Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-05-15

F, ought not 10 be i,ft to so small bod,
, OF uen. who campOt be shpposed TO pos
Z, sess all, or The greater pant al IA, j,pii
/ clal wisdom at The county. rhe poiiIi
cal rights OF a free people cannot be safe.
~ deposited IN any hands but ihsir own
The people made the constitutions, ard ia,
people can d'Ssoire II ; the same pcupl.
alone can coRst,ue ~.
do not deny that there are occasion.
on which the judiciary are required Ia
DECIDE incidentally OH The import Il ST.,
constitution. But even ibeu, they should
conflne themselves vigorously 10 Tie cas-,
,, presented Ia ihcif view. IL viii he my
unpleasant task Us shew, that t..u SUI
preme court have Wandered lar beyond
The pale OF their duts, Tor The purpose OF
imposing their own political spinions On
The public /; and | shail sbew this from
Their o"D principles IN this very case. /,
viii appear that the whole OF this opinion
Is extra judicial, except HAT part IN whici,
'hsy decide IN favor Of The Stale OF Vn.
GINA; that they have adopted "a latitude
OF construction which must destroy the
constitution and above al. thai their
PRINCIPLES IN regard 10 state rights are
RADICAL, false.
~ Is very common objection urged
against The Independence of The states.
That II Will produce conflicts brtween The
Two stiihoriiIes. which can never be dc.
cidtu. That such a state OF things v III
nor be desirable, readily admit But.
The real question is, which is tie greater
eNii an occasional collision OF power, or
the throwing unlimited power into one
scale! am SUPPORTED BY The cunsiitu
'inu and History Oi The government, in
saying HAT The latter evil uuphi, above
all things, 10 be Stunned.
~ Is dangerous error To suppose, that
'he authors ot our government aimed AT
providing Tor all possible evils. The,
were ihnch TOO wise Ia imagine they could
d" amy such thing. A pe,Jett govern
mtnt IS sill an drcanum in ub,iosopi,y
which lies hidden with the ph,losophrr's
stone and The riiXir nf life. Liz. skIlful
physicians they cndeavored only 10 MI
iisa'e The ills of life, without daring 10
SUPPOSE thai they could avert that sen
,ence OF death which awaits every thing
human. But HEY weighed all the con-
tingencies, and avoided those which
shieairtru the greater evils. This ,neu
,,eiic ImHer!ection Of | may SO call il, )
belongs IN peculiar degree 10 free gov
efnthrnls. Let all the free constitutions
wrici! have ever existed, be reviewed,
aud lie result "ill be a complete d, mon
sHa'len OF this truth. will onlv select
one prominent example, which /. some
tlmes urged upon us wiilI triumph |
mean Great Britain. With an omn,po.
'eh' parliament AVID hing that can do
no wrong, II may al firsI sight seen ,l,ai
the g0rernmt ~ Is tally adequate 10 ever;
emergency that can occur. Blu, if ,ha.
k'rg grossly abuses his trust, where is
The remedy in the government itseli q
here Is none F.; and lhe people must take
the power into their own hands, aud ex..
pei delinquent from the throne. THIS
was done at The revolution and by this
tenure The present royal family hold the
erHwn. Let Us moi therefore indulge VI
sf,naJy schemes of perfection; bui con-
tenn ourselves with that qualified good
whick Is alone aiiainable. IF The Ameri
can pearie are wise, they will forever re
grei the JIea OF greai national. CONSOLE
daied government; although some in.
convenience may arise from The opposite
system.
These numbers will he continued fror,
time to time. until the proposed plan
shall be completed. SOMERS.