Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-09-21
THE TRUE POSITION.

I'LL lhUb IOOl11ONS
We very rarely, in these latter days, come
upon anything in the press of the country, so
refreshingly right as the annexed article from
the Alexandria Gazette. We are glad to see
expressed SO forcibly this spirit of regard for
the Constitution, and hope the day is not
distant when the press universally will call for
return to its provisions in the administration
of the Government =
The original system of our government is
now almost entirely ignored by the dominant
party. Such young men as are under the
teaching or advice of the politicians who, in
Mr.. Lincoln's "elegant phrase" now run the
machine" come upon the stage of action, with
no proper idea of the real nature of the Union
organized by the trainers of the Constitution;
the Constitution itself is annually patched
with some Radical device, until its beauty,
and We fear its utility, are almost totally de-
stroyed > and the practical question, upon
disputed points, has come to be, not whether
a proposed measure is constitutional, but
whether it is temporarily expedient, or useful
for party purposes. Everybody knows this to
be so. In such a condition of affairs, of what
use is written Constitution at all /? And We
verify believe that half of the politicians
in political offices or seeking for such offices,
in their hearts, say that there as no use for
one-and the sooner it were laid aside alto
gether, or a new one formed, the better
Place the "Federalist," that noble exposition
of the grand work of our ancestors, the Con-
stitution of the United States written by
Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, into the hands
of young man of the class to whom we refer,
and what is it to him? 1t is the explanation
of checks and balances, of restricted powers,
of State rights, of Federal authority in speci
fed cases clearly defined and lis bounds in
tended never to be transgressed; of a Union
for ascertained purposes; of States, in their
proper spheres, sovereign and independent,
and yet moving in harmonious action, with an
established government this he reads
But he sees around him, practically, nothing
like such system, no text to which thecom-
mentary can apply,-no government like that
winch was presented anu e8plalueu W tne
people who adopted what their sages and
patriots advised them to choose as the charter
of their rights and the palladium of their
liberties.
Lamentable, indeed, it is to reflect upon
this. But it may be we'll, occasionally, to
pause, and consider the facts. For ourselves,
we cling to the principles of the Constitution
as it ,oas. Neither defeat, nor obloquy, nor
derision, nor fear of being in the minority,
nor desire for party supremacy, nor dread of
the ostracism Of dominant faction nor
favor, nor frowns from those who conduct Ad-
ministrations and dispense party bounties, can
ALLEVIATE US from the support and defence of
those principles. They are safer and better
than any measures of expediency. They are
the ''salt of our political existence" They
alone can preserve the country from falling
into the depths of a consolidated empire, to
be ruled by the strong hand of some military
chieftain, or, the corrupt leaders of success
full political party.