Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-08-22

4 Meth IN
pretend that his ingenuity could devise
"expedent TO prevent the practice of stealing: vet nh
constellation would hardly he deemed by him or anv on
"clsc as sufficient reason for repeating law. asaju
heft, and turning loose upon society worthless Of n
peni,cntiary." The whole ph this passage. which n
author no doubt considered happy illustrations
derived from the unfair quotation of part, r the whole
of sentence, from my late essay there said "NIr
does not mean Ia pretend, that his ingenuity could de Wis
an expcdient to prevent the practice of Usury
this expelien, is devised Usury will surely exercise MOI
baneisi influence. the affairs of mankind than it coul
possibly do if those laws repealed" Now if b
admitted that expedient be devised prevent tr
practice of Usury, the truth OF my propositions and the
surdy OF correspondent are establish,
have the hardwood deuv hat the sepeIa
principles of human nature, wqut experience would tea c
sthai the usurer exacis SOineing compensa on 10
the odium and as security against the penalties at,cn
d"n upsn the imtrarlion Of The law law them opera
tug as restraint only upon the good, by encouraging tn,
insurer To Increase his exactons, gives premium TO tn,
bad as the cages of their niquy. BY law Sparta
INC" was rewarded III such law existed in the presen
age your correspondent would perhaps, be only
inor, opposed its repeal Que esitinatc ends
remai laws, as we are Informed by Beccaria and o,,e
Writers, upon the subject, is the prcuefon crimes Az.
hence, without being. guilty of very great asur,ii
w., infer that when penal law instead of preventing
encourages crime il should be abolished, though il shout,
nave the effect ITO turn loose upon socie, the worthless
the penitcntiay'
will myself Will, Noticing one other snrsine, .
the logic, of this Modern Chinswoh, and lesi it ecap,
The attention of the reader, enreat him. TO observ,
me ry close connection between the premises and
s'9n lf men will violate the law, do THEN violence
y hardening their hearts, expose themselves no, only &c
penalties aud foeitures, heavier punishment o
scorn aud hatred, which in every age Country u
srers fate, what not such c
practice, If the barriers which by the law fo
1.-The protection Of the unfortunate thrown down: l.
ere not just ground fear, they woud throw doyr
IA" before then' with soS the as keen death teI
las steady time:' This is an argument addressed ev;
denty TO the PreudiceS, aud the
ana 1t would require great abour ingenuifv to se
that The conclusion seluiUr. But never
before the tribunal which that argument is addressed
shall leave ii lis inevitable tc,e silent scorn and
q he ufplli
McSsrs. Editors; should done with your cor
respondent, but Neinar feel indignant, that PatricI
Henry the first tn raise The cry of defiance sount
INC trump OF liberty in the Western hemisphere should
cited "authoriy" for aut,uaed abuses Had thu
forest BORN pemoshencs followed seryisly, the precepts
o tins advocate of ancient preuices this vcpcra
ted errors he would have yielded nspira
of par"tism:-IIe, would never have exclaimed, in tn
emphatic energy If his native eloQucncc, "give
give death; he wond have stood forth hefr
the world the friend of the rights OF aunes
Champion of hberty-and the bold advocate OF Il
constitution! No! these innov ons-thcsc wer
departures from the vcmeatcd practices of
and IN the true spirit of his maxim, having "hs
guided by the lamp Of expcrence, he would have
beneath the irown of the despot-he would have bowe
before the rod of the oppress0r nc would have turned wit
disgust from the nnovang doctrines Of liberty-f,ou
te drSoIanS march of revolutionary principles ndg
the delightful contemplation, of the quiet happiness
III other cmeS, where liberty anknown,-where IN.
spirit o nn0ruiio had not to intruo. and where b,
veneraed veil of antiquity, shrouds alike darkness the
rights ut man, aud the enormics ui dcspots! But how
much more aimo"s, his course? He proclaimed
forth IN the native beauty and dignity his character aud
learning prudence from cYperience tampe under his
feet the chains of dcspotsp, though for their
lies.
The pleasure afforded your correspond cnt by the sue
OF his coautoIs Massachusetts awakens rather my
c"mnascr aiion than envy glorious defeat shame
iu victory! D1ce cdecoru pro pafria nori. com
mcrate the obliquity of that mind, that glory
overthrow of reasun and Truth But such
indes Of human affairs This is the first OCCASION on,
which pcjuUce has tIiuS,phcd Truth has
fallen PFnstrate at the oostoo Of Dn you seek
proofs Go ask the Pagan, if he has abandoned his
uyt;o ask the worshrpers of Jmggernaur, they Ina We
sacrificed the last victim Go ask the holy uquis-
Itors the rack has performed ofccC0 to de-
graded Rome, who
saw her glorics, star by star, expire"
ana behold the supremacy ofhc Pope and the dengencacy
q" man--view the moral dcselaom that surrounds you-
oeho" Inc triumph OF superstition over the wreck or hui
man greatness" 60 fallen Greece and behold the crs
cent reared above The crossScc the descendants OF the
! heroes oil Marathon and Paiea, SalamiS and leucta
sinking beneath the scougc of the opprcssor!
Contemplate these sad caastophcS,and then perhaps il
may be perceived that the of are some
tunes DISQUALIFICATION perhaps may be seen, that
inslorous triumph Massachusetts is bin-cr If
day of gloom and adds but another evidence the mel
ancoy truth, "ta; is doomed by condition of his
nature, TO run alternately the of improvement aud
desencracy-aml tUrcai2e the beautiful, bur melancholy
Dd's'Ppontment" have done. Should again trouble
he public upon this subject my essay argumenta
tive and not controversial. l warned by the example
cf"Aassachusctts that the dputa,ion is inco-
paible with the sobcrness of truth.
PfIILO BENTHAM.
Wesimorcand Va. Angus, II, 1926.
MOTE. Patrick Henry was Il member Of the COMMITTEES
that formed the Constitution of Virginia, first 1rieH
social compact on record lie opposed the adoption
federal Constitution, because in7ornfiou but
because he conceived allied too nearly tn the old
der of things, it had been lawful squirting mon
arcby."
As testimony of the satisfaction felt the reelection
q" Mr. Gtrify and mark Of the strong personal res
pt entertained for ibis geneman public dinner was
lately gwen him at Batcn Rouge in Louisiana. James
Cody Esq. Charge des Afares Of the United States
Pcfu' has also been omoIcd with public dinner az
Urbanna IN Ohio "Gentlemeu fpm several adjoining couu
Ties united IN this testimony of rcspec, for his private
tues"
Utffcr tT,o