Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-07-13
VIRGINIA ARGUS.
~, disputes jamais, e. sop-eat Msea.e=.-.
Richmond, Juiy IS, 1916.
LEGIT'L,n.4CY.

The Federal Republican, Ga paper whose exis
tence and character, contrary perhaps 10 the
wishes OF It's Editors, render To- Repub;canism
an invaluable service. by proving that Repu5li
can institutions derlde scurrility, abuse and SO.
phistry, and that the most unbounded liberty cf
The press is accompanied with no dangers, wien
government rests on the choice and The aztec
ton oftbe peopie) affects to misunderstood the
sense in which the word Lsgiiimacy is used in
political Essays and ascribes to Democratic
writer's a pretended antipathy TO 4 man being
born ia htzgfM ssediOcs. Were this circumstance
The only objection TO the system of LeeTiio,acy,
1t might, doubtless, i'll more than one stance e
easily removed little research into the pr
vate lives of Princes and Princesses would suf
ice. But Pdfer est qnela auphe denonsnant-
we are willing to adhere TO this quietiug max i'm
,f the Roman law. All we now want as TO as
sura the Feueral Republican tia. no Democratic
or popular Editor (tor Democratic and 1obs.loi.
are convertible terms, unless all Greek dict,ona-
ries be III the wrong) ever took it into his head,
so lar we know, % be angry with man for
being born in lawful wedlock. The Federal
Republican has only imagined it SO, and taken
has wishes for facts. Ii the people of any coun-
tr, will it that he supreme magistracy OF tle;r
naton shall be hereditary, accordug 10 a certaiu
order or succession, The will of the people must
ne obey ed and that order of succession scrupu-
lousy maintained Who ever said otherwise !!
Vor p0PitG, vOr Del Vor pepuE, sapremG lee
1t is not 10 this KIND of Legitimacy that popular
Editors object, as it may exist IN Eu oPe. fit
were proposed TO substitute among US hereditary
Tor elective rulers, they would, no doubt, have
very serious and we'll founded objections. But
With tae ccns.:.utions OF Europe they have no b.
ing To do except in the abstract, except in ,6eo
y The Legitimacy which they reProbate asd
ietest is III!
The Sovereigns ofEurope have declared, both
by words and deeds that Cwhether the people
chose it or noO hereigning line should bee n
timed IN each nation. This, according TO them
| IS Legitimacy. Thus the important principles
that ali power is derived from thepeople and de-
legated for the benefit of the people-.ha hat ale
glance is cancelled by misruls-that the peopie
have right 10 alter, whenever they please, exis-
ting forms of goyernment-are annihilated BY
the ffat ofrcyal violence. Nations are chained
forever 10 this or that yoke The ons becomes
the unalienable properly Of a Guelph, the other
that OF Cspet. Yet, II was no. so when the
Cspetian was elevated, by The voice of the
French people, over The ruins OF the Calovngian
| race it was not so when James III was declared
| 10 have abdcai ed the royal power III England.
and William Ill placed on the throne IL was
not so wien George the First was invited ever to
The British realms as the successor of Queen
| Anne. Fenelon, Locke, Blackstone, and twenty
| other eminent Esropean authors. have never lost
| sght OF the grand fundamental principle that
| Sings arc m,de for the People and not The Peo-
! pie for K.ngs-that the wall Of the people
IS paramount to eyeiy thing else 1t belonged
| TO our times TO revive the exploded doctrine of
| The jus divinum of monarchs
This is the sort Of Legitimacy to which popu.
lar writer's object; aid their objections are ra-
! onal, honorable, and Just THE Federal Re
publican has resorted IN this instance as in many
| Ctl!efs, to STALE stratagen-he has supposed his
opponents guilty of an absuFdity, and argued
accordingly. He isweicome 10 the poor triumph
which such a mode OF warfare procures 1t IS
worthy of the writer who would separate the
idea OF light, from hat of It's source, tbe Su,--
The Declaration of our Independence from an
homage of gratilSde to the iliustri us mai VINO
Penned that impershsbie document,s and who
would render the aPpelaion of Democratic Ed
tor, That IS to say, an Editor on the De of pu-
paier government emansting from ,le people
lsnd 'ge ask 1ohat other side there ought 70 be IL,
.4merica?l as 0pc robriors aud hg,efal
The nd tors Of tie Federal Republican hnvs
pu6Eshei an article, IN .eh.ed al the tetierahsts
are ddvised NOT 20 subscribe 20 -fr. Bins proto.
sed eaitoa Of The de- arafiOn Of 5e5dsneg be.
cause II 10 to contain MIR 1eftsrson,s l,lxe.,exe