Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-03-29

union at least it has been LONG tried and with the
most satisfactory success. The Judges of Con.
necticut have been chosen by the people every 6
months Tor nearly two centuries, and believe there
has hardly ever been instance of change SO
powerful is the curb Of incessant responsibility
LII prejudice however derived from monarchica,
institution, is stto prevail against the vital cleo
tive principle ofour own, and if the existing ex-
ample among ourselves of periodical election of
Judges by the people be still mstrustcd let us at
least not adopt the evil and reject the good Of the
English precedent; let us retain movability on
the concurrence of the executive and legislative
branches, and nomination by the executive alone
Nomination to office is an executive function To
give 1t to the legislature, we do, is violation
OF the p, inciple ofthc separation of powers 1t
swcrvcs the members from correctness by tempta-
ton to intrigue for Office Themselves and to cor
rupt barter of votes; and destroys responsibility by
dividing it among Il multitude. BY leaving nomi-
nation In its proper place among executive filnc.
lions, the principle of the distribution of power is
preserved, and responsibility weighs with It's hea-
west force on single head. The organization of
our county administrations may be thought
more difficult. Bat follow principle and the knot
untles itself. Divide the counties into wards of
such size as that every citizen can attend when
called on, and act i'll person. Ascribe to them
the government of their wards in all things rca
ting to themselves exclusively. A Justice chosen
| ny themselves, in each, constable, n military
| company, patrolc, school, the care of their own
poor, " their own portion of the public roads, the
choice OF one more Jurors to serve in some
| court, and the delivery, within their own wards,
OIL their own votes Tor all elective officers of high
| er sphere will relieve the county administration
OF nearly all Its business will have it better done s.
ny making every citizen an acting member of the
government and in the Offices nearest and most
interesting to him. will attach him by his strongest
| feelings to the independence of his country, and
ITS republican constitution. The Justices thus
CHOSEN by every ward, would constitute the cOun-
ty court, would do its judiciary business, din ect
roads and bridges, levy county and poor rates. and
| administer all the matters of common interest to
the whole county. These wards, called townships
III New England, are the vital principle of their
governments, and have proved themselves the
| wisest invention ever devised by the wit of man
Ior the perfect exercise of sclf-goYernmcnt and
Tor ITS preservation. We should thus marshal
our government into |. the General federal re-
public, Tor all concerns foreign and federal; g
mat OF the State for what relates to own citi
zens exclusively. 3. The County republics r.
the duties and concerns of,thc county and A. the
ward republics. for the small, and vet numerous
"hu interesting concerns of the neighborhood
ana III government as well in every other bust
ness OF life, it is by division and subdivision of
duties alone, that all matters, great and small, can
De managed to perfection. And the whole is &C.
mchtcd by giving to every citizen personally
part IN the administration of the public affairs
lhc sum of these amendments is first general
suffrage 2. Equal representation in the legisla-
tnre Is An Executive chosen by tho people
\. Judges elective or removable s. Justices
Jurors, and sherns ele ctvc G. Ward-divisions
and Z. Periodical amendments Of the Constitution
l have thrown out these, as loose heads Of
amendment, for consideration and correction and
their object Is to self-novernment by the re-
PuDcanlsm oil our constitution as well as by the
spirit u" the people; and it is to noursh and per-
pctuatc that spirit. am not among those who
lear the people, They, and not the rah, are our
dependence for continued freedom And to
preserve their independence, we must not let our
rulers load us with perpetual debt We must
make our election between economy and Eberty.
or profmsiOn and serritudc five run into such
debts as that we must be taxed in our meat and
IN our drink, III our necessares and our comforts,
IN our iabors and our amusements for our caIlings
ana our crecds, as the people Of England are, our
people like them, must come 10 labor Is hours in
the ~: give the earnings of Is OF these to the gov
ernmcnt for their debts and daily expenses; and
the 10th being insufficient to afford us bread, we
must live, as they now do, on oatmeal and pota-
Toes; have no time TO think no means of calling
.he mismanagers to account; but be glad to OBJ
tam subsistence by hiring ourselves to riyet their
chains on the nccks OF our fellow sufferers Our
land holders too like theirs retaining indeed
the title 81 stewardship of estates called theirs bpt
heid eally IN trust for tho treasury must wander
ike theirs, IN foreign countries, and be contentcd
with penury obscurlty, exile, and the glory Of the
! natltn. This example reads to us the sautarv
lesson that private fortunes destroyed by pub
iic, as well as by private extravagance. And this
is the tendency OF all human governments A
departure from principle in one instance becomes
a precedent Tor second; that I'd. for 3d. and
80 on, till the bulk of society is reduced to be
mere automatons of misery to have no sensbilitieq
lett but Tor SHINING and suffering. Then begins
indeed the belum omnium in omnia, which some
philosophers obseryingt be general in this world
nave mistaken IT for the natural instead Of the abu-
slve state OF men And the forehose of this frightu
team is fublic debt Taxation follows that, and
IN Its tram wretchedness and oppression.
Some men look at constitutions with sanctino-
NOUS reverence, and deem them like the ark of
the covenant, too saced to be touched. They as
crlbe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom
more than human and suppose what they did to be
| beyond amendment / knew that age well be-
longcd to it. and labored with it, 1t deserves well
hts country, 1t was very like the present, but
without the experience Of the present and 40 years