The native American., 1839-01-26

l am. win great respect,
Your obedient servant.
u. G. FARRAGUT,
Lieuteaaaf (ona'Gt.
When the people conceive that laws and tribunals.
and pauiar assemblies. perverted !rom the
ends Of their institution they find in these OF de
generated establishments only new motives OF discoD
tent Those bodies, which, when full of lii- lay IN
:he arms, and were heir JOY and comfort, wh"n dead
and .ntrid, become hut the more loathsone from
membrance of tor,ner cnGesrmrhts."
Frnn the Troy (New York; Mail.
The above passage from one of the ablest
pamphlets in the English language, although
written for another hemisphere, contains lesson
peculiarly applicable 10 the American People at
the present moment. Those y ho have marked
with any attention the indications Of late events,
and me ebh and flow Of popular opinion in this
country. cannot have failed to notice constant
and increasing departure from the spirit and de-
sign of many Of our institutions, and grow ing
indifference, if not disgust, among the People to-
wards them.
'fhe spirit Of radicalism which has spread so
rapidly throughout the land. and taken such deep
hold in the minds of immense numbers during the
last few years though associated with the worst
and bases passions, and fostered and encouraged
by the viles, of men, has, in fact, sprung from the
tcal establishments. 1t is very natural that 1.-The
laws should lose their restraining influence
when administered in such manner that the
People cannot respect them. Let any intelligent
citizen spend three weeks in attendance upon the
lower tribunals Of justice in this country, and he
will no longer wonder that SO many set at nanght
the penal or remedial enactments Of the Legisla-
lure. In this State alone, we venture TO assert
that there at least two thousand persons en-
trusted With lhe prerogutiues Of dispensing law
and justice ,nho are totally unfit for their sta
tions. In thE higher courts Of civil and criminal
jurisdiction, evils of equal magnitude exist. To
some of these we adver,ed the other day.
The military arm is equally impotent. The
militia lass and regulations. with all their appen-
dages of 'annual trainings and equipments and
resolute man, with blunderbuss and ten rounds
Of buck shot, would run no great hazard in setting
whole battalion at defiance. We verify believe
that this country is more indebted, at the presen,
time, for it's exemption from the frequent occur
renee Of fagrant crimes, to the restraints Of moral
and Christian discipline, and the fear Of punish
ment in another world, than to all the terrors Of
It's civil and military power combined.
For other causes which have tended 10 degrade
our form Of government and wean the popular af-
fectons from its once priced establishments, we
might point to the many artifces resorted ta in
our popular assemblies to defeat the will Of the
People, and suppress those very opinions which
they are called to carry out We might also ap-
proprately crticise the unbecomng lev,y, and,
in many cases, the ignorance displayed at these
meetings in discussing questions of deep and So
lemn interest to the People; and, above all turn to
the scenes Of brutal ferociy and undisgused fraud
which have become Of late prominent char cter-
IS .~1. = -
important and leading inducements to the state of
popular sentiment now Ominous of future evils
10 our present free form Of government.
Ii we desire to bring back the love of the Peo-
pie 10 institutions, we must free tn ose insttu-
tions from the corrupons which are fostering
upon them. We may rail at the spirit Of insu-
hordnation and popular fury till we grow hoarse,
but we shall never check it until we purge the
fountains from which it sprung. 1t is IN vain to
pirate Of the intelligence Of the People while our
national councils and publ men act as if the Peo-
pie had neither eyes nor ears.
Those who love order, and equity, and right,
have an imposing and responsible task to perform
If forgotten III party zeal, or in the pursuit Of
mean or temporary objects, the day may pass by
for its accomplishment.
The above is not only applicable to our he
misphere but to times. The whole matter
may be comprehended in nutshell. If the Co
vernment be under the control of dishonest men,
the effect of their wicked example will diffnse it.
self like eaven through the popular mass-"cor-
rupticn will become the order of the day''-and
when there is no moral influence to nerve the ex-
ecutive arm, the law becomes dead letter. anar-
cly begins, disorder and oppression follow, and
despotism concludes the tragic drama.
From the Daily 7dcertiser. |