Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-02-13

n,;p,irIes of the constitution, We shall he'd,
hat it no less ha,naenizes with them tnah
!, does with This lroyision OF tie 'nstru'
m.nt. If there he pr~siple universally
allowed Gy men Of all parties 10 be the oa
sis OF liberty, with ske existence OF wh'e"
it is admittrd on all hands, that the ess.nse
of freedom i. iden,ii.ed, it is, that The three
great departments OF power, the legislative
executive and judicial. ought TO be 'epa, :
rate and distinct. The constellation OF
these three powers into one, has been de- :,
nominated ".he de 6nition OF despotlsm.
And in proportion as these powers approx
innate to consolidation, the spirit et desPo-
tism steals over US. At the time OF the a.
dop,ion of this instrument, it was an OBJ
lection raised against it BY some OF its most
enlightened opposers, that its tendency was
to such consolidation, and on this account
they streve 10 rouse the split OF liberty.
But their anticipa;ions had chiefly reference
10 the forms of the constitution, add par
,icuarly to that qualified controul, which
the executive ia. over the acts OF the legis-
lature.
They anticipated pot at all or at lea.t very
ebseurely, that consolidation which has
grown and is Strengthening under the 'nau.
snce Of the flee distributing power, vested
in the executive. A consolidation percep.
,ihls to all, aud which is the more liked and
inse parable inssmach as the cement IS con.
sslsuted by the strongest of all ama!gams I;
that Ut the precious metals. This state OF
Thugs is not tie less to be deprecated, on
sccount of the fact, that the forms OF the
! CONSTITUTE are preserved, while It's spirit
is peri.hing. The members Of both branch
es may meet, deliSsrate and act, but the
spirit ofiudepencenee is gone W hrnever the
action of the legislature is Identified with
the will Of the executive, by the potent IN.
Auence of the oftice.hoping and TIE othce'
holding charm.
With respect to the nature Of this inau.
ence, remark, that misconcePtlon seems
to BE- entertained concerning it. The bare
sugscssiOn Of its existence is almost thought
to be- indeeorous. because OF the gross and
palpable corruption, in which it is supposed
to exist. 1t is thought to imply sort OF
pre- contract between the executive and his
selected fasorites so many votes Tor
30 many Offices or such an Office tor
such term OF Swiss service. Sir, nothing
of this kind is pretended. Such sale OF
conscience and duty in open market, is not
recencisable with the present State OF Ct.
vilized society. There is no such things
now days, as street prostitution by day
light; yet the passions are INDUCED in
darkness and ncealment, and this parties
concerned come into the sun and look one
another and the world in the f,ce, as tho
they were Catos aud Lucretias. And they
are nightly offended if there be any sug.
gestion, ever 50 remote, OF pollution, or
any hint that they have been about any
thing else, in their transactions with the
executive, than pursuing the pure love of
glory and their country. But the corrup.
ton Of which / speak, and which is the
object OF both the amendment and PROPOSE.
ton, is of nature neither very g'oss nor
very barefaced. Yet ou these accounts i,
is not the less to be deprecated. On the
contrary, from iss very insidiousness and
its appearing SO often, almos, in the garb
of a virtue, eusht it to be watched and
restricted.
Such is its nature, that it corrupts the
very fountain Of action. 1t springs up on,
OF the human hear, and the condition of
things, SO that it is almost impossible that
it should not exist, or that it should be al.
together resisted. 1t has its origin in that
love of place, which is so inherent in the
human heart that it May be called almost
an universal and instructive passion. I.
carnot be otherwise. For 50 long as the
love of honor and the love of profit are ma.
sural to man, SO long the love of place,
which includes either the enc or the other,
or both. mus. be very general aud preva-
lent impulse. II cannot, therefore, but be
true, a. = general principle. as j. CASTS no
reflection to admit, that all members of con.
gress may love Offices, at least as we'll as
their neighbors. Now with the love Of
place. there is another principle concurrent
in relation to msmbers Of congress, which
10 the result OF political condition, and is
,h;s thar thos. n,ost d,s;rou. rs oi,.. .: