Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-19


no, III CORPORATIONS have great advantages
ever individuals in all legal controversies
Witness a memorable occurrence in The city
OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT was obtained by az
Jistriugas issued for its execution. Itrequired
the posse coinitatus, with the chief Justice
oT tbc United States al its head, To enforce the
-. .cu,;ou of the writ. At length the Hank
surrendered its keys 10 the officer OF Justice !;
and they were in due form. aud ceremony,
turued upon the Bank. Is the money then
b ,n,,h coming, Byno mcans-Ihe bank htv-
IN. n,ovi,ieh itself with two sets OF ke!S the
doors are found open the neAf morn'ns, ana
the bank proceeding with busiuess as usu'il
whist il is presumed, the Jistiinsas was return
ed dsly executed That is, il had done all
,Iis,rinras could 10 in such case. Ii had play
ed a iarcr--Reverse this pctnre. suppose the
hank had obtained judgment against the In
diyiduai would the posse comltatus have
beep necessary 10 the execution Ut a ca "a
Would Two sets Of Keys have saved his body
iron, "a loaiusome Jail, until the utmost far.
thing of the Judgment had been paid even II
il had been for pound of flesh nearest his
hearth Again, suppose an acton brought a
yaiust a bank atfectin. its charter, or its cred
IL every individual, who had IL bank bill In his
posket, would have an interest in tile decision.
This remark will apply, IN "A greater or lesser
degree, TO every other corporation, giving
them decisive advantages IN all lesa, contro-
yerSies with individuals. IL then instead OF
leaving The citizens to ENJOY all their rights,
aud discharge aiitheir duties in their individual
characters; the government shali lnterpose
corporations for those purposes. II must teni
very mach to restrict individual liberty and
place the citizen under many disadvantages in
his individual character. Your Constituent
had oace INDUCED hope, that amidst the de-
,elopenirnt OF varions new, and important
political principles, by the American revOlu-
tiou some attempt would be made, to advance
80 tar towards Improvement in government, as
10 leave the citizen TO exercise all the rights,
aud to perform all the duties, ia his Individual
character. which he could exercise, and per
form, better than the government could, in its
corporate character; leaving to the govern
ment the performance oi those only, which il
could perform III its corporate character, better
than the citizen could do. in his individual char
acterand for this great aud desirable object the
politician mi. hit be enabled to make a correct
analysis and classification of these respe Give
ri.hts--but the rage Tor interpoSIns corpora
tons, between the government and people,
and Investing them with great portion of the
prsFie's right. has entirely blasted this d@reea
BILE anticipation. Such a distribution of rights
and duties, would certainly leave to the citizen
the greatest possible degree of individual
liberty, which could he enjoyed in govern
mental state; and il is believed, for that verH
reason, would afford 10 the government the
greatest possible degree of protection, support
and stability. But as the fundamental prnci-
pie OF the primary schools was examined in
the last No. il is not proposed to add amy other
observations here. Ii will be merely remark
ed, that if the attempt TO establish primary
schools, should still be insisted on. tie NUM-
her is now proposed 10 be reduced to not more
than one IN most counties, aud probably not
more than Two IN any; IL would very much
simplify the system, and would prove infinite
ly better in practice, that, instead Of al the
complicated regulations tor eecting trustees
OF those schools. the elections were To be left
altogether to the comfy courts. This would
avoid all the dangerous consequences of intro
dncing new principle of suffrage, aud of the
temptations held out ia the execution Of that
principle, TO put into the Offices OF trustees,
ri. nts 1eia
10 discharge their duties.
Nor has your Constituent been able to see
IN any view of the subject, the advantages
expected from the provisions for carrying into
effect the following professed object, contained
IN tie preamble To the 9th section of the bill
y. And for The purpose OF availing the
commonwealth of those talents which are lost
TO the country, from the poverty of many pa
rents forbiddiDg their eXpending IA sutfici
ent TO educate their offspring"
1T u not believed that the country ever yet
lost any thing from the want OF the talents
which are supposed 10 be lost to IL. . from the
poverty of many parents TO- bidding ihets
expanding a sum Sufhceut TO educate their
offspring nor is 1t likely ever TO lose any
thing from the case supposed; because, there
are always persons who possess the means OF
educating sufficient number of children 10
afford talents for all the purposes of the COM
monwealth ; aud it would he preposterous 10
suppose. that there is such disparity Of natu-
raj enhowmentS IN favor of the children of
those parents whose poverty forbids their
education, over the children of those who have
ample means for that purpose, as To Justify the
interference of the govern To obtain the
presumed benefits of these greater endow-
ments, AT pnhlIc expence. Besides. il is be-
iIeved. that III the present slate Of society," If
child we're TO be found possessed of any uDu-
sua degree OF natural eudowments in any
sphere OF life whatever, he might acquire from
private bcnevolence every advantage of eju.
cation which such endOwments would call for
without any interference on the part of the
fnrrf- sl..A "a -.
only IN such cases that governmental Interior
ence could be justified, But LET il be admitted
that tie government might by possibility gain
some casual advantage by educating poor
children, the gain must be at a vast eXpeucc
IN money, compared with the object and
WHAT IS lnflRIteiy worse, at vast sacrifice of
principle. For, to say nOtlIing OF the question
able prInciPle OF right. in taking the property
OF one man to educate the children of another
what viii the government lose by absolving
Ihdividuals from The discharge Of their indis-
pensabie dates towards their offspring BY
undertaking to discharge them in their stead (?
what would the parents lose by such substitute
ton OF duties difference is also had to the
last No for the solutions Of these interrogato-
rles. liz is certain, however, that the losses
would be Incomparably greater than the gain.
instead OF this prepOsteTous inversion of du-
ties, the government ought to discharge all its
ownappr0pTi3te duties, with the most scrupu.
lous clTcunspectioO and fidelity; and in rela-
ton TO individual duties, the sacred and inyi.
oiahle motto ought TO be-
Is erpectcdthdt eeerg virginian triIdo his duty
Tins principle ought to be enforced by posi-
tive regulations in every case to which they
could be applied; and by the religious and
moral sentiment OF tile country in every posi-
bic case. From this policy, il is believed that
lhcomparably greater benefits would accrue
both to the government aud the citizens, than
could possibly be derived from the policy
which bribes the citizen TO avoid the discharge
OF his individual duties. Surely the reflections
otaBOther recess could not be msapplied in
tue further developement OF the consequences
OF this important pTiuciple