Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-08-21

toserniow sctevdept pfoposttons,l 70 overthrow them
Mr. Raymond also maintains, that right 10 life IL
natural right or in other words. that we are indebted
for our existence and life TO aor and not 10 the
civil institutions oiihe country II tho critic doubts
this, he must remain in doubt Tor reasoning would no,
avail to remove his doubts. Mr.. Raymond also holds
that in social community right 10 specific proper
Is conventional right, and depends entirely ON the
laws oil the counry]
Mr.. Raymond's first criticism is, that the reader
would suppose these results to be Ills own proposition.
in fofidcm re 5sThis 10 pretended by the writer
are stated az evident results from his proios
mons; but not tho propositions themselves in fottacD
oeTois Ills second criticism is, that exccp, The first
and sixth, Mr.. Raymond not only has rot laid the
down ia rms, but he has not laid down any funa-
mental laws or principles, from which they can, with
Propreiy, be Inferred. which thoy bear the slight
est resemblance" Here Mr.. Raymond AMI the wri-
can easily be tested by reference the Fundamental
laws or principles, which Mr. Raymond has laid down in
" fofidena serbs"
Extract roia, Raymonds Elements Of Political Econ
omy-Page 35, Poiume l.
;" nation is unity aud possesses ali the properties
OF unity hpossesses unity ofrghts unity oil inter-
ess' aud unity oil possesslons; and no whs professos
TO treat OF the interests this unity but departs from
thein, and treats Of tho interests of some nj
part oil H. WIZ just as certainly arrive alta wrong
ciuson, as the arhmeiician would who in performing
| the equation"
Again, page ID" I, mus, be remembered. that a
nauon Is as much unity as an individual and al
ways DC considered when treating OF national inter.
css II possesses ali the properties Of unityuny OF
Again, page a." a nation is one and indivisible;
sho every true system Of political economy must be
ount upon this idea, as its fundamental principle"
Again, page H." When we appiy 10 nations the
principles which govern Individuals we must consider
nations as individuals, distinct in all their properties
and not a. part nation and part individual. The nation
"s' De considered as one and inivisibe its rights in
trre'ts, and possessions, as one and ndivisible"
Again,-extract page ga vol. l." Legislation
should always be NATIONAL and not individually Of
which 1t is more frequently individual than national.
his Is not to be wondered at when consider what
mass OF stupidity and ignorance is ordinarily selected
ior the administration Of public affairs. lseems almost
70 have grown into q maxim, that" when man is fit
Tor nothing elso he is lit for Legislators, that ne
thor talents education experience at all
sary TO qualify man to take charge of nations inter
ests."
Again." Legislators however, are not permitted To
take such limited shorts sighted views Of things-they
are placed a more elevated station -thev move In
higher spherc-,hey trntors to their bjph trust n
they do not look TO the future as well as the present
they are in one sense, (though in very humble oneI
me Vicegerents OF God earth; and, ho regulates
and governs the wcIld, by the laws Of ,erDa Justice
and wisdom, in regard to the future well as the pre
sent; by the same laws, ought Legislators regulate
and govern the nations OF the EARTH over whom ,hcy
preside"
Agan,--page 70, vol, l.-'' Almost cvory word in
our language has literal and fguraiive meaning, and
an indscrminste use OF words in their literal and gura
1--WE sense when treating Of science tail to pro-
duee ambiguity and conusions. Thsis principal rea-
son why so littlc improvement has been made in the
science OF political economy. Tho most standard au-
thors perpetusly use words in their fgurative when
they should be used in their literal sense. But tho
man who suuposes political economy to be suitable
field for the hourses Of rhetoric, greatly mistaken
and instead OF throwing any light the subject
wiii be sure to envelope il in thicker darkness"
Agan-E1frdct from RGym0nds Elements Of no.
2o3, iacIttsiue, Pol. g
Upon all subjects relating to political economy and
especially, upon the subject OF protecting dues il is
ever TO DO remembered, that the public interests are
paramount to individual interess--that private mis-.
chief, Inconvenience, must he endured for the pub
lie good, and that when political
that public and private interests are opposed he has
made out case in which the nerpostion OF the Co
that private interests ought to give way-this is TO be
taken for granted.
"ln military tactics. it is principle tina,
the army Is one and the general the head; soldier
permitted to have right interest, opposed to the
general good OF the army. So, in political economy il
should be fundamental principles that the nation is one
and the Legislature the head; citizen should he per-
mitted to have right interest," opposed to the go-
neral good OF the nation"
Again, alt may, with much propriety be maintain
co. that The power aud capacity of an army, would be
augmented by permitting every soldier to exercise and
employ his military sk and proves in what manner
ne Peases, as that tho power and capacity Of a nation
viii be augmented, by permitting every citizen to en-
Pioy his skill, industry and capital, in what manner he
pleases.
'Thc rights and duties of General and his soldiers
are totally distinct and frequently opposite The rig hts
and duties OF Legislature and its citizens arc as dis
.net and scarcely less frequently opposite The soldier
should have as much liberty is consistent with the
good OF the army twoud be oppression 10 deprive him
OF this. The citizen would have as much liberty as ia
consistent with the good OF the nation To deprive him of
this would be tyranny More than this he GU ght not 10
claim. Tho General is the Judge in the case of the
soldier The Legislature is the Judge the case Of the
ctzen"
Again, "Wc often hear people talk about individual
rights in strain that would lead suppose that
national interests and individual rights were in their
opinion, oen al variance. They suppose that
the right OF property is absolute in the individual and
that every one has right to sell TO whom he pesses
and to buy OF whom he pieases and that any nterer-
ence by the Government in restraining the exercise of
this right is arbitrary and tyraBnica They will tell
us, that Government has right TO control them in the
disposition oil their property, merely with view that
other citizens may derive benefit from it,"
Ihs IS manifest error. Individual right 10 proper
~ never absolute bu, always relative condition.
al There Is no such thing as perfect absolute right
but in those things which the gilt of nature such az
lie, liberty, strength, talents, personal beauty, &C.
The right to property is merely conventional or cond
uonal. subject 10 such regulation may be made re-
speeding IT, with view 10 the general Interests of the
whole nation No man has, haze, a perfect ez-
e'fsire right 10 propertyof any description EpeTy
man IN the community has qualified right to it, and
,aeF CERTAIN circumstances, has Alright 10 lcing out
a. The public right to cpey piece of property in
nation IS superior to the riuatc right Of the idivtdual
gunner Hence The right Of the public to take anu ,nos
property from him, whenever it becomes necessary for
me puoic good. III this not so, the social com
pact would not DO sustained; Government could not be
supported
"If individual right 10 property was absolute, Gov
ernnent would have no right 10 take an individuals
property from him. for any purpose whatever"
Again, upon the same principle that God bias right
20 deprive man OF health and life, Government has
rghf 10 deprire him IF his property The former is
The bounty of God and hold subject 10 his will 7Je
IutteT IS the county Of Government and held subject