Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-07-22

1C@ Extract from the address of WILLIAM r.
EARLY, ESQ., of Albenarle, candidate for
seat in the Convention.
7. For the election of Judges of the Superior
Courts, would divide the State into suitable
number of circuits, the Judges should be elected
by the people for a term of years, and be re-eli-
eible as oneas the people choose to re-elect them
regard re-eligibiity as being highly important
to secure the industry, fidelity and impartality
of the Judges, and can conceive no reason
and have heard none Acknowledgements their re-
election that would not be equally good against
their elections by the people. The Judges would
look to their reelection as reward for fidelity,
and nothing would stimulate them more than
the effort 10 secure the favor of an enlightened
people, by the labor, research and impartiality,
with which their judicial duties were discharged
II, as seems 10 be admitted on all hands, the
people are the best elective body for the Judi
ciary, if they would be less liable 10 be inhu-
enced by party than the legislature, if they
would be more likely to make selections OF wise,
virtuous and learned Judges, where, | would
ask. can any reason be found for making Judges
irresponsible to the people9 Judges are but
men, their characters and capacities may change
the people as we'll as the Legislature may be
mistaken in their estimate of character and the
only practicable mode of correcting mistakes of
this Kind, is TO elect them for term of years,
and let them be re-eligible. Impeachment, is
but a melancholy, unpopular, and lmpractcable
mode OF correcting judicial defects From the
trial of Warren Hastings, down to q recent eff
fort to impeach Judge in the Legislature OF
Virginia, it has proved wholly inefficient for any
useful purpose. There are many faults univer-
sally admitted 10 be grave faults, for which a
Judge would lose his reelection, that would
never be dreamed of, as causes OF impeach-
inent Impeachment ought only to be resorted
TO, and practically can only be resorted 10 as a
means of furnishing criminal conduct in office
1t can never reach lncompetency, sloth, want OF
learning, want of patience and of many other
requisites for good Judge, but by eecting judg.
es for a term of years, with the privilege of re.
election, the people can and will correct them
all. Nor is the experiment of electing judges
in this mode wholly untried. In several OF thu
most enlightened States of this confedefacy, the
experiment has been made and the result ha
been really encouraging. There none of th'
evils unprecedented here, have been realized
There the mos, eminent and viruous men, elect
ed by the people, wear the judicial ermine---no
has experience shewn that the ermine has beer
soied by contact with the people, nor that the
independence, the dignity, the hospitality, o.
the ability of the bench, has sustained the slight
est diminution.
Something has been said about electing Judges
by the people TO hold their offices until the ages
Of 65 or 70 years. | see no reason for such Z
rule. Many men retain their faculties to q
much longer period than either age proposed
ladse MARSHALL presided in the Supreme Court