him. He cannot
tail TO recolIett the conditions, on which nave
contented to publith his production.
(I) Every law ought TO be enf6rced by the
officers of government, and complied qvii6 By in
divduals againR qubom they are TO be put into
execution. But does it follow, that every in
divdual ought to enforce the law upon every o.
ther, who has placed himGtlf within its grafp ?
Is bozvey in every cafe, ,iebf? Oasbtthe land
lord to turn every tenant from his farm, whom
the inclemency of the elements has rendered
incapable of diicharging his rents? A humane
man would perhaps think differently. He
would fay, I" it is right that the law fhould give
me the power to ailert my claims, if thought
proper. Bat it would not be right for me TO
alert them i'll a CAFE where did not think il
proper"
l2) Hence (infrrs our morality every indiyi-
dual is bound to- afert his claims in every in.
itance, where the law puts the iceptre into his
hand. He, who violates brivate right is TO
u IL.
who perPetrates public crime. There is no
more due to mercy in the one cafe than in the
other. There is no more difcretion left to the
individual, who can clap a writ upon his unfor-
tunate Debtor, than to him, who is able to ar
RET vindictve murderer. This NAV be L,ao
but who is there that will call it jaaice?
(8) Can law be tyrannica which is not ex-
ecuted Or what injury can law produce,
which exits, but ia not executed Had the per-
iecuted Gerald no caufe of complaint, when
the public profecutor /" thought proper TO dig
into the duty rubbifh of antiquity, under which
the embers of defpoifm have long been fno-
thered and to awaken thofr feepiny lions by
rattllng'up company ofold records, which have
lam TOR 70 many ages By the wall neglected or
forgotten %
(D Without any regard for the equitable
rights OF others? At the expence of ali hums-
nifty; every virtuous fentiment Of compsfIion:
all thoie kindly feelings, which would lead US
to iacrfice our own interefts 10 tke welfare of
Others?
(5) M;fersble fophifmi Asif confidence did
not embrace the principles dilcovered by the
understanding, as well as the feelings produced
BY habit AS if the virtuous moraliG who acts
from confederate conviction, does not atl from
confidence, as wei as the timid Rsligieu(e WOO
afraid TO inyeni9ate the reafons Of bis morality.
acts from the blind prepofefiions OF his child
hood is the Confidence Of the frfl 10 be rid;
culed as fancied? Or what other principle (lalt
we i1bititute for the regulation of our depo,t
ment?
(6} Here then we have MIR. Woods Randa,d
Of moraEiyi Law, 4 fytem 60 completely
ditierent IN different countries, aud continuallv
differing from iifelf. What follows from this.
bHt that different nations have dife-en. fyaens