The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-15
Elections hx the People.

Elections BY the People.
1t is the habit of the foes of popular government
to assert that democracy is impractcable- 1t
assumes man to be more perfect than he Is, ana
wishes to frame institutions better fitted tor super
nal than for earthly beings. But TINS ike the
thousand other sophistries with which IL Is at
tempted to hide the face OF Truth from the eyes OF
the world only manifests the Tear That Is enter
tanned lest the brightness and effulgence OF her IN
yelled countenancs should reveal the errors and
the crimes of those who oppose her progress. 1t is
because democracy looks at man as he is-half
worm half deity-moved now by the noble mpul-
SEES that seem to raise him to the heavens, and now
by the selfish passions that unrestrained would sink
him to hell-that it is the best, the most secure and
the most practical of all the forms of government
vet devised by man. 1t is because monarchy and
aristocracy suppose virtue in the monarch and In
the nobles which is rarely if ever found, that they
are dangerous in practice and false in principle.
Democracy rests on the doctrine that all men are
DESTROYS of advancing their own interests, and that
as human nature is at present constituted the
victons of the understanding are too often the in
stincts of selishness or the impulses of passion.
But inasmuch as the interest of the community is
the end of government, democracy believes that the
perceptions of the whole people will lead them to
a correct knowledge of their own interests. And
this is but an extension of the common maxim that
every man does his own business best. Far then
from being impracticable in its plans or utopan
in its tendencies, democracy is the incarnation of
common sense and practical government. Instead
of resting on the perfectbity of man it, more than
any other form of government, considers his weak
ness and imperfections.
Could we find perfect man, or perfect set of
men, then would monarchy be good and aristocracy
commendable; but as long as man retains his
present nature, the selfshness Of the of the
few must be corrected by the selfishness of the
many And in nothing are corrupt motives SO
likely to sway one man, small body of men, as
in the selection of those who are to administer the
offices of government and receive pay for the SER
vices they render are supposed to render to the
state. Governors and legislators-even when not
elected by the people-may be comparatively pure
and dsinlerested in the formation of general laws;
for the benefits which an individual or class may
reap from general law are more remote and I'M
certain than those which from the profits of
an office or the receipt of a salary payable quar-
terly or semi-annually And hence it is far better
to trust governors and legislators with the making
Of laws-though this is as much as possible to be
avoided-than to trust them with the selection of
proper persons to administer those laws A general
law may be regarded with the understanding only
but the selection of men to fill Offices of honor and
profit can never fail to excite sympathies and ava
ken passions Hence the intrigue and the bargain
ing for place, when places are in the gift of gov
ernor or legislature. Hence the necessity for
calling in the whole people-who will not sell and
cannot be swindled out of their own interests-in
order to perform this vital function of government
the selection of agents fitted for properly admins
tering the laws.
There are many who acknowledge the correct
ness of these general principles until you come to
apply them the election of judges by the people.
Then they hesitate and attempt to bolt. Then they
hold up their hands in holy horror at the idea of
dragging the purity of the ermine through what
they are pleased to call the mud and filth of pop
ular election. Then are repeated all the trite say
ings about untried experiments, letting we'll
enough alone" and other like phrases, which have
been the delight and admiration of octogenarians
and old maids ever since the world began. You
would think, from some expressions current among
a certain class of thinkers, that there was some
thing mystical and unfathomable in the qualifica-
tons for judicial staton-that only governors and
Legislators were permitted to enter the temple of
Justice, and penetrate the characters and capacities
of those who hold the scales and weigh out the
law. Surely those who contend that the selection
of judges should remain with the Executive, must
entertain the idea that conrt-rooms are hermet
cally sealed TO the mass of the people-that the
doors are shut to all but the privileged few, to
whom has been entrusted the power of filling the
judicial Offices of the republic. But we are not in
Austria courts are not held with closed DOORS
Every citizen may enter and observe how the
Judge conducts himself in the performance of the
responsible duties which have been assigned to him.
1t was said by the somewhat fanciful author of
the Spirit of the Laws that all Governments
rest upon some single idea principle, and that
unless at certain intervals the principle was re-
Cured to and strengthened, the Government would
deviate from its proper course and end in revolution
or destruction. But instead of making this recur-
renee to the first principles of our institutions
periodic, we should constantly keep in remem-
brance the rock from which we were hewn.' 1t
is only by turning our eyes continually towards the
point from which We started, that we can be certain
whether or not we pursuing the proper course.
In Louisiana we have adopted the principle of
Government that all power emanates from the
people, Shall we follow out the maxim we have
adopted, timorously refuse to pursue the deduc-
tions which flow from our own principles. Shall
the people undertake to elect all their officers
Executive, Legislative and Judcial-or shall they
shirk the responsibility of selecting their Judges
and throw on the shoulders of their agents the
duties which they modestly own themselves incapa-
BILE of performing!
Changes in the Custom House.
The new Collector, Mr.. Sam'l ]. Peters, entered
on his duties yesterday; and as was to be expected,
several of the subordinate officers in the Custom