Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-03-29

Htfendefs every public agent aihenabie,
immediately, or mediately to the PEG.
pie. -.
And it establishes legislative jurisdic-
ton. competent ,ofeform all the abuses, to
supply all the defects, and to correct all the
inconvenirnries, wi ich can occur in the dc.
tails of executive and judicial usnsae'
g.. tons.
ia state of society Is necessary to the
psaee, Improvements and happiness OF man
kind: And if a state Of society implies
governments of laws what systsm does the
!, history Of nstiaps present, ~ hat tree sys.
TEN can .heiugenuity of politicians, devise
better calculated Tor the peace, improve
ment and happiness OF man.
Apanst the alteration, or abolition, OF
this system, framed, approved and de-
i libe rately ratified, by the people, your me-
me- fialists thus tend et thsir solemn ren'cn'
! strance-
! II. Because the ostensibie change which
! is. proposed TO be made in the Constitution
! OF PENNSYLVANIA, is calculated to- destroy
+ the political symetry, the practical energy,
i of the system. To iRvigorate the PoPuiar
part of the Legislative Department, It il
proposed to take from the Senate, the Dee
ne6, of experience; from the Executive
i Magistrate, the attributes ofuseful autho.
rity :; and from the Judicial Office, its d..
ration and independence. The inevitable
effsc, of such change msst, indeed, be to
blend and absorb, in the more numerous
branch of the General Assembly, (even IT
two branches should still be toleraedj all
the functions of Government, Legislative,
Executive and Judicial than which,
scheme Of greater tyranny, cannot be COM
'csived. For,
The Senate will not venture to reject the
legislative propositions of its coordinate,
but more numerous and more influential
branch of the Legislature.
The Executive Magistrate rendered fee
bic & timld, will anxioosly yield obedience
to the wishes of the popular branch OF the
legislature, as the most able to protect his
official existence.
| The subordinate officers of the state,
being appointed by legislative vote, ewes
ry session, will exhibit scene OF intrigue,
favorism, and clamor.
! The Judges, holding their commissions
upon the tenure Of their popularity, not OF
their good behavior, will naturally be led
to make the Auctuatins standard Of lsgisla'
tive politics, not the steady scales OF JUS
Itice, the rule and. measure OF their derl'
sions.
Against such change, your memorial
lists offer a solemn renonstrance.
ILL.,. Because the call OF convention,
for the purpose Of making radical change
in the principles and forms OF the constl'
tuition, ought, at all times, to proceed only
from motive and cause, just, obvious.
cogent, and generally approved: Whereas
| the measure, at this time, is unnecessary,
unexpected, speculative, and inexPedient.
BESIDES, whatever may be the ostens'b's
Cause for the call, the convention oncs
met, will act without limitation, restraint,
or controul: And who can calculate the
danger of the experiment, or the evil Of
the example!
1t will agitate, inaame, and may, fatally,
divide the people.
It will dissolve the bends ofsoeial union
and destroy the hope and the safeguard OF
personal liberty and private property.
1t tends to deprive the people OF every
fixed principle Of Government, substituting
a perpetual revolutionary effort, by which
the constitution will change with every
change OF party, and Of party leaders /;
with every gust of popular passion, and
every impulse of political disappointment.
It tends to bring Republican institutions
into diseredit and hazard to generate lie
cen.iousness and anarchy and, finally,
to establish Despotism, upon the roins OF
1, American freedom, libery, and indePen-
denee.
Against any Legislative agency. in pro-
duciag such dreadful and destructive con.
sequences, your memorialists pronounce
solemn warning and remonstrAuce.
! TnOMAC CIMMC