Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1857-11-13
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY.

from citlZene OF Ocott county, praying 10
be exempt from paying taxes, on account
of the hard times, and that four or FIVE
thousend dollars be appropriated to their
relief. IF this is a joke, it is a very poor
one; but if it be in earnest, no one can
ask a more striking proof of the absurdity
embraced in the caption to this article.
Mr.. Polk, too, presented a petition from
some of his constituents, asking that ped
lars be prohibited from selling jcweIry.-
They are smart PROFESSIONALLY quail
fed for sclf-government, who ask for a law
to protect them against mock %jewelry; and
yet when a proposition is made to protect
them against a worse article Of whisky, it
is an infringement Of the liberty of tue
subject, and a reflection upon the capacity
of the people to govern themselves. A
pedlar has as much right to sell his gal
yanizcd trinkets as the liquor-dealer has
to sell his %strychnine whisky, and it is
surely wiser to guard against poison than
the idle vanity that decks itself with gill
ded brass.
But we are opposed to both the above
petitions. The first is an outrage upon,
justice and sound policy; and the otEer is
simply ridiculous, and the people who
need such protection, had better petition
for guardians-they can't take care Of
themselves, yet boast of their ability to
take care of the great interests of the ma
ton. Hadn't they better petition, too, for
protection against getting choked with
cold potatoes? 1t is nonsense to expect
the passage of a law to fit the particular
case of every class of fools, and the people
ought to have learned, by this time, that
legislation is the poorest possible de-
pendence for enlightening the mind and
and improving the heart. The fool would
remain a fool, were the Legislature always
in session, and if he were not cheated by
some strolling pedlar, out of his money,
he would be by some stationary knave; no
law can protect him, that does not give
him a a sensible guardian.
Mr.. Welcker introduced q bill defining
the penalty for pryfane swearing, under
some obsolete statute. Did that law ever
do any good? MOI and never will. If
public sentiment is not wholesome enough
to correct the evil, law can't do it; and
any legislation not demanded by an en-
lightened popular opinion, viii always be
unavailing-a dead letter-the still born
offspring of consummate folly. The
churches and the schools have charge of
the morals of the people-the business of
the Legislature is to take care of the COM
mercial interests of the State and provide
penalties against crimes and high mis-
d%emeanors.
We used to think that public morals
could be improved by legal restraints; and
that opinion was based upon our ignorance
Of the extent of mans meanness Now,
we are convinced that the attempt to
eradicate vice by means of legislation, is
altogether vain. A Legislature chosen by
those who so much need reform, know not
what is needful, and if they do, care not
whether their action be beneficial or not.
And even if good laws be passed, the
judges are elected by those against whom
the laws should be enforced, and can not
be relied upon for a stern, impartial dis
charge of their duties. The Legislature
is a congregation of partizan demagogues,
the major part as corrupt as ignorant; the
bulk Of the voters haven't sense enough
to trade with a pedlar, and the judges are
made vonal and incompetent by the system
to which they owe their elevation. This
is a pretty show for wise laws and their
faithful executionl
gGg~ The foreigners continue their meet
ings in Now York, demanding that the