Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-12-07

|
onintpotent as the parliament; for, it can do any
ming winch at may consider calculated to promote
she general tceJare. And although we have the
iarce OF aursften constitution, it is to use the
iaVorhe expression OF one Of your new political
associates " mere paper and pack thread.' Eve
thing Is to be decided by the authority of prece-
den1. Inc oath which the servants of the people
take 10 support the Constitution Of the u S. is a
mere matter OF form-to be cancelled by apparent
expectancy or by supposed public opinion. What
ever IS sanctioned by either of these new tests,
may oe zone, and be registered on the file of pre-
Seoeh's, LOT The government of the future! In
England there Is no written constitution The
great body OF her laws are the Ter non scrpt,. no
wnere 10 be found in the statute book depending
upon the authority Of precedent, as established by
| the practice OF her courts. We have already in
this country, much Of the Ter non serbia of Eng
Iand; whether wisely. adopted by US or not, it is
no' our purpose at present to enquire. OF one
thing we know 1t TO be prodIctive-of great I'M
ce'ta"ty-so great, indeed, that the ablest law
yets anu frequently pretty much puzzled to
know what the law really is.-The American peo-
PIE nave hitherto believed that their political rights
were certain and amply secured-bu, il YOUR doe
'hes are 10 prevail, every fancied acquescence on
the part OF The people, ought TO consecrate eyery
usurpa'ion. LII in vain that they hereafter open
thelr eyes to the light; ii would be in vain that they
eeeA 10 orins pack the government to its - funda-
mental principles" -you would tell them that what
has been done in the moment OF usurpation is bind
ING upon Them and that they cannot shake off The
manacles which had been silently put upon them
such, however, was not the submission of the Peo
PIE lii the days OF yore. Sach is not the truth. A
whole host OF presidents on the side of an Alien
or Sedtion Law could never make them consti,u
tional. Though sanctioned by the three depart-
ihents OF the Governments; though their own sc.
quescence were plead in confirmation of the inea-
sures the people at last did not consider the ores
ion al rest but they arose in the majesty of their
sienSth, ana Ike Sampson burst all the tcifhes
with which II was attempted TO bind him.
We do not doubt, gentlemen, but that the same
Zeal and research which you have lately disnlave5
IN hunting up precedents for The support OF vour
DOCTRINES II applied TO the discovery of abuses of
another description, might prove equally success
iu and much more benefcIalto the community
Have there been abuses OF office-no nro.ti,n-
IONS OF Official patronage no sQuanderna of the
public money on political prlizans-no new Of
noes created TO be bestowed as the reward of
p" good service" to men in power no meritoIious
officer driven from office or politely invited TO re-
TIRE, In consequence OF his political opinion.
Rave there been, IN short, no piunderngs of the
public Treasury, malversations in Office which
the same degree OF patriotism would have brou.b,
to light! We do not speak of the period
since MIR. Adams's election; but under all the
ao'HihIsudHohS oI Tue government SUDDOSe. YOU
had thought proper 10 turn your abors TO such a
useful purpose and should be able to bring forth a
long list OF aniient and modern abuses in every
department, and upon every subject; do you seri-
ousiy think, gentlemen, that the present officers
would be fairiy entitled TO stand justified by
the precedents they might be able 10 quote? We
! say fuzzy entitled; because we are aware of the
great length TO which this dangerous doctrine has
been carried OF late. Even the public morals of
the country have been somewhat injured by the
force OF examples in fraud and swndliny. boih m
lIical and moral; committed on the public. ~
well on individuals.
We have much respect for great names-We
nave great reliance on the contemporary expos-
tons OF the constitutions and on the disin,eres,ej
| seridfsfa opinions OF its founders. But we con-
less we canno; bow TO the authority of every mea-
sure OF the government, which may be cited as a
precedent, or to the supposed acquiescence of the
people, II Is on this account, that we would an
peal from authority to augmentation presidents
| to the constitution itself
Yet we would not confine ourselves to this ee :
neral protest against the obligation OF your pre-
cedents and the correctness OF your opinions. -
AS TO the latter, we have, heretofore, noticed
them, upon geGeIal principles, and relu,ed then,
from iheiext of the constitution, as com,nente ed
| upon by Jefferson, by Madison and others The
former shall not pass entirely unnoticed; alho' we
have more than once stript several of them of the
false colours in which your ingenuity had dresses!
them.-We shall close in our next.