Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-11-17


Federal Government, II that government could be
brought to initiate our system, It would DO Tho mo'i
Important amendment that could be devised in tc for
NATION OF its organic Laws.
The gentleman from Loudoun, (Mr Mercer0 whose
eloqrence he had listened 10 wit great pleasure had
pointed TO the Execu'ivc Department, ~ one of the
great defects in the present Constitution Of Sirgna.-
lie not much surprised at the reference, as he
at the grounds upon which the gentleman had rest
want OF responsibility Thai want OF responsibility
should bs alleged against il, Mr. G. saij. attracted his
wonder. ~ there was any responsibility in any Exc
caye Under the Sun, is in ours AZ present organ
led The Gentleman, therefore, has taken up hi. no.
tons without sufficiently minute examination; for in
fact, the responsibility of the Virginia Executive was
the stricest that human wslom could devise What il,
the responsibility OF tho Execu'ivel The Executive
Council required TO keep Journal OF their rroce ed
ings, which Is signedby every member present
The agent thus renders account to his principal
under his own hand, which can always b. referred to-
as evidence OF the manner in which his duties full
filled. What are III, duties Of the GOVERNOR His
accountability is az strict, though not that
of the Council lie i. at liberty to follow or refuse to
follow The advice ct the Council. lie acts on his
responsibility: he IL not bound by the Council. The
journal shows the tscts and the responsibility How,
them u he screened from his responsibility! This
Executive, then, ia wisely ordained II is the wsest ef
fort oil the genius of the writer OF our Const.
ton, in making the whole Executive sponsibe 10 their
electors, as connected with Republican Legislature
lie had been struck with the remarks of the gentleman
from Lou!oun, (Mr. Mcrcer) aud had ordered how
gentleman of such intelligence should have fallen into
such as II appeared TO him TO be- He had felt
he his duty TO do the imput alton ONLY
from of justice to the Council but 10 this and TO
all nations. This council had been in ope ration hy
four years Ii there had been any msrule the emile.
could point il out. He invited gentlemen 10 at
tend to the condition Of the Executive, only at the
present moment. but from the CONNIE cement OF its
organization and would thank them for any criticisms
on any of its proceedings, and particularly those OF the
present day. There was merit in the administrations
but merit OF princple--a merit Of responsibility. IL
we have had an Executive in Virginia which has gone
en- so smoothly so easily so little known, and scarcely
isli tor fifty -four years, dscharging all its duties why
should II now be changed! II i, should have done all
that was expected, he would ask if there not some
hazard some boness, in changing for something
Tried and unknown As to want OF power in the Exec
uuve, so tar as his experience had gone, although he
had been often accused Of an nordnae love Of power
he then had as much power he wished to have, or
ought to have, or as any other human being should
have. Executive patronage and power the sure
Of all political mischiefs. The demoralizng in
fluence which we have throughout the whole u
nied States, mainly from giving too much patron
age to the Federal Executive. But, gentlemen had
gone further, aud made some more general Charge.
against the Constitution. The gentleman from Brooke
(Alr DoIIrdge) to whom he always listened with plea
sure, had said, that the Constitution made amidst
peril and aidrmthat constructed hastily-adop
I'd under the eXigeucies of the times, and was never
considered as permanent, ganic law. He begged
TO be permitted to repeat the words of the gentleman
a. taken down in the newspapers, not with a view of
throwing them back upon him, but from his extreme
reluctance at mis-stang The words OF any gentleman
The words are the following: history of the State
would show that tho present Constitution adopted
IN period OF danger and alarm; that il al been ba st-
~ enacted, never considered anic instru-
men deliberately agreed upon with a view to its being
permanent but adopted under the exgencies of the
times, merely as temporary expedient." Suppose for
{" moinen', the Constitution was chance ediey-a
GoI-end III IL were God send IL the most bic ,.ed
Gol-send with which man ever favoured. So han.
py have We been under il, have lived 40 harmoni-
oasiy, AM enjoyed ourselves so much at ease,
Almost TO ISrget that there was any government. Co
NeTnment nay be said to approach perfection, when
man does not know hahe s governed at all Would gen
temen discard the Con .tituon merely because lhev
af IsIntp
because they deemed it special nterposon of provi-
dcnce rather than the production OF the wisdom of MANI
ought to cherish and make the best possible use
oil H. or such Is the manner in which christians ought
to treat every God-send So directly contrary was the
argument oil the gentleman, 10 the views he entertained
a. 10 Tue manner IN which the government formed
10 show the mistake into which the gentleman from
Brooke had fallen, with respect TO the Constitution he
would read given by the President of the
Convention, the celebrated Edmund Pondeton, whose
name, in itself, should give every thing he said the
most unqucstonable sanction. He would not fatigre
the Convention with much reading but the mistake was
so serious and called so loudly for correction that he
must beg its attention to single paragraph, because
these mistaken this subject through
out the whole state The paragraph he should read
found in letter from the late Mr. Jefferson TO the late
Judge oodward, giving account of the proceedings
oil the Convention lie would read but few sentences
" lie (Hlr. Pendleon) informed me (Mr. Jefferson)
afterwards, letter, that no received il on the ay on
which the Committee of the Whole had reported TO tho
House. the plan they had agreed to- that that had been
so long in hand, disputed inch by inch and the sub
jec OF so much alteration and debate that they were
worried with the contentious il had Produced and could
not from mere lassitude have been induced TO open the
instrument again but that being pleased with tie pre-
d5e TO mine, they adopted in the House by way of
amendment TO the report OF the committees; and thus nv
preamble became tackled TO the work of George Mason
lie begged the gentemans best attention TO this his
ocal account OF the proceedings of the Convention
= hey could not avoid seeing the direct contrastbetween
ana tie account given by others. So far as he was
habed TOD so, II would nowbes pleasing task to de-
'ni The Constitution from other inpuations He re-
Teted his inability TO do justice to the subject. In tho
nj tnpu ffztn If -. q,
the Constitution, on land-on earth--mohcr earth
are tanght,when pray, TO say to our Creator sin
p NC live, anl move, aud have our being" He would
lend the reelection far to show that the nstr,-
lhl IN the hands of God, sIand-cartlI-cmphaG-
flly our mother earth, through which we do olive and
boVc, and have our being We look il for our xis
encc, and We look to it for subsistence II oiveq
Fu+ the coarseSt food, which indulgence requires.
and supplies with all the highest Iuxuries which
refinement desir.. 1T yields our ordinary co.
vcrng and affords all the ornaments which decorate the
air oil the land. From the lowest necessity to the HIGH
vt luxury, we indebted for all TO or mother earth
tArchherc not, then, affinity aud association be-
Ween our mother earth, and the beings who exist ON m
YOU'D II not nc unrcaossc aud unphilosophicaI 10 o.
l'Ds Government for the inhabitants of the land wb
out reference TO the anl itself He thought so himself
me might be too much enchanted with the ideo-but
l ad grown out Of the best reflection he had been aIo
70 give 10 the subject Yes lac considered land "a loo
Important an instrument in the affairs of mankind TO n,
t"Vfpy dsrcgarded, in the formation of the organic
Jaws Tor the government Of its inhabitants He woulJ
say and j. the best and only solid, ndestructbe f,unda
non Tor government, unless Tc-assert the divine rpIt
~ hinS' which IS nothing more than a mere human in !
'ehion, founded in fraud and lalschood The vises, |
provision that made in any constitution il thai
winch declares. that the rinht of siur sl,,tt