Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-03

mit,hia errorv ard inexbaustibe supplies Of al
van security sgains, the pov ery and discon sht
wach form the ira and krOttiest pTotem OF
governments. Yet thus landed and nrrsed-on nigh.
say cod iisd-by For.uoc the spoiled child Dsmocrac'
sfrer Ilying sirangs FRANKS before high heaven and
figuring in odd aud ureIpected dsguists dies shes
y from lck OF vitality as the oldes: OF wornout despot
isms,
Amid the crash and chaos of governments and peo
pies, Eogand still her head landmark for the
wrecks of nations. TIE constitution whose origin goes
beyond the ancient records Of the state s st fresh
vigorous and elastic, maintaining freedom amid the rush
and whirl Of this sge did five hundred years ago..
We still tffr the political G ipus the grand enigma
whcs solution is liberty while the constitution framed
in the time OF fathers, by the light OF I'll experience
TO be the shame Of tie past the g)ry OF the present
the example OF the uturs is gone like bubble on tie
stream. From our history learn how liberty
| come to make her home With peops. She does hot
seek to rise by sudden bound the ruins OF despol
ism for that know leads only anarchy, and through
anarchy back again TO despotsm. She establishes her
sell by steps slow and successive Her path, like tie
path Of planet ls the result OF opposing forces. IL
the process OF winning privileges from the governing
power. and Of maintaining them when w0D, tha. const
tues liberty. And when ell won-when the govern.
ing power is bankruptthen liberty has already depart
ed leaving only shldoW which breath will ss pate
But when people already free from Restraint take
counsel how oduce that balance OF powers whose
regulated vibrations shall dius the bounds OF liberty,
the process that we have passed through is exactly re-
verssd. With us il at first the Teopes GcaIe ttst
cked the beam. Il this other case il il tho scale Of the
govern that flies upward. The people have net
70 take but 20 give. Power is not be from tue
government but conferred upon it and the people ate
much more apt at taking than giving power. And thl,
! is the which American Institutions illustrate
That the people shall bear tber full share in egsa.
ton and that'the laws made shall be iupsrtialy ad
minstered important steps towards good govern.
ment, but still only steps. The laws so made must be
executed with certainty and prcmpitude. But gov.
| NkaN Fha daRtv
from the support of the people can be efficient only
| long the nation is Of mind respecting tie laws
that 10 be executed. Laws framed for the general
benefit frequently opposed TO the desires and inter
Of classes sections OF the community. The suI-
preston of dsconten be proy led for uaDopufr
Rust be levied and TO this end, the executive mu
he armed With material force. For government tEst
dpended only moral supper. would in the case' ot
contendiDg interests be plnlent mo jotity; sid
IT, bsfore acting 1t should wait 10 ascertain and appeal
to the msioTi.y il would never act ct all. It's accL
be independent of all disturbing influences; ard
thus q strong executive becomes essential condition
of liberty. BIT government that is independent aud
strong may a.sIi liberty; ard how TO prevent that s
p. oblem that We have practically solved, by commit.
tug to the government The power OF the sword aud re-
tanning for the people the Io"er of the purse. The
strength OF our executive needs not to be eNlcy teh'
ed because the force necessary for the defence Of IL,
country will always be more than sufficient for the 81
ser,icn Of the laws Bat in America where no foIeiCr
enemy was feared and where conss qIenty the peope
themselves for the support OF the exeun'iT,
with the single o. of internal government, the meaS
Of strength that should be allotted was much mon
nicely calculated And the limitation Of the powers Of
the President and the mode OF his appointment, frned
iing!y the grand difficulty Of the trainers OF The
constitution.
IL is Impossible to doubt that those statesmen intend
ed aot due Influence 10 each power OF the state. j.
is rle the foundation they professed raise il
VIA; hoJ somewhat paaioKicay termed the sovereign
~ Of the people. But whatever meaning they may have
attached TO the phrase, they certainly would not have in
tepre.ed it to signify the supremacy Of the mob Tbcr
were among them-HsshiDgtOn himself, tor IL
sancc-2roui jgnisd, even sristocrgtlc in temDeru
msut severe in discipline, aud of steady judgment AM
such not fgirn5s 70 the domination Of the ma"y.
Aui one especial object Of their laboTs to remed
tie want Of paramount executive power ia the cG ting
confederation OF states. But the eprt raised in ho
yoiuton siro7g !or them The doctrines OF th
freedom and lsity oi all me1 however sesvceGte il
a revolt against monarchy, found very embai ass
lug in the effort TO frame strong government her
Tho had borne considerable paIt in the revolution
bound TO slow sle world Constitution not ouly moIt
perfect, but also css6nil.y lJrel', frcn thai whic
they lad rcpua T4us wLa;evsr their natural PIE
elections Nigh: be, their dictated iheii
coufs Moreover pnEer.ul II Il lrGce was CIsTc SEQ
o. them b7 the sAos' legislatures too Jealous Of the
C'tyc hat WAS 70 Os paramount permit Il 20 b.
srug El.S. cOEsi1 faticGs obliged tie c3Ls:rUst2s
Of the Union cast The; weigh! iuto the sS-le wh the
Sovereignty Of Tie psUPa. They treated tLe President
a very d,agrscaolc necessity. They restricted bis
powers, oliy bg limits aud bg chechs sD'
cOuueECheCks on the exercise Of sulhOy, but by th'
conditions of lie. Tue thus be elevated from
amongst the peope was, in four years. to sink bach
again amongst Ibe people. No opportunity would thus
be allowed for Linn extend hs powers beyond Their
limits by hJ personal influence To confer on him the
appfsrsncs Of independence, they caused him 10 b.
CHOSEN by elec,ors, who presumed TO be free il
their judgment But when the ceccrJ Themselves
to be elected who could for the constituency? so
il came 10 pass that the electors merely hn romi
Of particular Interests, who had already made ther
selection OF candidate ior the preaidercy. "Ex
perieDce,' slys Du2F, American writer constiu
ora Jurisprudence, "hss proved that the electors do
no., in fac ascEbl9 TO- S:rcy free exercise Of hi
judgments but for the purpose OF slnctoning the choice
Ut particular ea1ddAte previously dcsiguaeI by then
party leaders. Ia some instances the prime piles wIc
tAey constituted have been far forgotten hat the
inigdu4 opiuon Ct the elcctor has submitted 10 the
dctIon Of those by whom lac wEs chosen and u 9th.
ers tie electors haye pledged themselves before
rand TO tor cildda.e Prescribed to them by the
msuagors OF t5er party; and thu' the whole fouadA ion
1 the elaborate ,he.Ty which this part of the cOus
"a ion IA bud! has been subver;,d in practice" Ia Il
way the choosing Of a chiet officer OF The Ae 10
resemble gislu!c MaFylehone election, where the
idAe who solicited the votGs OF his couutrym'n coulj
claim insguifciGcg o. merit, AID could make t his
ghes ain be- lot the impartial executor OF the laws
the obs,q iiols representative OF party. Thu,
fearing make The i've their ml5.er the Amcr
clus tried make it their servant and ended 10y making
i their puppet.
Founded OIL consent the government, in the abglncc
Of adequate controlling power, continued to cx.! b1
consent. We have said before that government de-
pendent on the moral inf ience thus derived b. i.
c:ent only 30 long the nation is OF mind respect
ing the laws to be executed. As party spirit high
sr the executive Is mora and weakened aud its
action retarded. or late years the strife OF party bee
been inordinatey fierce and rsil;en, and culmra
every four years in the election of President. TDc
danger 10 the executive in such condition. forcsAal
owed in plsssg, Of wa'hiugtols Farewell Adde'S,
which, as much any portion OF that celebrated doc
ment sttes!s his saglcisy and foresight.
There is he says Tan opinion that par les In fee
countries are useful checks upon the administration of
the government, aud savJ to keep alive the spirit OF
liberty This within certain limits is probably tus and
ia governments Of smonarchis cast patriotism may 2ok