Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-01

SlliuShl cOua MOI venture BEYOND the
expression OF respectful doubis-and he
Is far from being assured, that even this
modest course, will secure him against
ihe SINS OF heresy & schism, aud The cen
scquent excommunication, from the ONLY
true, catholic, and apostolic church OF
fashionable poiilicks.
! Nor do tie embarrassnents OF your
| Constituent, stop here.-iiiS candor com
| he!s him To acknowledge, that he enter
tains doubts OF The proprieiy of submit.
ting this subject at all, TO the cOnsidera-
ton OF ihc citizyns, nor can he see the
policy, which dictated this, aud some o.
| Their measures OF similar character. He
cannot help thinking, that submitting le-
glsiative subjects to the consideration
OF The citizens al large, for The expressions
of their Opinions, is not only inpraciica-
bic in Itself, but is a direct inversion of
the rclaih e ,iulies of representative and
cnnsti,uVni.-Ihe d;i,y of the represeit-
iai,vc, is 10 Judge Of measures in ant;ci-
pation-the dnty Of Tie constituent. is
To judy OF them by their practical eff
iecis. Tie representative III assuming
that character, Processes TO possess ii ca
pacity 10 reason, and 20 Judge in that
mode. lie constituent can only Judge
from the practical operation of measures
~
province TO reason in prospect: aui! il is
iiumbly conceived, that he oush, not 70
be called upon 10 assume lhe responsible
iity, by performing the duly OF the repre-
sentative I'll tic IeipractiVabiliiS ofcom-
nunicdtins ANY legislative subject, 10 all
The citizens of the State for any benehCial
purpose, has been heretofore y question,
II is Thought, 1t will not be SO after the
present attempt. To get lie opinions of
at, The communications must be made
TO d1--To discriminate amongst the ciii-
zeuS, at possessing equal rights, must he
a partlaity, Incompatible with the great
principle of liberty and cQuan,y; which,
whether rightly or wrongly explained,
seems to be the polar star OF modem po-
liticAs. Besides, the General Assembly
seemed not 10 iiave anticipated many OF
the difficulties of carrying this measure
into effect; some of which have been re-
Gently developed by ihe present attempt,
and will he briefly enumerated.
Ist. The great eXpence of printing
the papers, 81 the difficulties of dlstribul-
ing them when printed amongst GN. I'd.
The difficulties of making all read them,
when distributed. sd. The greater dill
culties OF making alt understand after
reading them. Yet these are prereqHi-
sites to any beneficial result from the
measure. Ii is not known, what proper
ton of the citizens, has been honored
with the transmission fthe papers in the
present instance, 5ui il is supposed 10 be
small compared 10 the whole. In the case
of your Constituent, although The subject,
with several others of like character,
had previously attracted his attention,
and excited ms curiosity, yet IL was not
till within a few weeks, thar lie received
ftnfN. Il. Il l. Il,
they were received in a mutiiaicd state,
having the first twCniy-four pages tern
off, and after the most sedulous inquiry
for an entire copy, he was furnished with
one lren a respectable friend, not having
one leaf separated from another-it may
therefore be fairly presumed, that his
trend had not paid more respect 10 the
copy, with which he was hOnored. than
at most, 10 take Il transient peep into II.
Iiow many more copl' may have expert
enced Il similar fate, cannot be comjec-
tured, but these incidents are related TO
show, how difficult task il is, TO furnish
all the citizens with legislative subjects
for considerations dispositions 10 at
tend To them, and with understanding to
comprehend them. Ii istboughtioo, flat
tie present case, isas peculiarly unsmitcd
TO such an operation, from the Inherent
ditiicuities OF the subject offered for con-
>lderatIon. Thcse are too obvious to re-
! quire particular examination. single
sentence, however, will be selected from
Mr.. Jeilerson's letter, as an example in
point in the following words:-
III. 2. PuYsico MATHEMATICS treat of
Physical subjects by the ad of Mathematical
! calculation. These are Mechanics. States.
| Hydros'atics, Hydraulics, Hydroduymics, Ma.
VACATION, Astronomy, Geography, Optics pneu-
This sentence, and Others in the same
letter, addressed to eve The people. .
could in no respect produce a-nore be
nellcial effect, than sentence from the
| Hebrew Pentateuch, from the Persian
| Icndeyis1a, the Turkish AcOran, or the
Greek Testament. Ii is little singular.
| that the term Hydrodnymicks," very
properly used by Mr.. Jefferson, no doubt.
as tile generic term Of particular sci
ence, sIionld have entirely escaped lhe
attention of the sagacIous ana learned DR..
Johnson, in forming his dictionary, as
well as, the scientific and laborious edi-
tors, in forming the Ency cI0petiia.-
| Would it not be unreasonable TO expect.
that " we the people" should be famili-
arly acquainted with IA term, which was
either unknown to, or forgotten by, these
| celebrated profpssed Lpxico9raphers q
| 1Noie bythe Editor" II ydrodnymics 'aner-
roT of the press, for" II drOdynamcs'! j
| Ii has heretofore been thought, that the
| impraciicability of eislating By the peo :
! pie iii mass, was one principal cause of
| The preference given TO the representative
system; but it the representatives, a.
| voiding tie responsibility OF their sta
tons, should in all difficult cases, throw
| the subject back upon the people for their
decision, the pure democratic, will in
Substance, be substituted for Tie repre-
/ A tf a.