The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-05-05

the s.n;uis; sfin os the cove;nn cut into three dis,
ti1s;. ai.d ID pcs!eat departments. To c...a o
te,e tc Gays I" .'d..iiis'.r a~ wiihia ia scs,
tic Jcrisi.ctoa fh. j'"rity ia eases .! m.;,m *
tun', and c,iHii,c cri,ucs tue f.Ncc;itr. "A, L,
laws executive, IN tter natarc tie ',;,siu,v IL, "a
r,oas cases ~b'>h b.'o,g 10 iisei', IA the Ia or.
tnt idct',i' oil asiici's .nd ."..s tao sss..,.
tcifecuon iis sisdon, asw. as ihtc. al, - is nrnhvr
reuIr a, nUt ,ISets IN t,ese a.cn,s IL l,com.s
mot Ia man. Were tiie judge WHIT, Gr.u!ed by 80
ph,tr,, taxes the lite o an innocent ina,, to re:,y
" "i'h lHs o~n; were a. to Replaces, Wit, is
io tune. that winch las Jngughl las t.aSn a. m
ote,5 Under the Iegu,iru,vEt OF false a, ,.uviitus
rerv the ENccu;.sc the mass of eGneS rus Oh
hrst imaginable, "hie lac mus, direct, To l,e las
whole ort,ne On the i,iIard oi every opi,ou me,.
The nieihoers oi ti'c Legislature to good iuum
their iii,atc substance every law prodctiy. oi PUT
lie or private INJURY III short every tran .n-
gagged IN rendering service to TIC public bou,.d ia
ms body apI goods to Standardization tor all has er-
rois, We nsist commit our public aA,irs the put
lers vt the nation, to the sweepngs of aud
poo'.houses, who having nothing 10 lose, world have
nothing to risk. The wise kmoS their weakness
toe veal to assume iniahbilty--and hc who knows
most, knows best how little he knows. The vine 4
the hs-tree must withdraw, aud the briar and bram-
Die assume their places. But this is not the. spir,
OF our law II expects not 'impossi5itics 1t has
esnsecrted the plncipie that it's are not
answerahie for honest error OF Judgment. Ro.
abr. 81 Jones Is. Salk 397. He who has dome
n duty hohestly, aud according 10 his best skin and
Judgment, stands acquitted before God and IMAM. If
noeed Judge goes asaiast law grossly, pa,pa-
Oily as no nputabie degree OF folly ac count for
and nothing bu. corruption, malice or wiur. wrong
can explain, aud especially j. circumstance prove
such MOTIVES, he may be punished Tor the CORRUPTION
tue males the wiifui wrong; but not tor the error
nor IS he liable to seton by the party gricve,, And
our form II government constituting it's respective
iunctonares Judges OF the law which is to guide their
decisions. places all within the reason, under
the safeguard o. the same. rule That in deciding
and apting under the law in the preselt case, the
plaintiff, xho may think there was errcr does not
himself believe there was corruption or malice
am cSyident. What, WAS il my malice or cor,nn
t'on when prompted che Governors and Cabildoos
to keep these grounds clear of intrusion Did nv
malre and corruption excite the people to r,s
ans stay the parriciie hand upted TO DESTROY th,r
ely, or the grand jury present this yiol;or of
peir laws! Was It my malice and corruption
winch penned the opinion OF the ATTORNEY General
aud drew from him conformation after tyo x.,r.
oil further consideration, and when l was retired
from All public Office Nss it. my malice or cor
,uptioh winch Dictated the unanimous advice of the
heads oil department, when officially called ON fnr
consultation and advice Was it my malice, n .
corruption which procured the immediate thanks q.
the two houses of legislature Of the TERRITORY of Or
'cahs' anu arenewa! on the same thanks TOR the
same interference, Ill their late vote of Februar,,
iast Has It been my malice and corruption which
has indnced the national legislature, through five
successive sessions, to be deaf to the do,efu Jere.
u"s o, tne piaint'f, oil his removal tron1 his es-
tofe at New-Orleans! Have all these oDipons tber
been honest, and mine alone malicious and corrunt
VI has there been general combination Of all the
public iunctonarias Spanish, French and American.
10 Cypress Mr. Livingston No. They have done
ther does and his declaration is libel on all these
missionaries. His counsel indeed has disco,.er.j
opimons LAAIV.1 that we should have had lesal
inq'iests taken, writs of enquiry formed, proseeu
unhs Tor penalties, with all the sc. of the law That
rs ,hat'~c should be playing pus.-pin with iudres
andia"sers, while Livingston working double
TUES to drown the city. If functionarv of IN.
highest trust, acting under every sanction which the
constitution has provided for his "a and guide. *
WITH the appreciation, expressed or impiie, of IL.
highest councils, still acts his own peril. the hon
ours and Offices ofhis country would be but snsre,
to ruin him. 1t is not for me to enquire into ,b.
motives OF the plaintiff in this action know that
, ms understanding Is ofan order much too high to
let him believe that he isto recover the yalue of the
batture from me. To what indirect object be NAV
'squnt with one eye, while the other looks at me
DO not pretend 20 say, But do saw that if human
Reason IS not Nero Illusion, and law "a labyrinth
"ithouta clue, no error has been conanifeJEEauJ
recurring to the tenor of long life of public service,
against the charges of malice and corruption stand
conscious s. erect. o, .. S''''
TIL. JEFFERSON"
Monticello, Julr si,1s1o.