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

y
po.ism oi nm unmiyed democracy A.
in single Instance, already referred 10,
the juJicisry, lis Il not plain that the
idea is working in the sovere,gn's mind,
thai that institution must, in s,ine way
b- brought under his more immediate
control, must not he 81 independent OF The
popular voice, --must have done with ns
abstract right aud absolute justice, and
learn To echo only the popular acclama-
iions, cone every year to the
sovereign to beg for n precarious subsis
ipnce aud for the boon OF appointment
and reappoiniment, and so learn Ia d's
pensu Justice according Ia the behesis vi
a partisan press, the votes of II caucus,
mud the interests Of this or that party
struggling TO get or keep the ascendancy
Whsn king James III. wished TO play the
despot, the great step was 10 get the
courts OF law subject directly TO his will,
and Judge Jehreys became n notable
instrument in the sovereign's hands. -
The king made him lord chancellor. IL
i- always one great step towards despot-
i-m Ia get "a dependent and snbservien;
Judiciary. Aud our sovereign will prob.
nbly take that step, aud many more. n
raging thirst lor power bu'us in the heart
of this sovereign. lie Is bot too unlikely
90 observe the limits he ut first set to him
scli, aud there IL none else to compel hs
observance ol them.
| am showing that there il the same
room for, aud danger OF, a despotism,
mud N nr m LII Ia unfar m nth har
and that the same consequences mus,
ioil,w. Why Ii there not lne same room
Er 1t Let us see.
One leading maxim under monarch-
cal government is this, that The king can
do no wrong that is, ir cannot br called
10 account, iIicd, ar punished lor any
thing he may do. Tins maxim is pr"ba.
stability at a government (; but II Is Il
great help 10 a king towards becoming u
.iyrnnt. Tho same maxim here pertains
10 ibo sovereign majority, and Is more
potent here than elsewhere for an IN
dw,dual ,yrant may be- pat out oi the way,
like Julins Cesar, Il CHARLES E, or the
Russian Paul, and the many kings that
VdNc Dttu JttttOUtb oNt Jul
dnous sovereign may commit what out
RACES he wall ,oul -herod Herod ~ alrocity,
aud there Is no remedy, legal or illegal
Ii is lnlle reliei, ihs, the majority may
change every year,no" tins side triumph
ing, aud now that. 1.-THE system be sue b
as gives absolute power To the ruling
patty, lii,le is gained by frequent
c'iange Of masters. The rival houses Of
York and Lancaster alteinaled on the
Ing gllsh throne, every lew years, for u
luu. period but IL made little difference
10 the cond'tiop OF tho oppressed subject
winch side was uppcrmost. 50 let The
principle be established, that u numriIcal
IuaI"r,iy is absolute in power,--,hc CON
siltutIunal checks removed or evaded, -
aud It will matter liule 10 individual ciii-
zens which patty triumphs to-day VI to-
morTuw.
IL our sovereign any less likely Ia
commit violrnce than other suvereigns
The greatest atrocitles on record have
been committed, not by kings, but by
excited aud dominant masses, sometimes
with, aud sometimes without, the iorms
Ui law.
That great interest, so closely y connect
ed with the prosperity and morality OF a
nation, Property, lis that more likely
10 be respected under an absolute de-
nocracy than under anv other absolute
power No; the popular passion and
jealousy are more easily excited against
this interest than anv other From the
nature OF things, property, II It exist and
flourish at all, must be very uneqnalIy
divided. 1t Is true, we have not, and
cannot have, any permanently rich class.
The families that are r,ch now are no
more hkeiy than others to be so few
wears hence. But those, who, for the
time being, happen TO hold property III
large masses, are always objects of Iea-
lousy, often bitter and rabid to those who
have lille or none, tDr the time being !;
TINT is, To the majority, the sovereign. -
AT least, snch jealousy may be easily
awak ned by the interested denagogue.
Let that majority become the absolute,
unlimited monarch, according To The ten
dency Of the times, and The security of
property is gone. The assault will be
gradual and specious at first, but effec-
tive II will show itself 10 Il noisy nn1
meddleso,nc Zeal for the rights Of the
poor, in petty prosecutions OF property,
all sorts oi barrassinents thrown 10 the
way OF ns operations, inqu,sitorial pro-
ceedings instituted over private posses
Sums aud affairs, innumerable means of
thwar,lng, vexing, hampcrlng the thrifty
and successful, making them od'ous and
suspected. This is the way with desput-
ism, whether popular or monnrchical. -
There is nothing in our institutions, after
the removal Of a few barriers, which b
are no more than bulrushes IN the hand
OF our mighty sovereign,-n nothing TO him
der our approaching the condition OF
some Oriental states, - Tor the thing has
been comparatively unknown in modern
Europe, except in France, during the
reign OF tie Jacobin clubs, "A static
s,ules, ! say, in which the possession oi
I,rhcs subjects the holder to such cxac-
aIons, prosecutions, and dangers, tha,
,rsasufe * hidden in the ground, carried
"m at the country, disappears, is hunted
,ou, oi visible existence, by the Jealousy
~ cupidny at the po;entale. Ii would be