Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-04-24
III For the Spectator.
Judicial Election.

MeSSTS. EGet0T8 :-daVlDg SHOWN, In your pa
per OF 10th of April, that many evils of the life
tenure system OF the Judiciary continued to ef-
feet the present, under the eamended constitution
the Judiciary of Virginia would be if divested
of those evils. This, then, suggests the question
.'what ought q Judge to bel" He should cer-
tainly be map of true dignity Of character and
department; which consist of a high sense of
propristy, truth and Justice, with an abhor-
rence OF all baseness. Or all the creatures of
earth, it belongs alone to man because it i'm
plies the power OF clear and correct Judgment,
pure principles, and good aoiN. A man may
have pure principles, and good will, yet, if he be
without the power of Judgment, all he may say or
do, will be distinguished by folly, and thus be
wholly wanting in dignity. So, il man have
the power of a clear and correct judgment, and
be without pure principles and good will, he will
be- the worst of men, and capable of the worst of
crimes. Nothing could restrain him from con
stant and aggressive war against the happiness
and all the interest Of his fellow man, but the
fear of punishm Mt. He would be iend, and
wholly incapable of doing any good act, or even
speaking kind word, and, thus, utterly unfit to
live among men. Such character would be
terrible, bnt wholly without dignity. So, if q
man has the power of clear and correct iudg-
Piles, he will have no regard for justice and
could not well perform a just act. Such man
would not Commit murder or willingly give pain
but would steal, and be high-wayman, danger.
ous to your purse, though not to your life. Be-
sides, he is governed by prejudice-his likes or
dislikes, love or hate, without cause, are the
laws that govern his intercourse with his fellow
men. In vain will the man, whom he dislikes
or hates, plead with him to show the injustice
of his feelings or conduct towards him, for he is
an entire stranger to justice and her ennobling
principles. Thus, all men are the objects of his
like or dislike, love or hatred and by no course
Of conduct, could they change their relations
Such being should be feared or pitied, accord
ing to his affection for an individual, but could
never be respected because destitute of all dig
nifty. And so, if man has the power of clear
and correct Judgment, and, if it be possible, pure
principles but without good will, he would
necessarily be purely selfish being; for
'sIf self the wavering balance shake,
It's rarely right adjusted"
Being necessarily stranger to the golden rule
OF doing unto others, as he would have them to
of others, and exclude them from bis delibera-
tions. He would not suffer the correctness of
his opinions to be questioned for, regarding his
own judgment infallible, all conflicting with
his, would be folly, in his estimation, and a
gross insult to bis understanding. Such char
acter would be unjust, and if so, as has been
shown, entirely without true dignity. Bnt, if
such person be unjust, he cannot have good
principles; which conclusivey proves that no
man can possess good principles without also
having good will to his fellow men. Good prin-
ciples include good will, but good will does not
necessarily include good principles. If the char
acterh'tics of true dignity be now regarded es-
tablished, then l must contend that no man.
without such dignity of character and deport.
ment, would be tit to hold the responsible Office
OF Judge tor one moment; and, therefore, true
dignity should be regarded as one of the great
and inseparable appurtenances of the Judicial
character. Besides this, however, he ought to
be learned in the law. Willing and able to la
bour, SO as to perform successfully and satisfac
torily the responsible duties of his Office. |
want it here distinctly understood and remem-
bered, that, all have written, in relation to the
independent and irresponsible character of the
Judiciary, under the old system, had reference
to its legal independence and irresponsibili.y,
and not to its moral. For every just minded
man must feel bound by moral obligation to
do his duty, and can never consider himself free
from that law Of his being nor responsible to