Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-05-03

which ID. government ought &c give hin,
does not agree With the hr>t, and clashes
v IT'D common sense. Liberty IS one thug
security is another. 4 good governments Sc
curs both.
The third article mus. greatly perpie1
those who wish to understand its meaning.
Property" it is there all, rs the Sacred
and inviolable right which every citizen
possesses TO dispose Of bis property" Inns
reminds US OF the tar famed dehnit'on OF
Linkup. Fidei,us, style - rs styFe
But it is not half as good; Tor L'"kunf'
dic,um being a simple, identical PROPOSE
ton, is Ineligible, which caapot be SAID oil
the article now under consideration, unless
on the superstition that The whole oil a ohihs
is less than one Of its parts.
But those who are very Indifferent speak
ers or wrilers,m may be very good POLITICIANS;
and the rest OF this instrument, which con-
tains the plan on which the new government
is to be organized with certain specifications
Of rights to the citizens and restrictions on
the powers OF their rulers, bears such evil
dent marks Of wisdom, that, IN relation 10
the articles of which we have adverted, We
are inclined to suspect either that the re-
porter has made a mistake or the translator
a blunder. The government, as he define
-txI - >hara(toF moro near
ly to our own Federal Republic, than to any
OF the ancient monarchies OF Europe, Tor
though the heir OF the house OF bragsna IS
10 be styled a king. as his almost only pre-
rogative is to sanction the laws, and as The
legislative power resides in the Corte', the
judicial in the Judges. and the executive IN
the ministry, the King OF Portugal can be
considered as little more than useless, tho
perhaps somewhat costly a~PPenddgs TO Ibe
state. Perhaps y e have gone TOO far in
pronouDeing bis majesty a useless aPpendage
to the state. This phantoms OF a monarch
may serve TO project the nation from the
an,i.republican rage OF The other crowned
heads OF Europe.
We could have wished that this document
had been more explIci. in relation 10 what
is to constitute citizenship, aud the quallh.
| cations Of electors. These are important
| points in a representative government.--
v i,h regard to the church establishment L.
the restrictions on theological discussion,
| which soue Of our readers nay consider as
+! the most exceptionable articles, We would
observe that they may not prove as great e.
wills in Portugal as they would in the U,ited
States. The stability OF The new govern.
M. nts of Spain and Portugal we know not
that we are too bold IN making the asser-
tion) depends on their supporting for a time
the Catholic religion, which is the only
form Of Christianity generally understood in
those countries.
The twelfth article reads, "There can be
| no punishment without crime; conhscation
| and eflsion of blood must be abolished"
Corruption OF blood not illusion. was pro-
badly intended; for we Can hardly suppose
that the members Of the Portuguese Cortes
are so Tar advanced in The principles OF
! Quakerism as to wish to Go away entirely
with capital punlshnents. This is, with
US, an additional inducement to believe that
either the reporter or he translator Of these
articles did bis work in a careless manner
Our readers will bear it in mind that the
document in question IS not line Portuguese
Constitution, or even the basis" OF it,but
simply the Substance" Of the basis; but.
as the reports Of the 26rh and 9Th sittings
OF he Cortes, contained in our paper Of to-
day, sbew that the leading principles OF the
instrument met with their appreciation, we
may hope that something OF the kind with
Improvements, will finally be adopted for
their constitution.