Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-09-30
TIE %titnIE1AHY.

ltiE
The 4taIa Convention. Whibl, has been rala
lsl. after 81 much toll and discussion. pfeniis
ees ~ ta cite df The ,nnst important etas IN The
annals If the history Of Louisiana, II will he
al event HAT will require tha saaaaity, The
wisdom and patriotism Of those who afe So
lettaH 10 form a Constitution which shall aaa
vert, aud protect The fortunes and lives Of those
who rejoifr IN tbs hatnh Of ltaaisiahiansi Al
though the preliminary stages required by laW
fur The action III d convention, have not yet
l.eet contaminated. there has been much die
ftasiun upon The construction Of an article in
the present constitution. The intent n which
10 Ms is az plain rs the rays Of . ~noeftlay sun.
We alluda 10 Tho ''towefs Of The convention f"
The controversy which has been INDUCED In
by The Press Of the State, We deem amply suf.
lelent. atd atty discussion thai pehptfates fur
thur arattis premature and irrelevant.
One slipgt nj present IL 10 cast . glance At
The elaborate lnuubfaiiBha If Il prominent 10
epfote Journal In the Northern part Of The
slate, which has g~fappled ono Of the most va
liable and cherished principles and features
If our civil Institutions. aud with The thlte aud
sfHsiflt 81 aefafiafisin, Is attempting ta drag II
down to that degrading standard which iiehs
sufss HE height and depth Of lof6fofaisni
l lB GiEfItNF VI tH9 JHHtfiHff ny VIE lllltlIilbs
especially when hat multitude is geadpd and
infufiatad by the selfish spirit Of f,afty, is d
mnnslfaus idea. Mangre the pitiful and tiis
Waffantable epitheis gtatuiteusly bestowed by
the ]luaHFpen paper IN question upon Tho Wing
liafty. NO shall pay a slight tribute 10 lie heats
I'D Recommendations and mis- guided notions Of The
judiciary,
From time imtaetlorial. so far back as The
lights hf infistftideta sliad even The iehblrst
ray. the Judiciary has been held sacred from
tho iniilsnta If popular eaf1tnatiet, Engfafts
Cd upon Our civil code by the wisdom gather
cd from the experience Of past ages. II has
taet considered by olt tpfef4lliafF. AS Tho safas
guard. The very sheet. 4 h6lihf If The citizen
Tho practice of holding The appointment If
Judges beyond tho reach Of %tutiuit, has stood
Tho lest NJ '~'l,tttnht scrutiny. III time, and IT
talent" The trial IT WILKES, when il crisis
was 1T Iand. essentially tested The fearless
ness, The Independence, and infaffaptihIlity If
Tho Judge, wlten Westminster Hall was crow.
led aud thfungad. with a hungry aud bowling
t~ioh==wliat secured and Unidentified Lord
Mansfield III The discharge Of lils duty and the
delivery ot an opinion which hhs afohe render
I'd his name immortal | To Use His words the
%'terfefs hung att' by Il eapfttiatis aud whim-
aisal crowd Of itfpnlslYe citizens could moi it-
%tilnilata him their influence he dtsttgarded.
their patronage and suffrage no wac lndIttafz
eht to. deriving as he did the title Of bis seal
upon The bench from the legitimate right Of
The sovereign, secured by the British toisti.
tntian beyond the reach OF Il mob law and al
mob Influences,
The eoatsn and inappropriate Il ngs which
accompanied The appellativne. bestowed upon
the Wing party by the paper alluded to, ani
The illusions 10 foreign country, where Kings
govern, ia exceedingly silly, From The time
WORN records OF the English government va
gather MI our forms. The common law, that
''perteetion Of human reason Is handed down
to tie with The experience Of by gone limea,
and we have adopted 1t with lis wholesome nc.
8 compartments. There The Judge has over beon
placed ahoys The dtcfatlon OF popular eommas
ton, Were We 10 indulge in The quotation Of
examples that might aeem invidlo,s, We could
paint 10 certain sthtee, where Tho judiciary has
boon degraded and pfoHtitited ~ a vehicle Of
the vileHt passions. We could designate a
state where The upright Judge, who depends
npot tho Iratl tenure of the peoples will for
the security of his station, has literally trefn.
bled in his shoes, awad and terrified by The
threatening glantee'of constituents, who knew
IA little OF the principles Of law, or IN the on
element, regarded aa inditferently the rules
ot right, aH Holtnntotu or Caribbean chiefs.
Tho pure ermine of the judiciary should be
preserved from tho faint of outdoor influence.
III the npirlt Of modern democracy Ia no re-
l~entleaa and exactive, Lot the statutes relating
to that part OF otir state government be draft
ed with n more vigorous spirit and enforced
with uherring promptness--Ralller than aee
the Judge, who in fact legislates upon The for
tune, the liberty, and the life the citizen, made a
seeker Mt stated periods in the public mart for
the voices of n fnctuating and nnreflecting
crowd, VIC would prefer a relapse into that
age when the tallest man was selected from
a great gathering upon n plain, and chosen as
chief ruler on account of his altitude. Such
democracy we are not in favor Of, and whilst
reason holds ita domain will never submit TO.
1.-THE reforming spirit which seems to ami
mate the locotocos must have vent, let the in-
dietary be elected by the Legislature. If the
ancient customs are to be demolished, and the
now lodged doctrines of sophomore expert
mcntalists are to rule, let us modify tho pre-
sent system and substitute upon the statute
book edicts and mandates that will enforce
the faithful and pure administration of justice.
The door Of impeachment 10 open, the duties
and attributes Of a judicial officer are 50 plain
" set forth that al! who run may read, and it
only requires that energy and fortitude which
every good citizen should possess, to arrestmaI-
~feasanee or oppression in the discharge of the
important functions Of a judicial officer. We
shall again refer to this subject, and others
which to us are quite as unpalatable, urged as
they are with a fearful zeal by the locofocos.
--Ifopic