Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-28

power Is brought into conflict with power. in .nv
political system without an ultimate responsib;,
IN Doth, to the People, anarchy and blood are but
.he precursors OF despo;ism. 1t was not Cesar
'n". destroyed the liberties of Rome. They had
expired before he crossed the Rubcon. The Pee
PIE, exhausted and corrupted by the bloody con-
nic's' and vicious practices of Msrius and Svll,
l'equrcd and called for master. IfCmsar had NOT
sG'Hed the dereliot helm, another would In The
United States fortunately, we have NOT H. -;
% balance, by the division of society into die
'ihci orders Our population is homogeneous All
CIT citizens are, in point of political rights and
privileges, equal. II results as a necessary con-
sequence that we must introduce new princi-
PIE oil freedom, dHerspt from those which existed
IN either Greece or Rome. It is this necess;,v
connected with a correspondents can,c;,v 80
new principle OF policai organization, that CON
s'iiuies our Distinguishing superiority
Ahe principle OF elective responsibility by which
instead OF checking one power by another, equally
vicious he whole mass of society, which is neces
sarily virtuous, is brought TO bear upon the pbl,
functionary, is the renovains self sustainin. ri
cIpie OF our liberties. II this principle be prnper
! ~ extended through our political system. il Is
formed Tor endless duration. 1t is impossible TO
ioresee any catastrophe that can terminate orr
iioer''es' while resting on this basis. The people
are essentially patriotic. With them. seIfisbne.:
Itself is public virtue BY the laws of moral neces-
sty, they are obliged to will their own happiness
In exercising the high privilege of choosing ,h,
man VINO Is TO preside over their destinies thev
must IRON the same moral necessity, select the
eahuiuae whom they believe best qualified to pro
mole The welfare Of the Republic No,hinp tb.,e
tore, can prevent cur country from obi amino mn
der the auspices oil this principle of resentative
responsibility, the highest degree of politicaI 6,n-
piness, but a want Of intelligence in the ne,pIe
Inns brings me 10 the consideration of an or
Jeciion' founded on this supposed want oc in,ell-
Sence, that IS often urged against that mar, of ,b
proposed amendment which makes the uIt;,n,,a
choice OF The President 10 depend Or the immedi
ale &C, OF The people. 1 ain not, | trust one os
those visionary advocates of the abstract rights ~
man, that would extend the power of The Peo,le
Iaf,her .Han Is conducive to the happiness of the
political society. 1t is idle to suppose that the
People can have any rights incompatible with
Their own happiness Although, therefore, have
shewn, that they necessarily vir,uons r.,
their position, yet admit that patriotic intention.
would furnish no adequate security for the wise
se,eenon OF Chief magistrate, in the absence of
suiicent intelligence. 1t would be a vain and do
iusive mockery TO invest them with an eIec,;,..
power which they could only exeicis 10 the dos
ruction OF that which is the end of all goyerrment
- The national good. There is no political ,rr,h
more worthy OF the attention of practical states
man, IMAM 'hst The freedom of people cannot rise
higher 'han their n,elligence Such 10 tho Ia
pensable condition of freedom; and all the o,,a,
whch nave been made in modern Europe. 10
render Government more free than the inteIgence
OF the People would warrant, have resul.ed in
bloody and disastrous Reaction. do not hesitate
therefore, TO admit, that the People have no a
stract right 10 any power, which thew cannot 6v
ercise with intelligence. Is il true, then that ~.
feop!e OF the United States have not sufficient
Intelligence TO choose the Pre- sident3
On thls subject, we told that the b,s,orv
furnishes no example of Chief Executive MACS.
'fate chosen directly BY the great mass of the peo
pie. This, sir, is melancholy truth and 4, a.,
ni-hes the true solution of the fact that there ~
yer mas existed Republic that has not los, ;,s
liberty. 0' 1o'' us
IL is easy to demonstrate that, previous to the
establishment of this Gov erninent Iiber,v ,,,.o
haa any 'hins Ike fair experiment This sir
VIII concldsively appear, when we come IN consi
der historically and phiiosophicallv tho carsa.
why it is that the Chief Magistrate of an eY,e,
sVe country never has been chosen by the orea,
Dody OF The People. How, then, has this han
pened? '"'' nap
all the Governments of modern Europe had
their foundations laid in the principles of The feyI
system, the only experiments upon the ennIIicar
system, which deserve TO be recorded in bis,orr
are those made by the ancents
NOW, the election OF chief magistrate bv the
ma IS OF The people Of an extensive com,our,,
was, to the most enlightened nations of aniioui.r
political impOssbility. Destitute Of The a., -
printing they could not have introduced the renre
sentative priucple nto their political systems evcn
IL they had understood it, In the verv nature 90
Things That principle only be co-cxtensive viii
popular intelligence. in this respect. the ART NJ
Printing, more than any invention since the cre.-
'ion OF man, is destined to change and elevate tho
political condition of society. Ii has given nov
impulse TO the energies of the human mind and
opens new and brilliant destinies 10 modern re-
PuDiics, which were utterly unattainable by the
antients. The existence of a country popuIsfio,
scattered over vast extent Of the territory as
intelligent as the population Of the cities is nbs
nomehon winch was utterly and ne -essarjly m
SHOWN 70 TIC Tes states OF antiquity. All the
intelligence which controlled The DESTINY aud 49,,
held the dominion of Republican Rome was con
fined 10 the walls of the Great City. Even uLe,
her dominion extended beyond Italy TO the u,r,nst
known limits OF the inhabited world, tlle citv w.
the exclusive seat both Of intelligence and en,,i,
without the art OF printing, and the CONSEQUENT
advantages OF tree press, that habitual and in
cessant action OF mind upon mind, which il essor
tlal 10 all human Improvement, could no more erst
amongst numerous and scattered populatiop
than the commerce Of disconnected continents coIj
traverse the ocean without the art of NAVIGATION
Here, then, IS the source of our superiority and
our lust pride as a nation. The statesmen Of the
remolesi extremes Of The Union cen converqe To
gc'hcr, like the Philosophers Of Athens. in tIe
same Podlco, or the politicians OF Rome. in the
same Foun. Distance is.oyefcone, and tho ri,
'izens oil Georgia and oi Maine can be brought 10
cooperate in the grcG ol ect, with as perfect
q community ofviews and feelings as actuated the
trlDcf OF lone, ~ the assemblies Of the Peopic
D. IS obvious, from these views Of the subject ibst
iioerty has a more extensive and durable founda-
ton in the United States, than it ever has had IL
any other age or country BY the representative
principle principle unknown and impracticable
l tfte apciaofe lie bofn