Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-05-22
COMMUNICATED.
REFoRnI--NUMBER 2.

Reform had Its origin In tne tyranny VI
classes in whose hands lodged the powers OF gov
ernment By various means. in the progress OF 'eo''
those abuses of power have been checked and prevented
and limited monarches and representative repuohcs anu
the various systems of municipal law under them, now eS
hbt the manner in which this has been accomplished.
TIE great primary objects be attained were security
to lie liberty and property Now, the sources OF Danger
to these great interests Of the people were wood' VIZ
the tyranny of the government ITSELF and the violence ana
Injustice of individuals classes and sections III the State,
leaving out of view on this occasion the danger from or-
eon sources From time to time, Reform has provided a.
panst the first class of dangers by various
as the trial by Jury the writ of habe corpus the repre-
senaton of the people in the legislature the abolition OF
hereditary offices, the constitutional responsibility to the
peope of the Executive and Legislature, and their lnde
pendence of each oher-he independence Of the judiciary
(by which, mean It's independence of the other branches
of government the freedom Of the press and constitution
al religious liberty all of which will be perceived al
rance to have been provided securities against the ~
ranny of the government.
For two centuries, although commenced centuries earli
er these sautay have been continuously matu
inc with the AngoSaxon race, until near century ago
they were perfected and combined into our system Oh ee
government and the of this system is now Sao "
demonstrate the capacity of the people for goVern
ment because it is system originating win the PeoPe'
which has served to protect them against the usurPaon
and tyranny of their rulers and thus while II provides lot
the proper performance of the necessary functions OF gov
ernment leaves the people free TO pursue undsturoed' all
those avocaons and objects of private and public e whch
ara consistent with the welfare of society," observe hal
this sysem so successful is not democracy, but repre-
sentative republic Our history yet furnishes no EVIL
dence that pure democracy would have brought about the
pood results which have blessed repubc and however
we NAV speculate about the perectibty and progress OF
the Anoo Saxon race and roll under tongues hatswee
mosel of democratic faith that the people are capable OF
selepoyerpmen let us remember that the entire and cor
rect historic meaning of the doctrine is simply this that
the representative republics ofAmerca have served shield
the people from the tyranny of rulers irresponsible to thsm
and in measure formerly unaaned, secured 10 them the
liberty compatible with good government. But TINS history
does not warrant the deduction that the people are all DO
ons or that majority of the people, however intelligent
and good individually, are, in their primary assemblies
compeent to the task Of making wise laws and consttu
ons or of wisely executing and administering the laws or
Of always judging with impaay or acting with JUSTICE
order and humanity Ihe old doctrine of the dvlne right
of kings" now utterly exploded, we have not yet eslaO
shed on its ruins the dogma, that the voice OF tue
peope is the voice of God But, by means desire to
he understood by the dear soveegns asserting that in
the wonderful progress Of the Ang Saxon race, we may
M, vet arrive at this consummaon most devouy 10 be
wished" take it then for granted, that when we say
the people are capable Of sefgovenment, we mean only
that republic is form Of government well calculated 10
secure us from those ancient abuses power against which
reformers contended SO gallantly in former times
Now il is evident to any attentive reader of history
and constitutions that we have framed republics chief
" and almost exclusively buwark against those pecu
liar abuses of power We have protected ourselves against
executive power until we have made our executive cy-
phe we have utterly destroyed and tramPed under foot
the arsocracy of every kind, except that of wealth. until
money is the God of the people, We have put brides into
the mouths of our Legislators until they are the verest
slaves to the whims and prices of the people, and we have
so taken away from the judiciary all motives and oppou
mites of interest and corrupon that we now want to fog
them for laziness and incapacy.
Therefore we the people, hink we have the world in
sling and that having umphed over our ancient ene-
miles, we have now nothing do but to enjoy our political
millennium But under the old monaches, the first enc
mics and oppressos of the people the Kings avoriies
and atterers and am much mistaken if the sovereign
neone of Virginia who have the bestowa of offices Of hon
or and profit. have not their favores and willy interested
faterers.
Thus while our Publications constructed and our
batteries planted against ancient modes of attack and exte
nal enemies long ago epulsed new dangers menace IN
terna foes arise against and concealed enemies undermine
our political fabric abuses creep in gradually detects
accumulate from age age, the spirit and The form oil our
institutions tend 10 change, by mpercepble gadatlons
even the very and objects Of government will vary oy
degrees until either the natural result OF such growth
or by some consequent violent revolution the form of well
ordered Republic scales off like rotten SHE'LL and we be-
hold the State revealed in shape and substance radically
different This truth will be illustrated in future number,
when shall relate briefly of the incidents IN the his
tory Of our Republics and investigate some Of their present
tendencies.
In the mean time lei me call the attention OF the people
to the legitimate objects and the true nature of Republican
government Government Instituted for The purpose
Of attaining the temporary ends and gratifying the tempo
rary desires of the people for the purpose of carrying
out certain schemes of internal improvements nor to enlarge
the area of freedom nor TO expedite the progress of the An
glo Saxon nor to confer the largest liberty on the people,
by restoring to them those natural rights which they
sarly surrender when they enter into society," In other
words government is not nice machine, tool in the
hands Of the majority, to be actively used for the attain
ment of such collateral objects But it edged tool fol-
evil when thus ndscreety handled, and powerful s. dan
gerous machine when thus directed from its legitimate OBJ
ect, and made perform such unnatural functions. Still
less ought the of the sovereign State of Virgin
ia be tool in the hands of federal politicians And is
not so to some exen2 What has been the political his
tory Virginia. but the history the warfare between Fed
erals,s and Republicans and Wings and Democrats =
What have been the issues which have controlled our State
elections Of Governor Senator'S Delegates, and even Jud
ge but federal issues almost without exception? We be-
long the governments it is true and ought to take