Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-01-28

was no more-Scot,and, an ancient conn
try, which had lived under her own !;,v.
aud her own political institutions. WI.
by the act of Union incorporated viii,
England, TO live henceiorth under th,
shade of the British reaIm. No arms
Sir! no guilotinesl no lamp-pcsts Som,
money, 1t was said, was employed but
an act Entertainment was passed, tleclara
tory of the Union, and Scotland ceased
20 exist as an independ mt power. The
! Revolution, sir, was complete. During
| the struggles Of the French Revolution,
| MIR. II. said, there had been many changes
| effected without force. --Revoluiion is,
III effect, oniV the change of government
and It You advocate the right to call Il
Convention, YOU are as much the advo-
cate OF a re, OlutlOn, as il YOU called up
$1,000 armed men.-You may call ii re-
form, sir hut there is no substantial diff
ference. Revolution and Reform, are
like rebellion and revolution, counter
parts OF each other. IL YOU revolt and
idIl III tine enterprise, YOU are Il rebel and
go 10 the block; If YOU succeed, YOU
are called Il patriot, and your enterprise
IL called aRevoluion. So, if YOU sue
coed, i'll the change of the government,
ii is Il reform if il fails, il is sometimes
calIeda Revolution but they are in fact
the same thing, depending only upon the
consequences for thc name which some
choose 10 give it.--This power, then,
which yOu claim, is i'll fact but another
maine for the power of revolution. VIII
you tell me, then, that YOU have the pow
er to create d revolution that instead of
acting under settled Constitution, il
gives youthe power 10 drive the people
into revolution If tins were the case
va do 4 - Il 4.
the object of written Constitution {?
An instrument which is intended TO pro-
duce settled order of things, to prevent
revolutions, can you infer from it the right
10 abolish every thing? All Your laws
result from this very Constitutions they
derive ali their sanction from ii: other
wise, they fall 10 the ground az idiewords
You are then TO pass law TO alter the
Constitution, which only gives you the
power TO pass the law. is /; not thcn alb
surd TO claim an authority to abolish that
without whose sanction all YOUR au,hori-
~ would be void!
think have shown, (said Mr. II
that you have no express authority 10 a.
dept this substitute; that YOU derive
none from inference; aud that no de-
sign has been expressed to eniow Won
with any authority. But we have heard
OF another source, from which this power
has been drawn, SO vague and indefinite
that am AT loss how 10 discuss if. The
Legislature, il is said, have the power 60
promote the eternal ends of Justice; to
pursue ihelmpTescriptibe orderofthinrs ::
and that as Convention is required bv
the essential laws OF Justice, the impre-
scrIpiibie order OF things, we are bound
TO provide for ii. Sir, If we acquire this
IL.
imitation to our authority what power
may we not acquire If we can take this
measure, because the immutable laws of
justice, or the imprescripiibe order Of
things, requires If, what power is not
yours fou may seize an individual for
murder, IN the streets, drag him 10 your
bar, and pass upOn him bill of attaindcr.
4 h fan:cyAe will become the order of
the day. And why cannot YOU do this
though the principles Of mnutabIc JUS
tice demand the punishment of the muir
dcrer tits because we have courts. 70
whose cogDizance suc,. matters are con
tided. II YOU cannot do Ibis, because
You have no legislative power 10 do il.
how can you do any thing which does not
fall within the compass of your legislative
power But the argument OF gentlemen
does not stop here. II is not ONLY we
but the courts who are bound to promote
the principles OF im.nutablc Justice. Are
they moi as much bound By them, as we
ourselves "fhegravc s. reverend signiors"
OF this House? Why NAV thew not then
exercise any power which iiey NAV deem
calculated I" promote the imprcscripti-
bic order otihings Arc not the Exc.
cut.ve under The same obligation But
what would YOU say IA the Judiciary, if
they were 10 take upon themselves to call
d Convention of The people What if
they too were 10 say tlat !his C0nsliiu-
ton is detective, and were 10 summon the
people TO amendit! You would impeach
the Judge WHO dared To do it; If would
he your duly 10 do II; nay, 10 execute
him, Is you had the power 10 do If. You
wOuid say. that ii was not within the com
| pass OF the Judiciary pOwer-Yom would
say i'Ie same 10 the Executive but Won
| will not say ii to yOurseves.-B ut the
| true answer to Tic Argument IS this YOU.
! Slr, can only promote the ends OF eternal
| Justice, when it falls within the sphere OF
| legislative powers inc same principIe
| applies 10 the judicIarY-tlle same to the
! Executive. You have 40 right, sir. 10
| pass The legislative bourne. And really
| If it were uotso, see 10 what situation
we might he reduced five were 10 call
Convention TO meet one dav, at Rich
/ mond tde Judiciary might summon a.
! mother 10 meet at Stanton, and the IKE
cutIye perhaps another at Clark burg
! BY which Constitution, sir, would the
| people Of this state he botud, If ihc va
! riOn~ Conventions, as is nlDst probable.
would not hii alike
But there is one rcplv 10 flic argument