Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-02-13
THE STAUNTON SPECTATOR.
AW 81 II o Ns~
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1850.


al facts connected with the matters Of hscommunlca
tion or not recurring TO the obvious sources OF correct
information, has beehnotless strangely mlsintormed
by others We are forced TO the one or the other OF
thess conclusions, because we can conceive Of no
motive ON the part Of the writer to misrepreseni the
facts Of the case, to disort the views heretofore
freely presented by US in this paper. 1t is more "a
tional then and more just to infer wrong information
than to impute wrOng motive
Our critic, indeed, seems Just to have walked up
from some dream and in the act Of rubbing his eyes
TO see things as they are, he has so disturbed The
organs of vision as TO see them exactly as they are
not. As evidence Of this we refer to the ftct, that
while the subject of Convention and the points OF
reform have engaged public attention for many
months, and have been discussed fully in the jour
nails of the day. from the elaborate essays of Poto-
mac" down to our "two meagre and Obscure edlto-
rails" as the critic has phraSed t--whiie al this
has been guing on, he from his very hrst sentence,
seems 10 view the whole matter as new, and re-
ouirinp now s'that all the lights may be reflected
which can tend to guide TO correct conclusion"
As additional evidence Of dOzy influence having
cast an obscurty over the writer's perceptions, ne
seems never to have known that the very call he
DOW pravely makes upon US to "desne oar position"
had been made weeks ago by another Paper, 10
which we responded, not in two, but four editorials,
INDEPENDENTLY Of our remarks upon the subject In
noticing the Governors Annual Message. Norwas
,pr attention confined zone branch of contempla
ned REFORM as sated.by the writer, but embraced
hs elective franchise, the mole Of elec:ing the Gov
ernor, and also the appointment OF Clerks, oherliis
and Constabes For the correctness OF these state
ments we refer to the Spectator of December 18th
and 10Th, January 9th, 10th and 3OIh. We con-
fess ourselves amazed at the pretermisson by 'Re-
FORM Of the warm views presented by US in favor
ola Conventional the right and capacity of the
people for selEgovernment-of the pTopriety Of ex-
tending the right of suffrage, and of eecting the
Governor by the people and still more surprised at
the ihtimaton, or implication, that on these points
ws had purposey remained silent.
We are surprised yet more, if possible, at the
utter peryersloa and distortion of such views, as our
critic has been pleased to find in the twO editorials
referred to- We mean to exhibit some instances of
this srt. We had stated IN an editorial of Janua-
~ 30,h, in reference 10 the County CUurts-''in-
deed, it is very questionable whether the higher
tribunals, with the superior learning and legal at
tainments Of their officials, haTeever given as much
satisfaction in popular sense ar filled mp sho raea-
sure of their jurisdiction with nearer approaches 10
right and iustice" Again-"As class, the County
Justices may favourably compare with any, for in
regrity and general intelligence" Again-"lt is
evident, then, that the growing dissatisfaction with
the County Courts, is not traceabe TO the incapa-
city, inefciency or doubtfa character of the Justi-
eex themselves. nor to dissatisfaction with the de-
eisions Of those ancient tribunals" In the face OF
all this, and with knowledge Of the fact that the
senior editor Of this paper has held the office VI
County Magistrate for more than twenty years,
such question is propounded as the following
"Or will you rest your distinction upon the ground,
that the Justices are altogether inferior men, less
honest, less vrtuous, less mertorous, and therefore
less to be trusted, than the higher Judges" The
question having been arsrered before it was put,
We shall not insult the County Justices, with whom
the writer of this article feels proud to be assOcia
ted, by any further response.
But we proceed to another point in the very sin
rulsr communication of Reform" ''Your posi-
ton," (says our crtic 'hal is not eypedient for
the people to exercise the appointing power" Gin
regard of course to the Superior Court Judges sis,
as understand it, blow aimed directly at repub
lconisn. The idea, it seems to me, is distinctly
Swallowed forth, that there is or ought to he, pow
or superior To that of the people," We, on the
contrary, have asserted in our article Of December
l2th-"The people must rule-under God, they
have right to self government, the very corner
stone Of our free institutions" And again, Janua
Nv l2th-"The very settlement Of every such ques-
ton Of expedency by the people, is Of itself as
serton of their right and sovereignty" Every can
did reader Of our articles knows that the point Of the
argument presented by us, with respect To she cleo
lion of the Superior Judges by the people, was not
the RICH. or competency of the people, but the in
Rusnce upon The Judge himself, in warping bis
Judgment by sympathy or prejudice, when deciding
between those who had warmly supported his cleo
much for the absurd idea Of our favoring the doc
trine, that there sought to be power superior to
that Of the people = and this in the face of our en-
phatic declaration, that sin each department Of the
oyernmen,-Legslative, judicial and Executive
the people, as we conceive, should feel them
selves to be the source of power, directly or ind-
recty."
And then tina, other profound notion, that we have
aimed blow directly at republicanism. We ask
"Reiorm," it is of the essence Of Republcanism.
that all public funclionaries should be elected d
rec.ly by the people? Ii he answers in the aftir-
native, We leave him to the exposure consequent
upon such affirmation. II he answers in the mega
i've, his remark is pointless and instructed. As
10 our aiming blow, and that directly. it is alto
geiher grauous, illiberal and unfounded
In regard 10 the Judges Of the Sunerior Courts,