Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-10-24

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ing less than the formation Of social compact or writ.
ten Constitution for the whole people OF vrgniaThe
Other nothing less thsn tho whole sovereign rights aud
powers Of the people. These involve trusts and
duties Of high and paramount impression and demand
the best efforts Of best 10 carry them
into effect in such answer the ust &
pectaons of our constituents and Of the world The
osJect oil every social comptct written constitution
s to establish practical government ani prescribe
rules Tor its Observance, thereby limiting It's powers
| within prescribed sphere of action. Funlamentai
laws must necessarily be general In their character
otherwise they would swell into formidable code ofle
gsiauve anactmens These general laws are intended
az guides TO tho practical government, established by
the; and are 10 such practical government, what that
government is to the individual citissnsTbe social
compact written constitution, prescrbes rules OF con-
duct Tor the observance OF the practical
Ihe practical government prescrbes rules of conduc,
Tor the observance Of its individual citizens. All go
vernments profess to have the objects in view in
their iormaton.the safety Of the people all vio-
lence without or wihn-the protection Of on-and
the protection OF property These last effected by
an equal administration of justice 10 ALL All these
great objects only be ected, by drawing from,
nature great general principles. applicable the sci
ence OF politics. Tor the formation Of practical go
vernrneni; which from its intrinsic operation shall
produce good moral tendencies the nity over
wh'cn II Is es'ablished.-Two general modes only
nave heretofore been devised, for the of go
vernrnents, with the exceptions of few republics OF
very limited extent OF territory and population. The
| one through the notion OF Observation-Disclosures, other
through the principle Of responsibility Governments
the notion Observation-Disclosures far more aacent
and even, at the present day far numerous, than
notion OF nvioabiliy is found nature II is OF
human invention. tits the offspring of fraud and cuu
ming, supported and efsctua,ed by force. The adms-
sion that an AGENT ansac,ing the Of his prn
cipai, becomes thereby invested with the powers
ercise jurisdiction both the person and property of
such principal through an invented faculty of invioa
bity,s repugnant TO every dictate OF nature and OF
common sense. The notion Of inviolabily cannot
therefore, be found in nature, and consequently not in
scenceyet the elder Mr.. Adams has not hestated 10
declare, that the British Government, which is
on the notion Of involability, is the only scientific go
vernment in the world. This form OF government
processes to derive its origin from ehing above hu
man right; and for the want OF sonnet thing more ntelI
gble asserts that origin 10 be divine; derived from God
himself This origin if true. would be solid unques
tionabe AMI irresistible. But il is trle-it Is the
mere iLvenon Of fraud and cunning. Responsibility
is principle found in nature--yet the governments
iunded on 1t, are OF comparatively moJen date. The
Worm American Constitutions, called for distinctions
sake, at this day. the only on this prn
eipe. Attempts at its imitation have been made by the
Mexcan aud s. American republics but thew are AT This
time in such an unsettled state, that positive concu-
sions can be drawn 10 their final The first Of
these Constitutions, il of little than half century
standing; and u the one engaged in amend
ing or destroying. -Responsiby is principle dery.
ed from nature. 1t consists simply in the obligations
mat every agent who undertakes TO manage the con-
Gems oil his principal, thereby takes upon himself TO
account Tor his conduct, in their management, his
principal Ii is the plain, natural principle Of the ac-
couniablity OF the Agent to his principal Every
tate OF osr natureevery dictate Of the innate or mo
raj sense, attests the truth OF this principle. This
principle Of responsibility, is the ground of the re-
government, D.
on the natural rights Of man. in his individual charac-
ter These form the basis of every social compact or
written Constitution. social compact or written
Constitution, Is formed by the distribution OF these
rights, between the governors and the governed This
distribution, when made, constitutes what IL called the
republican form OF government and whether such GO
vernment, when formed, be good bad, must essent
ally depend upon the wise, unwise distribution OF
these rights lnviolability is the basis OF the Nonar-
cliical form Of Government All the North American
CONSTITUTIONS well state federal, profess be
founded on this principle OF responsibility, all their
departments. The Federal Executive processes 10 be
founded on the principle; but the test OF its re-
sponsibity has been found practice III and
nnavailing. That test, during the continuance of the
Executive in Office, consists only in impeachment,
which is found in practice to be inc fcient But
the real efficiency Of the responsibility of the Execu
tive, consists in the great originally
upon it, and its vast accumulation since that time. Pa
tronage the offspring Of involability, not Of respons
bity,-and 10 that, consists the great in the
ganzaton Of the federal Executive. Its the anoma
lou. adaptation Of Monsrchicai Executive, to Re-
publican Legislature. is the natural enc
my OF responsibility; and has been at open
with it, in the Administration Of the Federal Govern,
particularly since its accumulation within tn
last Is or 20 years. The Virginia Executive is found
ed on the same principle of responsibility; but it is
actual, ehcacous one,-noi merely virtual or nominal.
lis test is the hest that human wisdom could devise
Mr. G. expressed extreme regret, that this part of
Constitution should have been much misreprcsented
through The public prints and he feared little
derstood through tho State generally. H., therefore,
begged the dispasonate and deep ref ctions OF the
Committee, TO this branch of the subject, banish-
ing, as lar as practicable, all former pre- posse
and he hoped TO be INDUCED with more MINUTE
examination and ILLUSTRATION, of hi part Of the subject
He sail the Governor aud Council were rcspectively
elected by joint ballot of both branches Of The Legsla
ture Tne present Constitution requires that regular
Journal Of the proceedings Of the Council should be kept
Il subscribed by councillors themselves. The councillors
made advisers Of the Governor by the constitution and
these journals contain minutes Of all their adyce
all times subject to the all of the G. Assembly an are in
fact annually called Tor by the House OF Delegales.-
In these provisions will be complete and perfect
test OF the accountability of the Councillors their
Electors. The journals furnish the OF the
coun,abity Of the Governor. He is required to col.
low, refuse 10 follow, the advice Of the Council
and, in either the journals will exhibit his conduct;
and, therefore, .trnish perfect test OF his responsible
~ also But, the tests OF responsibility do stop
here. The Constitution contains provision for
cludIng periodically wo Of the Councillors, instead Of
leaving their Offices 10 expire periodically and thus
adds greatly TO the efficacy and severity of the Of
their responsibility This provision has generally been
designated by the term Z" ostraeisni." indicating
lis extreme severity In practice, this extreme severi
~ see be universally admitted. Yet, ii detrscts
nothing from the consummsie wisdom OF its author, tho
celebrated and venerated Geo Mason. His object was
TO have completely and efficiently responsible
ve and he was entirely withoxt model; all preexist
ing governments having been founded the notion Of
Iinvioahiiity. He compelled, therefore, to resort,
exclusively, TO the e,rts OF his great in depensn
mind TO effect his novel, untred epiion; and
his wisdom is manifested in selecting means beet suit
cd TO the accompIi hment Of his ends. The Virginia
Executive u tbs only strictly responsible. anil, there
tore The ony Republican known to Mr. G.---Thc
error Of the celebrated G. Mason consisted in mod
cation Of his principle by pushing this test 10 an ex-
treme. IL probably did not occur 10 him. tina, this ex
IRENE would Al