Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-05-14

al am sensible ,bai attempts hare been
made 10 eIcrie graf pfeJudices sgsins' ~.
common Law. a. bzrtzEoas system, anu
reIiet OF foreign authority. nn Ia"
however no o,herEise an EaEiish system,
than as Ger language, which 1. an essential
part ofour national identity. Is Tie Lhe'''H
language, o. than as the laws Of nature are
English, because Eewton their grss' oi=-
coverer was an EugIishman. The oonnon
Law OF which speak, has been the law oil
the American people, IN every gehefa''oh'
If is the ban. of the InsttuiiopS Of every
State; It's principles were styled the bidh-
right OF the people; the attempts oil Inc Dr.
fish government TO pervert and abrcgate the
principles OF this Law, were the causes Oh the
revolution. and they are still the best seou-
rites OF our rights and property; our enar-
ter, declarations, institutions, statues ano
judicial decisions, cannot be understood,
without the explanations 1t s1ordS though
sometimes called an ulwriiten law, lis mi
nBtest rules exist in the most inolsputaoie
memorials; lawyer, in every Slate. agree In
nothing so vel, ..as in the msXlns by which
il governed, and the extent OF their learn
ing, and their reverence tor It's authority,
are the only tests by which men estimate
their science, ability and professional u
deity.
The COMMON law, has sometimes been
represented as an arbitrary system, but
nothing can be- more unlounded than this &C
cuse,ion. II Is The only system which wholly
excludes imaginary isncies, the pride OF o.
pinion and every theory. lfs.rict consiruc-
tons and consistent decisions are necessary
to protect constitutions, subordi tate authc-
rites and personal rights, they Can only be
obtained by this system, @h ca requires
facts TO be established by impartial jurors,
and which then applies the law % those
facts. after public hearing, excluding the
caprice and corruptioa OF Judges, by the
scrutiny OF profession, whose duty il IS. TO
cou6ne every decision TO logical inductIons
from approving precedents. The records
! of the common law, are records OF human
experience, and they comprise the whole
science OF analogue: 4. relations, as applied
TO jurisprudence and the administration OF
Justice
: The following are bis Exeel!ency's re-
marks on the internal condition vi Cur coun-
try.
/ call our national distresses proceed, in
my opinion, from detective system Of f.
rance, which will, | M persuaded, more
and more weaken and impoverish the coun-
Try, until il is changed. The low rate OF in
terest, and the decreasing value Of labour,
are sure signs Of the stagna,ion OF every
kind OF active employment, and the high
prices Of our public stocks in England. in
connection with the rate Of exchange, are in
fa!Iible indications, that the representatives
of cur wealth are rapidly transferring TO that
country. The produce vi our farms being
D
! for fabrick. OF wool, cotton, linen, and me-
( tails, " hich our soil and our arts might pro-
duce in abundance, not merely Tor home
consumption, but for the support ofour COM
merce, which can only revive through ma
nufsctures, or during European wars in
which we remain neutral. The fabrics
which we import we yearly consume, there.
by constantly destroying the capital applied
in payment, and leaving our accommodating
debts as mortgages upon our remaining re-
sources.
There is now no civilized independent
nation bot ourselves. which has not become
awakened 10 the necessity OF protecting its
internal industry. From the Baltic, TO the
Mediterranean, the effort is universal, and
we cannot, with immunity, disregard the ad-
moniiions which their examples inculcate.
A comparison between the condition Of
France. and this country, will illustrate the
! difference between wise and inefficient sys-
TENS of political economy For more than
twenty. five years, France was hsrrassed by
desolsting wars, and within five years, she
was oppressed by foreign armies, excited 70
acts Of extortion. by vindictye resentnents.
Now she supports circulating medium in
! gold and silver coins, her agriculture, ars
and manufactures are Aourlshing, her CON.
merce is reyiving, and both excite the jes-