Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-09-12


ton and government ofiaws, amids
such universal subscrviency, and stud
ed selfdelusion will be the biitcrest Q
all irony.
A moments rejection on a govern
mcnt So curiously formed as ours vii
show what havoc The doctrine in ques
ton, reduced fully TO prpctice, vii
make in It's spirit aud operation. Nhy
is II So difficult, nay, nsxtto impossible
TO change the constitution Why are
there two Houses of Congress iustead
of enc 7 Why is the term OF the Sem
ate no less than six yeats Why ara
I the members of the other branch ofthe
I Legislature elected bat for iwol Why
/ has the President areio To prevent, aud
/ the Judges jurisdiction TO set aside, acts
of Congress What is a Constitution
but a denial to the Government. and
consequently TO all practical purposes
for the .ime b, ing, to the People them
selves, Of some of the most important
attributes of sovereignty What Is
the end aud meaning Of all this array
ofcheeks and restraints upon the ne
iion OF society, ia lis whole organlsa-
ton, but 10 eontr'i tHe passions 81 man.
kind; Ia give them tocas peaneni,1i
To lnterpuss- a time for calm r,ilcctiUn (;
TO secure 20 Reason iis legitimate inilu-
ence over human affairs; and. lastly,
Ia substitute deliberate aud enllghien,
ed aud well asceriaIned public OPINION,
mutured by comprehensive survey Of
its subjects, furry gathered liom gem
eral discussion of them IA all their as.
poets, with u full knowledge of the
site OF facts, AMI free Interchange Of
sentiments for notions rasbly taken up,
aud the vbullltlons OF momcntary eA-
cltrment; for the b'inaness Of local
prejudice; above all, Tor Doctrines bUld.
~ put forth by a few presenting men,
as the S Tiled conyiciiun ol the majority,
before the attention OF the people has
been so much Us called, with any spri-
oueness, 10 the points inYolv, d IN ihesI
This last cons.at IaiiuD - Que 81 un-
mense Importance. he void has
bcen goyerntd by constractise, notreal
majorlt.es. The great mass Of man.
Kind have done nothing bat Sanction,
by tact. acqulesceDce, what has been
done by a few bold aud active spflis
without consulting their oPnle'ns. HE
5acobius Who ruled France 81 despot-
cally were always Ia miserable MT
norilv. Even ia the Convention. as
the 9th Thermldor revealed, they might
al any time have been put down, bad
the inaiurity understood each other, or
had there been any means Of ascertain.
ing the real safe oil public opinion IN
! France, slckened, as she WAS, at the
Atrocities under which size was bleeding
without hope. But there was no con-
cert among the People or their Repre-
scatuliyes, and single despotic assem-.
| bly,, swayed by handful OF daring con-
splrators against the laws, and arming
Ilsell with the most terrible powers, ex-
ocu,ive as well us legislative, 10 be- ca
crtod under every gust of passion aud
every Wild d, fusion, as II rose, Illus
rates by contrast, the wisdom OF Z"
government like ours. wherein every
thing has been SO studlously contrlved
to control sudden impulse, and 10 com
pel 10 serious and conscientious fefiec-
ton. 1t is this humility, so phi'osoph-
icnl. so Christian, So foil ofirue wisdom
and ofthe virtue which prays, as II is
laugh; to do, that il may not be led IA
to lempiauon--it IS this sublime seli-de'
nlal of our people, deliberately lmlliag
liz ir own omnil o,ence lest they should
be betrayed by it into dong wrong
lint gives 70 our democratic institutions
their only chance of succeeding better
than that form Of government has hith.
erto done. Dcmagogues, indeed, hold
different language, as they are me
rested in doing they treat all res
trainls whatever apon the Will OF the
majority us violation Of lis inaliena-
Bile rights. They preach the lniollla-
biitv, the absolute inialiabiiiy OF "tbe
People," every individual OF whom
knows. by the daily experience 81 his
own errors and blndn' IS, that the dog
ma is bIasphemous lalsehood. They
live by the very passions which 1t IS
the great object OF the Constitution 10
restrain--by the delusions which the
laws delay" would infalllably dlssi-
pate. What wonder that they should
find these self imposed restraints OF
wise and moral People an involvement
infringement of their sovereignty ana
that. like all true couriiers, they should
90 for dirine right and dispensing Po'e-
er? Jacobins in democracy are precise
Nv the Jacobites ofroyalty, just as an a.
theist OF the last century, would, nceor-
ding to Rosseau, have been bigot IN
the time OF the League.
What | have hitherto said scarcely
applies to my own case, because no.
body, so far as | have heard, ever pre-
i q Il n