Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-03-18

Inconvenience has resulted from this Kind
OF judicial responsibility. We have the G.
violence ofiong experience, that Justice will
NOT De less Justly administered from pla-
eng the federal judges under similar res
possibility. At least am for making the
experiment. IL it proves detrimental, we
VIII again amend. / am not so terrified
AT Change rs some gentlemen affect TO be-
ms appeal 10 the apprehensions OF the
public is the resort OF despair, when argu-
ment cannot BE found TO support bad
cause. wish men would be honest, and
teilus fairly their real meaning, when, with
affected concern for cur welfare, they Sc &c
so ieelingly on our fears and paint ms dan
gers in prospective.
Hitherto we have not realized the dire
disasters which these political prophets have
predicted as the effect of change. Eight
years ago, when the administration of the
general government was about to pass from
the late to the presen, men in the execu-
I'VE, spectres appeared in the north; the
destruction 0f desotufion was to happen in
New England Our meeting houses were
TO be turned into biliard-rooms; our school
houses into cock pits our grave Yards into
bovine greens, and our training fields into
race grounds. Our bibles and our plain
books were to be burnt, and inideiity and
hcentiousness were to persecute religion
and morality from the land But the poll
teal Change happened nevertheless. Have
the propnesied disasters followed T? No,
Sir not IN one instance. We still worship
GOD IL cur old way, according 10 the die
tates OF our own consciences our school
houses are still the resort of our children
for instruction; and we are in the posses.
son and use still of all our ancient rights,
habits and customs.
Similar alarms have very lately been
excited within this state, when the govern
ment was about to change it's executive :;
and similar has been the result. In both
instances we see little more than change
OF men while measures are pursued on a
general principle, which preserves to as all
our fundamental rights, aud the enjoyment
.: our dearest privileges. Iconclude, there
fore, that there is more design than homes
ty IN these alarms aud that there is, in
truth, no danger To be unprecedented in the
country from the influence of popular eo-
vernment. do not make my countrymen
a compliment when ] say, they lose by
comparison with any other nation on earth
there is no where such populace. And
1t rs doing us injustice to draw example
from France, by which to calculate our OK
destiny "renchmen were strangers 10 49,
berty; Their pride, their bbnur, and even
their rights were absorbed in the ;iame
eli the Grand lonargUe When the name
OF liberty was transported to them from A
merica, they seized il as they would any o.
Their novelty, and by a misuse of il, produ-
ced its annihilaticn. We, Sir, know we'll
how TO nurse and how TO improve this bles-
sing. 1t is familiar to us: Il is born with
as. 1t nourishes our infancy it strength
ems Our manhcod it supports our age and
we die with the Request of ii to cur poste-
rity. Il IS indeed inseparable from the ex-
tstehee OF the people of this country, and
he who apprehends danger from the exer-
else OF It, must be physically timid or mo-
rally dishonest hope, in the question be-
fore as we shall use This right with an indie
pendence evincive of our entire confidence
IN ourseHes---THE PEOPLE.