The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-15
For the Southern Press
Relies Of Scraps and iIuslngs.-NO. 80.
JOHN TAYLOR, OF CAROLINE.

| Relies OF Scraps and Muslngs.--NO. 30.
i JOHN TAYLOR, OF CAROLINE.
John Taylor, Of Caroline county, Virginia
was, in my opinion, one Of the ablest political
writers this country ever produced. He re.
sembled Jeremy Bentham in the acuteness of his
reasoning powers, and the depth of his nvesti-
cations, and excelled him in clearness of thought
and expression He wrote an excellent practi-
cal work on rural economy, and another, entitled
Construction Construed ;" but his greatest pro-
ducton is 8" An inquiry into the principles and
policy of the government of the United States -
in reply to John Adams, the elders, Defence
of the Constitution" in which that gentleman
lays it down as his fundamental principle, {" That
aristocracy is natural and unavoidable" and that
"every society naturally produces an order of
men which it is impossible to confine to an
equality Of rights"
ton of the United States are discussed by Mr..
Taylor in profound, oripinal, and mastery
manner, and with severe logical accuracy of
deduction, not to be found in any of the com.
mentators on that instrument, not excepting the
writers of The Federalist. Judge Kent and
Judge Story, were both advocates of a " liberal
constructions" and both had passed their lives
in the study, practice, and Interpretation of the
statutes, which is not the best school for political
philosophy, or practical craftsmanship. 1t con-
centrates the mind too much on one object, and
deals in minute Investigations, not calculated to
expand the itellect to conception of great
general principles Mere lawyers seldom make
great statesmen or philosophers, although Cicero
and Bacon are illustrious excephonsto the latter
case.
This great work of John Taylor is very little
known; | may rather say, altogether unknown
North of Mason and Dixon's line. Ihave never
seen but one copy, which is in my possession;
nor do recollect ever seeing or hearing it quoted
except in work called Letters from the
South" and occasionally by John Randolph in
his speeches in Congress. But he might as
well have cited Confucius, or Sanconiathan, for
the generality of his hearers knew as much of
one as the other. 1t, however, well deserves to
be studied at this time especially, when the "evi
moral principles of the Constitution of the
United States" are rapidly developing them
, selves; when borrowing, funding, banking, in
corporations, and special privileges, or immuni-
ties, constitute the great business of legislation
Y when " necessary and proper" means anything
, a majority may deem. expedient; when "pro-
noting the general welfare" is FILTERED down
into appeals to local interests, pampering the
y last pet bantling at the expense of the rest of
f the family; and when the legislative patronage
is exclusively appreciated to electioneerng pro-
jects.
In such times it behooves every man who
values the freedom, peace, and happiness of his
country, to fall back on the great fundamental
principles that lay OF the root Of all free govern
ment, and resort to the only safeguard which
= can be relied on for the preservation of their
rights, namely, strict construction of the Con
s. stitution. Any other mode of interpreting
t grants Of power, renders all constitutions nuga.
tory, and gives those who administer the differ
ent functions of government the faculty of cx
n tending their authority, by interpreting them to
suit their purposes Without this check, in
9 free country, the will Of the majority is sheer
;, despotism, and the sovereignty of the people
c degenerates into the exercise of mere arbitrary
f will. The very idea of government implies re-
straint, either moral or physical. No nation that
exists, or ever did or will exist, can enjoy liber-
ty without restraint and that restraint must
either be one of force or of constitutional pro-
, visions TO which they accord O voluntary ODE
dence, and which they cannot change or over
leap at pleasure, under the influence of mo-
mentary excitement, or popular delusion.
Selfgovernment--in other words, the SOW
e ereignty of the people, does not imply freedom
from all restraint, but that of the law of nature
for that would Mt once bring us back to that
very condition from which it was the object of
civil government TO rescue mankind Moral re.
= straint, though the most important Of all others
i il not sufficient. We must voluntarily put the
D bride in our own mouths, for if we are directed
only by the whip and the spur, like the beggaI
T. on horseback, we shall assuredy ride to Che
ID The idea that majority Of the people
' are the unqualified, unrestricted sovereigns of
the United States, is dangerous absurdty
which has been inculcated into them by design
ing demagogues, or unhedged politicians. tn,
: Consolation is The sovereign, until changed b
The po,per ,ohich Itself alone coufers. Until 81
changed, ! recognize no other sovereignty
Those who pretend to sustain the Union by
treading the Constitution under foot, or grossly
evading its provisions, and violating it's spirit
remind me of the pious devotee who supported
2 his church by undermining its foundation. There
IS too much reason TO suspect that Messrs Clay
Webster, Cass, Benton and other great eSpoun-
ders give their comments on the Constitution
not only erfempors but profempore, and should
be.excepted to, both as judges and jurors, on the
ground Of being parties Interested The best
antidote 20 their hercsies is honest, orthodox
old JOHN TAYLOR Of Caroline, whc believe
never aspired to the presidency. and by 40 doing
acquired sort Of prescriptive right TO interpret
the Constitution to suit his purposes.
SLAVERY AGITATION.
II any atheistcal unbeliever doubts the eHica-
cy ofthe great compromise in arrestng the slav-