Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-07-25
Mr.. II. proceeds


Slr, tnis restriction on contracts for inter-
est Is not consistent with the tir>t prnc pies Of
on governHient. We hold il to he :. siuta
mehtai position, that the people have nader
stanuinS enough 10 Know their own interest
aud 10 take care otit The legitimate object,
OF ali government and ia.ss, therefore. Is 10
protect nlen from the fierce or fraud OF others
ana not 20 protect themagains, themselves.
MS tie law cannotd do; and, wherever il as
sumes THIS sort OF guardianship over men n
desrades and corrupts them " thout reu,is ring
service. How many laws would DE exuutzea
from Our code. If the doctrine now advanced
we're more regarded! In the ms ance before
u, the folly of this guardansh'., is apparent.
man cannot borrow at per cent per an
mum, but lie may sell for cash at a loss OF %
per cent. i'll an instant.
Mr.. n. here lays II down az a funda-
meutal principle, that the legitimate oh
Ject OF all governments aud laws, is To
protect men from the force and fraud of
each other, andnot 10 proiec; Them against
themselves and charges the laws a.
gainst Usury, with a vioiationofthis urea,
prin iple. 1t will be observed, that Ibis
principle applies with as much force TO
other important points of political econo-
my, as TO the laws agaius, Usury-and
considering the destructive political the
cries now abundanily prevalent Within
this Commonwealth, it might be service
able IL extend its application to some of
those subjects, which have been most in
Iuriously affected by the dcleterious in
iluente oi such theories. indeed, il is
subject OF the most serious regret to find,
whilst the term republican is reduced TO a
mere cabaiistlcai phrase, and become the
prostltuted watch-word for political pre-
terment-that ITS monopolists should be
leading the government from the plain
paths OF republican simplicity, into for.
tuItous iabyrintlls, from which il is feared
1t never can return: and through which,
il is still more feared, il never can find
ITS way IN purity and i'm safety. 1t is not
intended to enter into any nice iuyesti-
CATION of the duties which ought relative
y to be performed by the government in
ITS corporate and by the people in their
individual capacities. Such an enquiry
would demand a copious volume and
could not be compressed within the IL
mlts of this Critique.
Nor would 1t be necessary for any OBJ
lects now In contemplation. Ii NAV,
however, be assumed as postulatum,
that the government ought to perform ev-
cry duty In IFS corporate capacity, which
II can perform, better than the people
can perform the same duty in their indivi-
dual capacities and that eyery duty
ought to be left to the people to perform,
Ill their individual capacities, which they
can perform better than the government
can do, IN lis corporate capacity; and as
rights and duties are correlative, il must
also be admitted, that it is the right of
lie government In its corporate capaci-
ty, to perform all the duties of the one
descnption-and the right of the people
TO perform all the duties ofthe other, in
their individual capacities. Although an
accurate definition and discrimination of
all these relative tights and duties might
be attended with great difficulty, and re-
quTe great research and reflection; vet
there are some of the most important
winch are too obvious 10 admit of any
difference of opinion. 1t must be conce-
ded by all, that government, i'm its corpo-
rate capacity can perform all the duties
respecting the foreign relations of the
Country, better than the people can do in
their individual capacities. The gov
eminent can, in like manner, make esta-
bllsbments for the administration ofius.
tice, better than the people can do In their
individual capacities. On the other hand,
1t is equally undeniable, that the people
can manage their own domestic and pr-
yate concerns, better iii their individual
capacities. than the government can do in
itse orporaie capacity. The government
neither knows, thinks, nor cares any thing
about the private concerns of an indiyi.
dual ; whereas, an individual, speaking
OF mankind IN general, neither knows.
tninks, nor cares but little about any
thing else. individuals, therefore, can
manage their own private concerns bet
yer tliail The government; and, of course,
IT'S their right and their duty to do So
NN 81
the private concerns of an adult indiyidu.
al of sound mind, is palpable act of des-
potism. Ifgoverumemt would be content
to perform only those duties which if
can perform better than individuals. and
leave individuals to the performance of
those duties which they can perform bet
ter than the government, il is believed
the world would then, for the first time.
be blessed with the sight of a wonderful
political phenomenOn-A perfect practical
Commonwealth. Perfect Eutopias have
been often imagined buta perfect Com
monwealth IN practice. would be new
thing under the Sun. From despotic gov
ernments, nothing towards this end could
be hoped orexpected; because the princi-
pie would be the destruction of all despo-
tIsm; Some hope, however, was fondIy
INDUCED, that representative govern.
ments might have approached towards
this state OF perfection, because the true
interest OF the representative is essential
ly involved III calculating the principle
as he Is himself subject to the same laws
he prescribes for others. But, alas I =
The love of power is so subtle, so insinu-
atlng, so strong-and, at the same time.
that the representative, slimu-
lated by it, with his . little brief anthOri-
ty," often g feeling power, and forgetting
right" and still ofiener not knowing
right from wrong, is led into the adop-
ton OF laws in his representative cha
racter, which violate his own most es-
sentlal rights III his Individual character;
whilst the pOWerless inhividnal has no