The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-06-27
From the National ln,ellires.o !.

IL Is believed that it has been demon
strated that retrocession. instead of in
Jurins the political rights of the distric
OF columbia; is the only effectual mean:
OF restoring it TO the full possession O
them' OF which it has been deprived 70,
more than twenty-five yerrs.
Let US next inquire what Injurious eff
feet retrocession oan have on its civil
rights and municipal regulations.
Congress not having thought it their
duty to establish an uniform code of laws
IN the district of Columbia, either in civil
or criminal cases., reirocession, there.
lore, can make no material change in
this respect; the county OF Washington
will be governed as il now is, by the
laws oil Maryland, and the county of AL.
exandriaj by those of Virginia, with the
benefit, OF all the salntaty Improvements
which have been made in those states
since the separation.
Especially as to the county OF Alexan.
dria, 1t will possess ar humane code of
criminal law, and feel the beniepant ef-
fects OF one of the best conducted penj.
Tertiary systems in the United States
The county Of Washington will hardly
experience less bene6: in this resper,
from re-union with Maryland-thouph
its criminal law is now less bloody than
that OF Alexandria.
After retrocessiop, the city of Wash
ing,on and towns of Alexandria and
Georgetown will retain their present
charters, which necessarily must be con.
tinued. and may be improved, and thus
enabled TO conduct their local affairs az
they nov do. Nor will the banks be de.
prived oftheir charters, and of the priVi-
lege Offending money as heretofore, and
OF directing all the moneyed operations
ot'he district, to their particular emolu
$3.50 va '"S' VI thSiI di'NCtoTS anu De
gents. No alteration, therefore, will be
required, in these respects, in the condi-
ton end general relations of the people
to each other. Except that state Judges
must take the place Of our present cir
cruit judges, or these be clothed with
an authority to act by new commission
ers from Virginia and from Maryland !;
the marshals, too, may become the She
riffs, and their right hand men, our ex>
celient jailers, may retain their necessa.
~ and profitable Offices the attorney
Of the United States may be appointed,
and none better could be, to the same
office, under the authority OF the state in
which his residence may be found
Some Of these Offices, may not, then, be
as profitable as they now are to the in
cumbents; and the people, therefore,
may instantly feel, in some degree, IN.
der the jurisdiction Of the two states, re-
lief from many unnecessary exactions. -
AS to the lawyers, il cannot be imagined
how the rich harvests OF that circumspect
tribe, can in any manner be diminished,
so pleDteously have the seeds Of litigation
been sown in the district during the ex-
elusive government of the United States.
1t is plain, them that the transition
from the jurisdiction Of congress over
the district of Columbia to the jurisdic>
ton Of Virginia and Maryland, can pro-
duce no injurious effects, generally, on
the civil relations of our people. Chan.
ges must always be more or less iDcon-
venient TO some individuals and it is to
be regretted, that the respectable gentle
men who fiji the Offices Of judges, mar.
shaIs, and public prosecutor, must neccs.
sarlly retire from their posts under such
a reform. But, their case is not hopeless;
their talents and their virtues must induce
the national government, or the state
governments out OF the multitude Of off,
ces at their disposal, to bestcw on such
meritorious citizens other employments
as useful to the community, and as bene,
fetal and honorable to themselves, But