Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1805-02-25
To the Editor Of the Portland Gazette.
ELM-TREEs, FEB. Is, 1905.


To undcrfand political or civil inftitution, 70
be able TO fay it is better than another of the
fame kind, it is necedary view both, in actual
operation and calculate the particular effects flowing
from each; without this conception Of them, and
critical companion of thee effects it will be mpof
hble 10 make up an impartial judgment. To fay of
one, generally, it has done much good may create
prejudice In its favor and thoulands, who believe
what they hear, will be ready to vote its favor tho
they know noth;ng of its intrinhc merit. The power
of 7ycrls and raitI mems actions well udg-
rnen;S is truly a,lonhing and when we have anali
zed par conduct former judgments and fee how
little IS the relut OF n comprehensive knowledge of
the iublect acted and pahed ientence upon
ready 10 call 10 quefion the correctness of nvef
,igation and in majority of cafes, for the want of
integrity and attachment truth, fall back into
Old
When A writer pu5lill1es of the old iz4feia! Gfsn,
fba. bss been TIE Of fang mueb LEGAL Information
through toe community; and of the ysn intending
20 make companion favorable TO the former, that
Ez4v operation Lggl tuo7Uige 70H Be confined Oey
.e be;e5, ani bat Of tbsc zpbo make tbt 4y Of lq4v
f6dr brev, great PROPORTION zoN lsg ali ambition be-
so,ue eminent; couhder fuch declarations having
powerful tendency mlead his readers, if the fub
jc0 is TO be decided by popular iuffrage; they
may excite blind Glamour for DID, but les benefi-
sal fyitem, than the Propsid for examination and
eventually prevent the adoption of one that would
try.
Nothing is more likely to take hold of the popular
mind and, at once, prejudice powerful 10
fufer a cool examination, than niGtution thought
70 be favorable to the promotion and fpread of knowl
edge and in proportion to the propofed inltitu-
ton proniles TO bring information neighbor-
hood, and home TO very doors, will the prejudice
IN favor of its increae. 1t requires contderabe for
ttude TO oppofe iuch ntitution, Especially when
the oppUfer would iu5ittue that has already at
tached TO il the odious tendency of drying up the
fources ofinformation and introducing fate of gen.
eral ignorance on fubeet Of vaa Importance to the
community On this point, hewever,I feel confident
q clear dilpay OF the fem will make it evident
that the old has advantage over it, as int-
ton to ddemnate legal knowledge among the pee-
pie tho by the careful attention TO the bill of Rights
aud the )nftuton, 1t will be found, that, dcs-
irezpdgs to arut9 tie people thought
Of by the trainers of the focal compact to be incu-
ted among the primary objects of judicial fyfen,.
From the ninth article of the bill of rights we may
certainly infer that whatever form Of tie iuu;eiayy zo
enable s-ns abto- right 0a5r sxsf ;eei, eonbiety
sng PROMPTLY conforr1lby to the laws ought to be ei
tablhed. 1t is that every judicial fyern will be-
GENE the location of digfulug, or leis know-
edge of the rights and duties of citizens but this is
incidental only and would be wrong TO facr6ce its
primary Object Vo5b tie airzir Of infiee, to
inferior and accidental Thus would be to con-
found Judiciary intution with literary and fcienf-
c ones courts of law, with fchools, academies and
colleges which, il viii be feen on the mott fuperti-
cia view, have but fewf any, ansogies in their ruc
ture and arrangement he arrangements of fcientf-
ic and literary nitutions always have their primary
object in view, and purfue that undeviatingy; and
why fhould not the arrange nent of Judiciary do
the fame Why fhould man, who has been in ureo,
and applies to court for fsoeatisa aaa free gee, I'M
der the bin ofrghts, be fubjeted inconvenience,
not neceary the obtaining the .ite d4e Bin, but
quired only means to n'uet his neghbOrs or tran
gers who may attend the ccurt as fpeaa.ors: The