Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-05-27


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curi,y exists. and if will cont;nna r. ;no.o.
unt some efficient measure of
be adopted. Mhen system has worL cd hall.
/ know of no better way than IN abol;sb !, D ar,
try some other system. which offers a heller
prospect of success The alect;on ~ -. ~,
the direct votes of the neonla i .,., - 1880
can see no reason wby il should not he sdon2,ed
Some gentlemen have said that We .ra 49,
ious TO reduce this government to ,ho ,ro,,anr
ment of mob and ,tev ob;eo. N ,,s $500;
sion, because, they say. The Tical er,ls -, IN
be soed, il brought in contact viii, no ,eo, n.1
Will any representative nm The aonr s,d1,
the people that elected him as moba = he
serts and min;ons of ynonaroh,. nc
like this TO bring Trio disrern,e and onnro5r;,',,o
the free government under which we i've. bnt
that American who adopts # as his own aes
| grades his ptrentape. shanoes h;s n..n,e ,,nd !.
] guilty of wilful and wanton self.ahasen,ee,t -
So far from the Judiciary beino conta,n;na,ed
| by reposing upon the votes of the neonle. new
elements Of viyor and STRENGTH and nnr;,y viii
be infused into it; and instead Of being watched
as it now is by iealous and distrnstfn1 sves !,
will be look ed up TO- wild, love- an nI "
| and regarded as the palladium of onr nnllc ana
private rights. What is il that makes The Office
of President of the United States a nrza en- h;ol
ly esteemed, and so eagerly sm,oht af,ar e.,
the fact that he is elevated to hst ds,;n
office by the sufraoes of twenty ro;]l;ors If toe
men! Any office becomes elevated and d;on;.
fed, when conferred by the voluntary sufraues
of a free people; and who is there tha, had 7.ct
rather hold office awarded by the confidence If
his coantfynaei1, than if awarded by he proud.
est monarch that wears diaden
Another fallacy exists upon this subject vbich
is frequentls urged against the svsten We are
told that ali experience is aoainst f Sir. the
very reverse of the proposition is tr1e. an pr.
periencs is in its farog The iailnre Of othrr
States to make the experiment. cannot be mIotea
as their experience against 4, You m;sht as
we'll contend that. becanse the neonle IF Enrons
have not established rennhlcs their ey,er;sYca
is against republieanisrn.
partial experiment of this system was made,
many years ago, in Connecticut, and we have
the authority of Mr.. Jefferson that it was emf
nenty successful. But the experience upon
which chiefly rely, is that of our sister Stale OF
Mississippi. The testimony of the SUCCESS of
this system in that State is too strong and unani-
nous Tor the existence of the fact to be denied
| know that gentlemen will sheer at my allusion
to repndiating Mississippi, and that they Win
hold up their hands in holy horror at the bare
idea OF attempting TO engraft the democracy of
Mississippi upon the constitution of Louisiana.
Admit, tosargnpenrs sake, thatnpon this ques.
ton she is wrong, and that her legislature ought
TO tax her people to redeem her bonds that were
hawked about the streets of London, and shaved
by the British brokers, in defiance of her consti-
tuition; still, can any argument be drawn from
that against ,he ability, the independence and
honesty OF her ludiciary2 Her judges are to be
judged by their acts, and not by tine acts of her
Legislature have said that tae testimony from
MISSISSIPPI, in favor OF shat system, is strong
and conclusive. ! will prove it. In addition
TO tae evidence OF the delegate f1osn Baton
Rouge, (Mr. Read) hold in my hand letter
from gentleman well known by reputation in
ms State, lawyer OF distinguished abilities,
whose testimony upon this point is entitled to
peculiar weight The letter is addressed to my.
sell ana reads as follows:
NEW ORLEANS, March 22d, 1s45.
DEAR SIR: have received your letter of The
10th ihst requesting my views upon the opera
ton in the State of Mississippi, of the system a.
dopted there of electing Judges by the direct
votes of the people and asking nv attention
particularly, to tae objection urged against The
system that such elections would generally. If
not always, turn upon party, or political o,,es.
tons. aiaving no objection to the public avow.
al of my former opinions. or present view 5 m.
on this interesting subject, cheerfuly compIv
with your request
At the time of the adoption of the revised
constitution in Mississippi, in 1882. was. with
a majority of the bar OF that State. onposed to
the system of eecting indges by the direct votes
Of the people. We regarded it as a new and
| hazardous experiment beautiful i'm theory. bnt
4 dangerous in practice MANY of MS d;i nat
doubt the capacity or intelligence of the neonle
20 make the best selections, but we feared that
popular excitements would find their wav nnon
the bench, that party spirit and political prem.
dices would generally determine the selection
and that the lsdges would carry these pre;nd;''
ces with them upon the bench, and a train Of
other evils. These, and other objections, were
urged in the Mississippi convention, with great
ability: system was, however, adopted;
and, OF course, Its operation has been watched
with deep interest and severe criticism
/ The experience and observation of nearly
thirteen years, have convinced me, and many
others who opposed the experiment. that our an.
prehensons were not we'll founded So far, the