Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-11-24

AMI the host conservative of morals and social
ordcr.-But TO give il this value, and To re-
alse from i, these beneticent results, il must
be preserved in all it's vigor and efficiency
and that can only be by The most exemplary
fidelity and zeal on the part of the members
of the Grand Jury.
have said il is of the essence Of your du-
Ties to prefer accusations against those who
offend against the criminal laws-lt is your
province 10 enquire into and present all Of
fences (unless the penalty he below So or a
different mode of prosecution is expressly
prescrihe,D from the highest to tire lowest,
from the most atrocious To the most veniSl-
For the occasion, your Office constitutes you
the peculiar guardians Of the penal laws, and
tho censors and scntinels over the public mor<
ais.
Our Time would not suffice II il wcrs me-
cessary (Which il is Doi) to enter into mi
mute detail or enumeration of all the crimes
and misdcmeanors which il belongs 10 YOU
10 enquire into and present.-A general
knowledge of what constitutes criminal ofe
fences must be obviuus and familiar to you
all, nor is il necessary that should pariicu-
laiizc and comment upon all the crimes and
misdemeanors known TO the criminal C6iie
for another reason, To wit: that prosecutions
for high crimes and aroc ious mis,iemeanors
| rarely originate with the Grand Jury or
~,
acCuser is found in the injured party, his
friends ar relatives, or the voice Of public
| indignation, which sets on foot the prosecu-
ton by warrant of arrest, and il il only i'm
lie progress that yonr agency is invoked 10
gi'eor withhold your sanction TO its further
prosecution by finding or rejecting bill If
Indictment, prepared and sent up 10 you by
The Attorney for The Commonwealth.
But there is class of miSdcmeanors, infe-
| rior in degree, yet in their tendencies pros
duCtive %. such deleterinus effects and con,c-
GuenCes upon the best interests of society, as
to merit your especial considerable n-As
we'll for their Importance as for The indispens
sable and absolute necessity of your agency
. in their execution, the General Assembly
have made il my bounden duty TO give them
TO you specially in charge, TO press them up
! on your notice, and tn invoke for them your
particular aud serious consideration. These
are the laws against "D"eiiing," "Inccslu-
Ous marriages" malicious tresspaSses," in
relation to tie "surUey"rs Of thc public high
,oays," concerning ''siaDes, free negroes and
muiottoes." jaiis and jaiiors, The regulation
Of ordinartes, and the suppression Of iiPp,ing
houses, s. against uaiamtW gaming. : Here
the judge plrticulariICd aud Commented ON
the var ious provisions of these several enact.
ments 10 he found in the Re, iset. Code, snp-
plement and session acts, under their proper
heads, 10 which he referred the Jury.) These
laws constitute a m,'st important part Of our
penal code, having for their object The sup
preston OF offences which though al first
view, aud 10 superficial observers, thew NAV
appear yenial, are in their Tendencies, effects
and consequences, highly detrimental 10 sooi-
| eiy.-They have for their object the pres.r-
walton OF morals and the promotion of viz
tue-the maintenance of the supremacy Of
law and of social order, aud the eifeciuation
| of the public policc-They must ever remain
| a dead letter on the statute book without
your inierposition, and hence The requisilion
Of the Legislature that they should be given
you specially in charge.
Whilst l would press upon your Canside-
ration the importance 81 all these laws, an,f
the necessity Of their faithful! and energetic
execution, l wsuld on account Of their trans
cendant importance, sing lie Out Tor more par
ticuar commentary, the two last named, 10
wit: the laws against gaming, and the laws
for the suppression of tipping houses 1t
must be confessed tina: gaming and inlempey-
| ance are The two master vices of our age and
! nalion-If not twin born in their origin they
are congeniaI, nay almost indissniube asso-
ciates in that career oi guilt and ruin 10
which they ss inevitably conduct their
| wretched and miserable victims, AS harvest
follows seed time No man becomes sud-
denly criminal-He must FIRST be vicious.
! Our vices are our crimes in embrio The
/ frs; vice we indulge is tie first step towards
crime, and as often as we indulge, and every
| new vice we add 10 The catalogue, we have
made additional progress ia our downward
career Among the vices, lamenta,le ex.
| perience has taught us, that gaming and in
temperance are preemineni for their dsas-
,rous effects and consequences, and for their
| fatal tendency and procIivi;y TO crime. The
| common, if not The universal fate, of the in
| temperate, is ruin, mretrie able ruin, in
| mind, body and estate, and il moi always.
very generally in fame. The fate of The
| gambler is infamy, and when The two char
acters are united, AS most generally they are,
the man is monster Of moral deformiiy. II
saddens the heart to reflect upon the vast a.
mount OF wIctchedness, misery and crime in
| all their forms, Which these two vices sineIy
or combined, have ocCasioncd 10 The human
iamily.-War, famine and pesiIence NAV
have inundated more victims, but the raya-
ges OF all combined are tender mercies COM
pared TO The desUiaiion OF these moral plaques
poverty, incurable disease, insanity, muir
der, suicide, brutal degradation and fieDdish
wickedness, follow in their frain and mark
their career The chosen victims of their
destructive influence are the young men, tho
promise Of The rising generaiior-the- pa.
rents soIace and the country's bope-If the.
ca!amites and suffering which are their in.
seperable attendants were confined TO the
guilty actors, there would I've less Cause of
sorrow and rcgret-but, alas, they are not
they scatter common and " ide spread ruin
through ali the div eTsifJed relations of life -