The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-07-18


" that The ruler can do no wrong,"
and indeed euloszrs Dir. Ad-
am Is eulasium .,n The British construction.
That the collection Of maxlns aud usages,
called the British constitution, cOntain, Ike
mast human institutions, u certain proper-
tion uf excellence, shall not deny. But
an.uerer esteem any system Of consiitu-
siomh petty, hawr,er exqnisltely model
led OF which the monar,li,eal principle
fnms M essential component part rs the
III nbiec. If admiration la az American dc.
mocrat. ran never esteem any c0nsiltn-
ton, whates er may be- is merit IN minor
respects, which emphatleaily recognizes
tlir o,nnipotence Of parliament the infa!-
hhiity of an hereditary king aud the in
cestuous union 1T church aud state, as the
legitimate subject Of applause to men nho
profess u firm and enlightened attachment
to the great principles ofgnyernment which
constitute the basls OF all our Institutions.
The doctrine So solenInly sanctioned IN our
country, that all nlen are created equal,
Is, 10 Brltiin, superseded by the establish
meut OF odious and oppressive privileged
classes the unallcnahle sovereign ofthe
tic q creed, is, under the British polity,
vested in an omuipotent legislature, com
posed, IA part, OF hereditary members, ne
crssarlly ignorant Of the feelings aud inter-
ests of the people. The maxim SO dear
10 as, that all public agents, however exal-
ted, are the servants of the sovereign peo-
pie, aud consequently responsible TO them
for all their Official acts, has no existence in
the British constitution, which solemnly
declares, that " the king can do no wrong"
The indefeasible right Of the people,
penceably To assemble and petition their
government for redress Of grievances So
explicitly and emphatically secured TO us
in our invaluable "Bill of Rights" is, in
Britain, extensively modified aud restrain
cd by legislative acts, h1ylhg the force and
authority Of constitutional law. Ia short,
ON original written constitution, framed by
the great body Oft the American people, in
their sovereign capacity, through their rep
rcSentatse organs, selected for that special
purpose, III which the powers and duties of
various branches Of the administrative au-
thOllty are poIntcdly prescribed aud clear
~ defined, with the accountability OF all 10
the consttuent body solomnly enJoned, is,
N Britain. substituted by an immense nass
OF vague aud heterogeneous power, yad.
ously derived, IN the hands Of the govern
ors thereby co0toundiug tthings essen-
TALLY distinct IN their nature, aud ever
widely separated under al well ordered
systemsl the original sovereignty of tae
people with the subordinate lcri, alive uii-
thoiily OF go'crnmcnt the legitimate adj
mlni4trallfe power of cnact'Hg ordinary
legislative provisions for the well being of
the stale, with the iIcgitmate aud original
power Of altering aud even aboli-hiag the
constitution itself Hence il is that re-
currcnce 10 first principles" Gao only be
elected III England by the all destroying
sword ofreyolution. Hence it is, that, m
like our own inimiiable system of polty,
which provides for lis own peaoeahe
amendment, the British constitution con
tans in itself 40 redeeming spirit no re-
5eneratgse principle; no fountain of po-
iirca' youth, from which the wasted visor
OF her primitive institutions might he occa-
slonalIy repaired. Abuse is heaped upon
abuse nsurpaiion is ADDED to usurpaiion,
TIL the people bowed To thc earth beneath
a crushing apparatus of government, and
maddened by repeated acts of oppress .on,
rise up lnrebclion against their temorselrss
ruIers tear IN pieces tie whole frame Of
their civil poiity and raze the monarchy
To its very foundations. Thus we see That
tins boasted and much misunderstood con
stltutlon, the ingenuity of whose intricate
theoretical machinery of checks and talan-
ces had been principally attended TO by
writer's on government anterior to the es-
Enlistment Of the American constitution,
considered a. unit, without any reference
10 ne distribution of powers among the
different branches of government, is not
only thoroughly rotten in its foundation,
which should have been laid in solemn,
practical recognition of the unalienahle
sovereignty orthe people butts, moreover,
rddicdHg dettctipe in not having provided IA
sure civil method for the.deliberate reno
va! OF the many ruinous abuses to which
All human institutions, however perfect IN
theory, are net only Table, hut inevitably
subject Indeed the want of such con-
stllullonal corrective'of cumulative abuses,
necessarily arsing oGt of parliamentary
omnlpotence, has already been productive
VI ehcctsNifthdily SuhterslVc oil that system
OF balancing against each other, the several
Coordinate administrative departments of
government, which, although the subject
OF much undeserved panegyric, is yet the
only security provided in the constitution
for the faithful administration of Affairs
The king, though he may have been shorn
by the successive revolutions of England.
OF many dangerous, external prefo6ftiyes,
has, by the establishment, in modern
times, Of aaarge standing army the enor-
nous increase of the public debt and the
creation OF many new and extensive bran
ches OF revenue ; together with the right
OF appointing the locust hest OF officers, of
" tow degree aud high" necessary for the
management ofthese cumbrous appendages
OF monarchy acquired a patronage, deep,