Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1876-01-28
Charge of Judge Rockefeller to the
Grand Jury, at the January Term,
1876.

| Csatl0neH ofthe Grand Jury:
/ = You have the honor of being summoned
| TO attend here as the first Grand Jury In the
| year 1876, the Centennial year, being the
| Independence of the American people. charge
TO a grand jury was no doubt, introduced, and
Is properly intended 10 assist them in that duty
TO which they are called by their country. But
as topics OF this kind are often abstract or tech
nica, dgressions, in strictness foreign to ihe &C.
casion are frequently, and not improhtably In
dulgel. From the year 1871 to the year 1893,
Alexander Addison presided in tie 5th Circuit of
the State Of Pennsylvania, composed OF the
counties of Allegheny, Westmoreland and
Washington, and at each session delivered an
! interesting charge to the Grand Jurles OF The
Courts IN the counties in which he reviewed the
whole syste m of government, the last Of which
he sent to General " ashiugton, and received a
reply, of which the following is copy:
"Morsr VERNON, 4th March, 1893.
SIR:
Your favour Of the Slst January, enclos-
ing your charge to the Grand Jures of the coun-
ty Courts of the fifth Circuit of the State OF
Pennsylvania at the last December sessions, has
been duly received. and for the enclosure thank
you. 1 wish, sincerely that your good example,
in endeayo:ing to bring the people of :bese Uni
ted stIies, more acquainted with the laws and
principles OF their government, was followed.
They only require a proper understanding OF
these to Judge rightly all great questions; but
unfortunately, infinite more pains is taken TO
blind them, by one description OF men. than
there is to open their eyes by the other; which
in my opinion, is. the source of most Of the evils
are labour under.
With very great esteem, am sir, your most
obedient servant.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
Alexander Addison, ESQ.,"
Il il not my intention TO detain you on this oc-
casion, bg any lengthy comments, for the princi-
pies OF our Government are better understood
now. than-hey we're at earlier period OF our
National existence, it being then but an expert
mpnt. But BOW, after one hundred years have
rolled away, during which it has stood the test,
il has become a National saying, that 'this is
the best government the world ever saw" All
our laws are in some sense made by the people,
and are intended to have the effect of producing
virtue. We aim at liberty and happiness. We
believe that virtue consists of useful actions,
proceeding from honest principles. Actions
hurtful 10 our fellow men must be vicious, and
actions useless to them, cannot deserve the name
of virtue. We do not believe in the actions,
laws and customs Of many other Nations OF this
earth. fl is claimed by some that the situation
of men IN different ages and countries is essen
italy different, and that actions, which abstract
ly considered, are very different in their nature,
must in different states of society receive the
same name. And the action, which in our
country, is INDUCED, because accommodated TO
the state OF society. these, in another is prohi-
bited, because repugnant to the state OF society
theic.
Nothing can be more different than the
vicws. in which ages and countries have consd-
cred the same fact, and actions, not only law
full, but honorable, in one place or time, are
criminal in another. Suicide and idolatry were
her dsgraceful nor criminal in Ancient
Greece and Rome. In modern Turkey it was
unlawful TO taste wine, but man may at the
came time marry several wives, and keep sever
al coucubnes. Such is the degree Of populG-
tion in China, that the law permits parents to
expose their infants to perish.
To produce virtue, or public utility is the true
end of government. There are three kinds OF
government, Monarchy, Aristocracy and Demo
cratic. We believe that the best form of
gC vernment. or the government most favorable
to virtue is Democratic Republic. In Mon.
archy, where u single person has the disposal OF
all power, authority and benefits, the interests
of every individual leads hIm TO accommodate
his manners and conduct to the will and inter
est of the Monarch only; for from him only can
he have hoIes or fears. All experience shows
that all tempcrs ana actions will be wholly sub
mitted TO his pleasure. Habtual serrility and
baseness, mutual dsirust and treachery, lndo-
lence aud ignorance will form the National
character, and generally, the description OF 1t IS
simple and short; one tyrant and many slaves.
a glance at the history of different ages and
countries shows us that good and wise King,
or Queen, or Monarch, of any name or dcscrip-
tion, has been the exception and not the general
rule. Read up the times of King John, Henry
the Sth, Charles the lst, Charles the I'd, James
the Cd, and nearly the whole line of Kings and
Queens of our mother country, and see whether
the people there in times past have been blessed
with civil and religious liberty. Queen Victoria
may be a she is styled "a good Queen" and
governed and guided. as she is, by an able and
wise ministry, England to-day Is proud and
prosperous Nation, but what assurance have
they thai the next Monarch may not be ty-
rant They have not got TO go far back In the
past. George the Sd as We and oui forefathers
knsm ssnss @si lie & 'SfARiis u RRis -..ou
Courts Of Justice exercised the power OF ms
cruel will. Lord Chancellor Jeffries tired ana
directed TO he executed the same day more Than
eighty persons, and nearly three hundred were
tried and executed within two weeks. The
..bloody asslze'' was held whilst we were claim
ed as q province of that country and less than n
century before we declared oui National lnoe-
pcndeuce. Contrast those days with these,
when even the humblest citizens is guaranteed
n faii and impartial trial by jury.
Think of eighty trials and executions in one
day. Now we spend days and weeks aud t!ea-
sure without limit to give a fair trial 10 the
humblest man or woman,
In like manner in an sristOcracy where all
power Is Vested in few, the interest oil each Oh
their subjects Is 10 promote the interest OF the
rulers from whom only the subjects nave any
hopes or fears. You see here a few tyrants and
many slaves. There Is nolnduceneht ana efeII
danger TO virtue.
In a democratic republic all power is vested IN
the whole people the whole people become the
source of the nopcs, prosperity and happiness OF
every individual and, therefore, the Interest OF
every individual leads him 10 promote the in-
J tcrest of the whole people. The general ana IN
divdual interest Is thus eflrctually and lnsep-
arately combined and united The whole nation,
| under this form of government, presents pc
! ture and character very different from those al
+, ready stated. The freedom OF the government
/ displays ilse.f in the sentiments, the manners
| and the conduct of every citizen. There being
! no individual or juntO to whose power and d.
rection the demeanor Of all must be accommo-
dated, an unrestrained variety of character Is
/ exhibited general, manly independence pre-
! walls q consciousness OF power gives dlgnltS
! to every citizen, and il NAV be said. as was salc
Of the Roman Senator, tnat the whole nation It
! q nation of kings.
Our government, happily foT us ~ / said, Il
! the last and best kind dcmocatic republic
but like all democracies OF any considerable ex
tent in a representative form, all power is N TIT
! ueople but as il is impossible that the peop
should exercise il personally, they exercise II D.
their deputies. All thcse deputies or oihcers az
but the representatives or agents ol inc pe"FIe
The mouths by which the people speak III
hands oy which the people act the people pre-
/ scribe and limit their authority the people al
point them the people call them to account
! The people remove them the people will Tn
| people do everything.
! Will this country ever be ruled bya monarch
| or an aristocracy | hear you answer no, ncveI
. That the people Of this land never intend that
mon archical or any form Of government sav
that of democratic republic shall exist here
manifest from the almost unanimous cNpIessIo
of all parties Of Congress, Of the press an
party platform, that not even a third term ana
be held by any man. No difference whether oil
present Chief Magistrate mas rendered good Sc
1 vice TO this country not, the people, II seem
are not willing To tolerate any thing likely to ~
into one man power.
viii this government stand Ever since u
| and can recoect every year, perhaps, we ha
I been accustomed to hear and read the predl
| tions Of politicians Of all parties, the count
: | would be ruined If the Whig party was put III
power, or il would be ruined If the Democrat
party succeeded, and so too, If the Republic:
party succeeded. All this We have heard and
= will continue to be heard throughout all time
come. But the country has never been ruin
vet and | am sure It never will be. The reas
is simply this that all power ia vested in I
I 10, fip rpp