Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-21
RICHMOND. MAY "a. Ia91-
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.
CONVENTION.
To he Common Sense of Yiirgin;a

CONVENTION.
No. 8.
To The Common Sense Of Yirgin;a.
Fellow Citizens,
But ifihe right Of suffrage, the right of par
icipalion in the natural sovereignty Of the state,
can tee thus safely extended to all freemen who
pay taxes and perform military duties, by the
a'd OF such efcctual guards against corruption
and improper influence in the free exercise of
it, yet we must maintain that this perfect sys-
tenn Of caution devised by the legislature
Of Pennsylvania will avail but little lift be not
sustained entire, uninterrupted, undivided, and
pure, in the whole circle Of governmental ope-
raiions, from the incipient vote that delegates
the powers 10 frame laws, through the circum-
volutions Of Legislative, Judiciary and execu.
tive forms, back to their final destiny,-ther
operation on the interest of the people, by
whom these powers were delegated, for whose
common good they were put in notion
When this shall be accomplished, the good
purposes of self government shall be complete.
10 ascertain bow this IS, on the one hand, and
how It should be, on the other, let us once
more remount 70 first principles.
when people enter into society, and form
government for their general welfare, with
OUT the CONSTANTS Of conquest or hereditary
pretensions, but freely consulting The recpro.
democracy or representative government must
he thew alternative and as populous or wide
spreading community cannot attend to their
governmental concerns in person, the aIterna-
t'r" necessarily falls upon The representative
firm, as it has done in the United States.
Nhdf does this repre- sentafi, form consist in
Certainly II consists in the appointment. or cleo
tton Of "a number, greater or less, ofthe mem
bers Of such community 10 conduct he gosern.
mental concerns Of The commonwealth and ac-
coIdipg 10 The second article of the Virginia
Bill at Rights the persons so elected are 4" the
magistrates, trustees, servants Of the people,
and at all times amenable 10 them" As to
Inc mechanical arrangement, division, or par.
ht'onIng these magistrates into SO many diier-
ent classes, and subOrdinates TO each, Tor the
prac'ica' convenience ofgovernment,t this sure
" does not diminish their responsibility TO the
people. hose agents, nevertheless, they are
So simple truth as this is, and so intuiiively
clear to every mans comprehension, astonsh-
ing to say, is nevertheless! too generally los,
s'sht ct In some ofthe departments of go, ern.
ment IN all the states. Ibeg il will not be lo.l
sight of in this discussion.
For the practical convenience of govern
ment, by way of affording checks and bal
ancts, these agents or public servants are di
Nded by all the constitutions of these state.
i"'o three great classes. Legislative, Executive
ami Judiciary, with respective subordinat,
officers. In order that the agents in each de
rartment should discharge their duties indie
pendentiy of the influence of The others, al
the constitutions require that " the Legislative
executive and Judiciary, should be separate
ana distInci," &c. But what is the state
'ne Tact The state Ofthe fact, is, that these
departments are not preserved distinct in al
hpu n.
" dmenGoie to the people, through the exer.
else of their sovereign right of suffrage /; ant
1t Is also true, by natural consequence, that il
proportion as they are Independent of the di.
fecf suffrage al the people, they owe their Gre.
alton and dependence to one another.
Lei us, for moment, trace this lien, this
tenure OF suffrage, and see il its restraining
over of responsibilities no where enfeebled
impaired, severed, so that the agent, the
serrdnt OF the people, is let loose upon them
armed with the powers of Office, and restrained
by no lie of responsibility, save only the
criminal! law of the land aye save only the
criminal law fthe land, which, to be- sure
comes in after The evil, like the surgeons knife
TO ertnpdfe corrnption-a most cruel sub.
stitnte for constitutional periodical response
b'lty, which like the kind prophilactic should
| anticipate the fatal mischief by its benign
powers of prerention
True, the Legislative department is, in al
the states, dependant on the direct suffrage oil
the free white population who pay taxes and
bear arms, except in North Carolina
and Virglnia,wbere they are responsible to the
'and- holders only, to the entire exclusion o
more than moiety Of their free white taxable
population.
The Executive department too, in seventeen
STATES out OF tweniy-threp, is dependant i'm.
inedIateiy on the election Of the people and
therefore IFS responsibility to the people, and
independence Of The other departments is SC
lar maintained perfect. But in six states, New
Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, South
carolina, Georgia, and Virginia, this depart
nent IS dependant on the election or appoint
me"t OF the Legislative, and therefore is not, a,
respects those states, independent Of tina,
oraheh OF government which necessarily
sewers or in'palrs the responsibility Of the
ertcW'ue Oi those states To the people.
The ncu'nbents ofthe judiciary department
are universally Independent Of the FeopIe.-
10 SIX STATES, Maine. N. Hampshire, Massa.
chuscts, Penn. Delaware, and Maryland, the
Judges are dependant on the erscutire for theil
e'eetioh or appointment which sewers oil
'fnPa'rs Their responsibility 10 the people. H.
e,e'en states, Connecticut, N. Jersey, North
,I,,ar''lna, South Carolins, Georgis, Ohio
tennessee. Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, aot
virginia, they ATE dependant on the legislator,
'"r their election or appointment; which als'
sewers or lmpairs their responsibility b, tIl,
people, 10 five states, Y"rmOat, N. York
kentucky, Louisiana, and Missouri they ar.
dependant on he legislature aud srecutipe fo
'heir election or appointment which also So
pie.
Thus we see ns we progress forward in IN,