Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-11-14
The Organic Law II the southern CoDfede


to the proper person succeed bim Of the
p,rty suggested an Individual whose habits 1t was sup
posed were calculated propate the favor Of the Ro-
man Pl, bs who passonately addicted to CrcentAn
Exhibitions Nero bad outraged the Romin sentiment
quite as much by degrading the Imperial purple and the
Roman character by appearing as an actor on the stage
AZ by tho murder Of his mother and his wie and the
slaughter Of the most lustricus citizens OF Rome. 10
the suggestion OF the person as his successor It WIS
promptly replied: " What public good shIH Vs pro-
mote by substituting actor for dnothsr-a ,rd9ed'dn
ira buFonf' A question Of similar import should st
All times be pr, sent to the minds Of the statesmen OF
| the Southern Confederscy. Have We hauSurated ihs
great struggle hazlrded fortune, Life and liberty of no
higher object than remove the Capital from "ashng
ton to Richmond and TO have two sets OF public plum
| 6erers aud Two despotisms instead OF opes
Iii, said that a. periods of our lives we imagine
the whole earth ovelfowng with love; at the beginning
Of youth when our hearts are devoid Of suspicion and
gushing with ser sibiy and again, when the eeSleness
of approaching age throws out feel in all directions
for the sustaining ivy As with individuals so with ma
tons. We, with our young Republic, are now in the
hey.dsy Of youth, hcp,ful aud conf ling. Dsemng all
to be animated by the sans holy enthusiasm with our
selves aud that dsutercs.ed aud patriotic men will ever
Dear sway among US, We may neglect some precious
safeguard aud leave open doors for the entrance OF
aura tyranny This excessive corficnce should be
regulated and restrained. We should never forget that
she late Union began with Washington and ended with
Lincoln moral and political monsd, in les, than
Luadred years the ineal official representative OF the
most august OF the human Besides it is the nature
of power to steal from the manyto the few Arbitrary
r IA.
yer has mighty charms for large portion Of msoklnd
and very few have tasted of il, who voluntarily
renounc It The biographer Of the ca ars tells US, thai
Augustus twice entertained thoughts OF restoring the Re
public but on both occasions he abandoned the design
being unable 10 reiuquish mose go sweet as supreme
dominion Instead CT renouncing what he had usurped,
he devoted his long life to the stealhy accumulation OF
all the powers Of the State into his own hands Such
always will be the with power. Even with u.s. we
already hear the term "bsn.aetion employed to define
the personal obligations Of thos appointed by the Pres
dent 70 posts in the public servse IL IL the Language
of aduIston and CRATES Republican cara. 1t Ia unbe-
coming freemen, and Inappropriate in a free county.
If the President besows the off es OF the country to
promote the individual AID not the puoc, good no ID
false 10 biz duty and makes unwarranabe use OF the
trust ccrfled TO him. But Il is sign. We are very
late from the embraces OF Yankeedom. We brought
with US many deeply dyed in Yankee notions; some OF
whom left behind their fathers mothers brothers or SIS
t.rs Who have cast their lots with the Yankees. Il may
b, a. rgh; bat wo should prefer that all we're on our
tide, or all against We dislike to see the unity Of
families msrred
We have often thought tina. the laws and institutions
first adopted by any people were those most consenia
70 s necessities aud interests The trainers may be rude
l-pnr
w.ns and have sinister ends 10 view Thcy act IN
der the promptngs Of common and natural desires
and pursue the PLANES. and simpes. way to compass
their wishes. Tactus with the profound ssgicy which
distinguished him. has observed that the few aud simple
LAVA Of the Twelve Tables embodied all that was good
in Roman jurisprudence. "W,th them" (he says with
en- phais) oil sound legislation ended It is true, after
that time new statutes enacted; but if except
"a few suggested by the vices Of the times aud passed
ION the spur Of the OCCASION h.y for the most part
mad, in the conflict Of parties and for the worst Of puS
pose in instances 70 lay open TO ambition the road
TO honos in others work the downfall Of ilustrious
citizens; and Ia general with selfish s1d perncious
| "tiyes"
If there be truth in this idea It Ia not without appica.
ton own condition. Toe FIRST system Of govern
ment this continent created by tho people them
selves loose league Of independent States tile
States free, sovereign aud independent because such
the universal wish Of the population, aud the league
accepted aud tolerated not as thing durable In itself,
bat because the safety Of ALL in the contest with the
mother country was supposed to require combination
| AID a common government When that couhct was
oger the dif ,uty Of raising money to pay the debt
sld preserve the honor Of the country suggested alera
tons in the thea existing loose league. Alter long
s.ruy sle the Constitution OF the United States sub
st.ued 70. the old Articles Of Confederation Ooaea-
sion and compromise were the by which the Rev
olutou was effected. That is every surrendered
his own preferences to establish form of government
which none liked, but all, /. hoped, might fsd tole
rable BY compromises aud concessions, eIorted very
oftsa by menaces aud in the mis. of growliugs and
howng,, it continued till the present year. In other
words people, for the sake of peace were content to
orsgo the government they preferred ard 10 submit TO
oae all the leading features Of which portions Of
them abhorFed d5trussod Tee fact is the govern
mon. was Al artificial, complicated, unnatural affair."
AMI not in accordance with the wishes aud the genius
Of the people. Is ahti-oonsc lion features wore
odous to the sefseeking monopolls.a OF the North;
while its centraizng provisions were still more detes
able to the champions Of freedom in the South. IL
lived longer than it deserved to lve for !. was fraud
upon party the other and in s practical opera.
tons had in conflict with the primitive aud dis
tinctive fe,urs of American policy-the sovereignty
and independence Of the States
Ia coro5craon of Roman experience, in the s. years
that have elp1sd arc, the adoption of the articles Of
Confederation, although have enacted whole volumes
Of laws except the few rendered necessary 10 our
separation from the of England, there is not one
of leading AID Fundamental character, which has lot
wrought more mischief than good. When not designed
t, subservs the personal views Of demag0gues it's pur.
port and effect have been disert US sill further from
the grand cherished principles Of our and-locsl self
government and the sovereignty and Independence of