Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-07-17

without it, would be settled by arms. What
bene6cience and dignity belong to this function
Nor is this all. 1t affords to citizens, who feel
themselves aggrieved by unconstitutional law,
the means of peaceful resistance. 1t gives them
an opportunity of being heard before tribunal,
on which the most solemn obligations to Justice
are laid, and which is eminently fitted to be an
umpire between the citizen and the legislature
we know not how government can contiibute
more effectually to its own stability, than by rev.
erencng and guarding the rights of the Nation
al Judiciary A Congress, which should trench
| on its independence, ought to be counted guilty
of species of sacrilege.
From considering the importance of the Judi
| ciary to our Union, we are naturally led to ano-
Their department of the governmet, and one
which IS particularly worthy of attention, be
cause Mt the present moment it seems to men
ice our confederation more seriously than any o.
Their cause. We re fer To the Executive Depart
inent We refer to the struggles which the G.
lection to the presidency has again provoked
These are too solemn and fearful to be overlook
ID. A remedy must he found, or the country
VIII be thrown into perpetual c,nvul ions, and
split into factions devoted each to chief We
shall waste ourselves in struggles for n few lea
ders, who by their prominence will become dea-
er to people than their institutions, and i'm
lighting for our iavoritcs we may become their
slaves
This evil we regard a growing ono and
we know but one remedy TOR 1T. The people
must require just self respect This they
want. Ii has been represscd by false notions a
bout Y overnment which have come down from
ares of monarchy. The spirit of freedom, OF
which we 50 much boast, has not given n due
elevation ofsontiment to the IN nunty & base
~ binds itself to leaders if they were superors
people should understand its greatness and
dignity too well to attach much importance ia
any individual IL should regard no individual
necessary to it, nor should it suffer any one ia
urge his claims on its gratitude. 1t should feel
that it has right to the services of it's members
and that there is no member, with whose servi-
COS it cannot dispense. 1t should have no idols
no favorites II should annihilate with its flown
those who Would monopolize its power or bring
IL into subservency To their own glory No
mans name shout, be much on its lbs IL
should bind up in no man its prosperity and hon
or
A free community, indeed, has need Off pre-.
siding Office, but it depends on no individual
lone fitted for the Office and still more it needs
| President, not to be its mastsr, but to express
and execute its own will This last thought is
fundamental and never to be forgotten The
only law ola free people, is the will of the major
ity, OF public sentiment, and to collect, embody
utter and execute this, is the great end of its
civil institution. Self-government is its great.
est attribute, its supreme distinction, and this
gives to Office in free state an entirely differ
ent character from what it possesses in iespotic
| countries. The difference, however, is over
| looked among us, and the same importance is
attached to office, if il conferred absolute pow
er.
TO BE CONTINUED.