The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-28

Truth is it's handmade Freedom is its
ehnd; Peace is it's companion; Liberty and
Safety walks in its steps; Victory follows
in its train. 1t is the brightest emanation
of the Gospel it is the greatest attribute
OF God"
That is the beginning of a celebrated
diyine's eulogium of justice, and it is a
splendid example of mingled argument
and eloquence. In the 10000 moral and
intellectual victories the Anglo-Saxon
has achieved the chiefest is seen in his
administration of the laws he has made.
Only the other day the prime minister
OF the British Empire, by many esteemed
the highest civic station on earth, was
arrested, brought before justice of the
peace, tried, convicted, and fined for
violating a local ordinance against fast
driving. That was the triumph of the
law. It is what is meant by justice for
high and low alike-what jefferson had
in mind when he declared equal rights
to all, exclusive privileges to none. One
OF the finest figures in English eloquence
is that of the humble cottage of the la
borer wherein the King of England him
self may not set foot without the as
sent of the cotter. That IS law and the
glory OF the English system. Other coun-
tries have made laws that were equally
as wholesome, but there was the fault
of maladministration, or rather or non
administration. Spain had divers excel
lent laws, even when Lerma was chief
minister, but justice was a stepdaughter
OH whose blanched cheek the harlot priv
ilege had implanted a step-dames bit
ter and biting kiss OF no avail was a
bill Of rights on the continent. We can
imagine the fate of the seven bishops
had the trial been at Versailles or Pots
dam.
American liberty did not begin with
July 4, 1776. The truth that day declared
was hoary with age and the rights that
day asserted existed In the law, If they
were not always respected by the rulers,
even when the proudest Plantagenet
wore the purple. There was Edward III,
hero and tyrant, and yet he gave utter
ance to preachments that are a better
Democratic platform than either the
Chicago manifesto of 1896 or the Kansas
City reaffirmation Of 1900. Had there
been no Matthew Haze there would have
been no Patrick Henry. Had not Som
ers disclosed English liberty, Jefferson
would not have declared American hber-
ty. Law does not make liberty. but pre-
serves it, and law without liberty is bet
ter than liberty without law.
Government with US is executive. legis-
ativc, and judicial. Each is designed to
be. and is supposed to be, independent
OF the other two departments. In the
old day it was understood that govern
nent came from the King. That is an
old fashioned idea that yet maintains IN
many powerful nations. With US gov
eminent comes from the people. Our es-
Enlistment is partly national and partly
Federal. The executive partakes Of both,
though it is mostly national, as but ninety
votes in the electoral college are Federal
The legislature is both national and Fed
eral-the House of Representatives being
entirely national and the Senate entirely
Federal The Judiciary is mostly Federal,
appointed, as it is, by the Executive and
confirmed by the Senate, the first mostly
national and partly Federal. and the
NJ bap altf.0ethar ITadnral