The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1868-03-19
From 70 ne, 3 Press !
GOING TO TIE ROOTS.

GOING TO THE ROOTS.
One Of the most gratifying and at the
sams TINA significant features Of the
great WORK OF reconstruction which is
now going on in the South, i, the thor
Ough comprehensive, and pbiIOsopic
spiri! in WHICH it is being pushed for
ward, The men Of action apparently
know what they nre about, and mean &c
do nothing half way or imperfect. They
comprehend the fact that new order
Of things has set 10. and that lhe demand
Of the time is for DOT only change OIL
men, but change Of ideas,
All over the South. a, T,sull Of thi:
! conviction, we see the most radical
changes in the old theory Of municipal
law mooted or proposal. Nothing shows
more clearly that the have gotten 10 the
bottom of the question, OF all things
else, the statutcd, and still more the
common law Of country, is the most
conservative, settled, and hHrl TO be
changed Tits results from i!s very ma.
turO. The laws Of a nation are the pre-.
cipilalion Of its history.
An instaHce Of thia radical sw aseoing
10 tho situation we end ia the twenty
fourth section o the bill Of righs sub.
mitcd by the recent convection for the
SasG Of ArEaosas. and which, together
with the Conslitulilution, will be voted
on this month. This section provides
that "al lands 10 This State are declared
to be alIojial, and fvudal tenures Of ev-
cry description, with oil their Incidents,
are prohibited. And this provision il
very elFectually enforced by the further
enactment tina, IAN leases and gran. oil
land for longer period than twenty,
one years hereafter made, in which Shall
be reserved any rent or service Of eny
kind, shall be held conveyance in foe
TO the lessee"
With dash Of the pen away 60 the
iniricaciss, the obstrusities, the cohwebs
OF centuriss-sni what could be more
reasonable in this our age anil country?
Feudul tenure implies system and
theory Of government Of which We as
people know nothing and cauuot even
comprehend. Why make it tho basis OF
our titles to real estate? AT present
our lawyers have TO study and Crepe
among the lore Of past civil cation for
ycara before they aro able to assist US
in buying and selling farm. They
must patiently acquire, by the labor o.
years, the history, customs, and man
ners Of thinking of buried centuries be-
fore they arc qualified 10 understand or
superntenl the transfer Of the real cs'
tate oil country and continent that now
know nothing. that ever did know but
little, Of the fcudal system, and are try
ing to forget that, Is there reason in
in this? We have torn up by the roots
up every principle on which rested the
whole structure OF feudalism. Why now
mako it the web and wool of our law?
Our fathers went to work with lear
and from bling at their great experiment
They changed as little as they could in
making the transfer from monarchy TO
republicanism-from government Of
privileges and traditions to a govern
men, OF freedom and right. The conss'
quOnce is, they have lcit US in Pennsyl-
vana tho burden Of system of law
which had its birth and reason in c1plo'
ded ideas and past civilizs' a. II is
impossible 10 day to inlelligibly explain
to any man unlearnej in tho law the
deed or piece Of parchment BY which he
holds his farm or house.
There is no need now for tho caution
and even timidiy which in tie last cen
fury was perhaps proper and a! least de
fensiblo. The experiment Of tina, day is
the glorious success Of ours Our breth'
rem Of the Saul aud West, when recon-
snuctiug lhsif CONFERENCE.-The and be-
ginning anew, can safely 60 to the
roots,
The Macon Journal says they az