Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-09-07

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prince or people. la some States of the
Union,-and God ooly knows how 1t
\ would he in other States under like diff
culiies, or how II will yet be IN some o.
them, in some states debts have been
Openly repudlaied, or else cvaded under
n ilimsy pr-ieXis more d.sgraceful than
/ open repudiation, because more mean -
\ And this by the people, the iniallblr
majority, the immaculate heaven born
sovereign Of the New World the mode
government, lhe desire of all nations -
Oar good name is gone beyond the pow
or oi many ages 10 redeem. The most
beggarly prince IN Europe. who strives
10 maintain n lettering throne, or who
only goes out on adventure To acquire
one, H. more welcome applicant to the
capitalist than many State IN This Union,
m the whole Together and our glorious
sovereign, MAJORITY, that We f"nd!y
dreamed was To eclipse all others IN the
splcndor OF his power and the exaliatiun
of his character, is n di-graccd swIudcr,
that can no longer he ,rused for n mess
of poi;age. Aner his, any, the gloom
lest, npprehen,ions for the career of onr
great poteniaie, IN his future strides Ia
absnlutisp, VII! not be deemed quite fan
cilu or gralutous. Ten years ago, had
this moral outrage Of reputation been
predicted, the prophet would have been
secuted, as librller, that could be no
lover OF his county. Yet now IT is fact,
IA fact that should secure charitable
hearing for one who ventures To whisper
his fears of calamity and disgrace yet to
come.
II We are accustomed to place our great
reliance on the intelligence ofihe people.
Certainly we must place II there, II any
where. There Is probably as much in.
tellierncn diiliisrd among our people IA
among those Of any country IN the world.
\ Bot, after all our eh,nds for the cause oi
universal education, who does not know
that there are, and always will be, great
numbers, who really know almost nothing
of the institutions ar interests OF the coiIn-
TRY, aud do not all know the duties or feel
the Responsibilities "f the sovereignty
which they sha,e' |, ia an unpleasant
truth, but who seriously doubts that it
is truth ? Nay, worse, there are great
numbers who have 10 interest in the per-
manrncy and good management of onr
institut IONS, or do not feel that they
have, who have nothing to lose by any
change ar abuse, and yet who pnrtake
of The sovereignty, and may be said ,o
hold tie destinies of the country in their
hands for none will doubt that such per.
sons are more numerous, hundred fold,
than the difference between the majority
and the minority on any disputed qurs-
iion that ever divided, or ever will divide,
the people.
sovereignty every where, that men ac-
quire it, not by competency, but by birth.
And, fiom The nature of the case, 1t
would be as absurd Tor US 10 inquire into
he fitness of a man tn share The sover-
eighty by his vote, rs for the Russians to
inquire into the fitness OF the crown prince
to reign. lie is born TO reign, and IN
either case he must reign, fit or unfit,
qualified or not, and either nation must
bear the cons"qnenccs,or guard against
them as 1t can.
Ii can avail but little for our security,
that we have, and may continue to have,
what is called a government of laws. -
The leg gIslaiure IN many Slates-aud
there Is too much causc to say the same
Of the national councils seem 10 br
losing The character OF independent de-
Lucrative bodies. They meet, not I"
deliberate, but To act, lilo, To exercise
their Judgment, but to carry out at once
the express or presumed DEGREES of SOW
ereiQn party each member pledged
and bound, not To- think, but To do IA he
is commanded, IA dead hand, To register
the edicts Of The monarch A legislature
thus conducting itself will soon cease 10
be an assembly of wise men, or, If they
be wise, their wisdom Will be as useless
as their folly and it will become, as to
great extent ours have become already.
n mere index ol the party passion and
popular caprice Of The wear, enacting the
Ichangeiul out door clanor into Jaws as
Ichangeiul. Our legislative hOdies are
becoming as subs"rvienl To the sovereign,
rs much mere automatic machines ia his
mighty hand, as ever was British par
lament under the eye of u Henry VIII.
OF a queen Elizabeth. Unless our pco-
pie pause soon ia the career OF revolution,
and begin TO retracc their steps towards
the original theory of our government,
the meeting of the Legislature will come
to be dreaded by qnet and order-loving
citizens, Iile less than The gathering o!
mob. Grave discussion gives place 10
patty cabal, 10 ioul-mouihed violence,
nay, to open brawls and occasional hnmi.
eide. A busy, caprIcious, and arbitrary
legislation, continually unseitlIng all
things and keeping them unsettled, echo
ing ever the gustiul passion of the hour,
will soon cease, ns things are going on,
10 give us any comfort IN the mere name
of "A government Of laws. A legislature
That basely lays down It's Independence
at the feet Of the sovereign, whether that
sovereign be crowned king or trum-
phant party, always was and will be more
an opprpssor than guardian, more a
scourge than blessing,-a supple tool
of tyranny.
But Why indulge these sombrc and
unusual apprehensions Why reflect
II linus on unhnnuy p,ss,bilitips and Ipurlul