Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-03-22
An Elective Judiciarv,

i"'e ee'N 49, ~|
Ia, was headed as above. Whether from ma
]ignant design Of Misrepresentation TO lead the
.pubIic mind astray, or from motives of unpar-
denah?c ignorance it has unthoughtless]y or
inadvertently youitte1 forth its infectiyes
against the last Ley-Ia!urc-is q question yet
in abeyanre. The language used by that paper
is as follows:
IAN ELECTIVE JuDTUARg.-Wc do not re-
coilec: any question on which there was great
or unanlmlty among the people, or which eli
cited 4 more general approval from politicians,
than that of an elective Judiciary. On this i'm
portaTt question, for once, the combatants Of
the two great parties had no issue to try all
assented to the propriety and necessity of en-
trusting to the sovereign people the exercise
of a power of which it seems strange they
should have ever been deprived, the right of
selecting those to whose hands they were will
ling TO entrust that most sacred of deposits, the
dlspcnsatlon Of the laws Of a community, in
the temple of justice" \
Notwithstanding all this, however, and in
spite too, of the often reiterated expression Of
the poular desire and determination on the sub
ject, the miserable rump Legislature elected at
that time, and which has since become noto-
rious for its swind'ing bank e%nactments, gave
the question the go-by, just as it did every
other one dear to the feelings or advantageous
to the interests OF the people.
at was not to be expected that a Legislature
capable of trampling on the constitution, dis
regarding every principle of integrity and de-
riding justice, as exemplified in the infamous
law by which it sought to enable the State
Bank to issue millions of dollars of worthless
paper, without mourning a s~cintilIa OF inability;
it was not to be expected, we repeat, that a le-
gislative body capable of an act of such unpar-
allelcd turpitude, would care to meet the wish
es of good and honest citizens who, anxious
for the preservation of the ermine of justice
from stain and corruption, soaght the only true
mode of accomplishing it, by resort to that
bulwark of the people, the ballot-box."
If the gentlemen had previous to INDUCING
in this wholesale system of abuse against the
last Legislature, and their distrusts as to the
honesty of its motives, and the rectitude of its
intentions; informed Themselves in regard to the
constitutional provisions to be observed in
amending any portion of the organic laws Of
our State-and had likewise referred to the
acts of its last session, they might have saved
themselves the modification attendant to such
open betrayal Of Ignorance, which so e,nincntly
subjects them to contumely.
BY reference to the acts of 1850, page III.
will be found amendments to the constitution,
which provides for an Elective Judiciary, as
we'll as for the election of most of the impor-
tant State officers.
This act was passed in accordance with the
clause of our constitution, which treats of
s amendments"
The corrupt Legislature therefore, instead of
giving the go-byto such an important measure
of the popular will, displayed their honesty at
least In this particularly passing the act in
question by almost an unanimity.
The imputation Of dishonesty on the part of
the Legislature in regard to . Swindling Bank
Enactments,' is certainly unwarranted and un-
just.
No generous mind would for a moment dare
cast such dire reflections against the character
and reputation Of the Representatives of the
PeoPic, anu Juueihe lrohl Tue un"arrantaOle
and unauthenticated source from whence these
accusations emanate, we consider. that they fall
so lightly, as scarcely to be worth noticing.
We would therefore tender this friendly advice
to our contemporary-not to question the ac-
and motives Of men, without first being
certain that they can advance facts that are true
and irrefragible at least against them.