The central gazette. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1820-1827, 1824-12-25

look ed and orgotten amid the incfea sing cor. ,
ruption of bad ministry, while s'vices" and
s'defects'' are sure to grow with the ever
growing propcnsi;ies OF men TO errour and u
surpation.
The author of the "Substitu.e' saws true.
when he tells us. the government of Virginia
has been well administe, cd. II is entitled just
" to the eloquent rhapsody which has been
pronounced on it. But would 20 farther,
than ever that gentleman has gone In the cN
travagance of ADM, alton. I would saw, that
our government must have been well admins
tered, though the Constitution had been
thousand times more defective than 1t is. Our
people are virtuous---they are enlightened
they are independent. Such people, who
have learned to love freedom bv its contrast
with oppression. with but few incentives to
good, and but little restraint from evil, almost
without the extrinsic aid Of government,
would chalk our their own course to happi
ness. The knowledge Of rational right, has
been instilcd into the people of Virginia, by
| the experience Of wrongs which they have
| suffered. not by the excellence of any form OF
government on paper The people have given
| a tone and character to their government.
not their gov ernment to them But this will
| not always be the case. The time win come,
| and it is now fast approaching, when that only
will he right which has precedent to sustain it,
when principles shall! be forgotten and author
| itv alone regarded, when the American Con,
| situations will be ir the hands OF American
| Ministers, what a British Constitution has al
| ways been with British Parliament. mere
| ,nicnture Of bargain and sale. to be interpreted
by the deep artifice Of ambitious dip'omatists,
| to be perverted wherever it IS capable of per
version, to be made the instrument Of wrong
and oppression to the people while tits a sane.
| lion onlv to the excessive abuses Of govern
| ment. Youth, with nations as with men. is
| the period, when that course Of conduct which
| is to be pursued through life, should be strong.
| " and decisiveiy marked out. Ii this be not
| done, the policy of both, is forever wavering
| untNed, and destructive of those very ends
| which it is designed to promote We are yet
| Young people. Though youth is the season
when the seeds of future prosperity or i'll for.
tune are sown, 1t is not tue season OF forecas:
or suspicion. when We look closely into the
influence which present habits may have
npon our destiny hereafter Its cares and its
anxieties are lulied into repose, because the
| distant avenues life are not open to the view:
ITS dream of security is not disturbed by any
dread OF danger.
betus pass on to inquire, whether the gov
eminent OF Virginia is such as it ought to be,
whether its plan is marked by that innate
}shength and business Of proportion which
vii continue to sustain 1t when the shield o.
pttb'ic virtue aud national integrit. shall be
withdrawn Whether It contains that clear
aud accurate definition of powers granted and
of those reserved. that Just and wise distribu
tits OF the necessary powers among the seve
raj 90 ordinate branches, which should war
rant us in believing that in times to come
there will be steady and systematic operation
OF the whole scheme. as organised bv the PEG
pie. These enquiries from which no lover
of hrs country ought to shrink they are en-.
qniiics from which the Constitution and its
| cu'ogists have nothing 20 apprehend, If indeed
| "there be no rottenness in Denmark -
DEMOCRITUS.