The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-31

as ever lived. The internal revenue sys-
tenn was abolished. the army treated 10
"a chaste reduction useless offices Top
ped away and the public dept Stea9liy
lowered. By cutting down salaries' les,
SEEMING the number OF olhce holueiS' ana
exercising economy throughout the ser
vice "A surplus was accumulated In splte
of the fact that the internal taxes and the
direct taxes had been repealed.
The national debt was being paid or
so rapidly that Mr.. Jefferson looked ior-
ward to the time in the near future "ieh
tho surnlus could be applied to the OPEN
ing of canals the building of ROADS aho
the establishment OF n national system
of education This surplus was 70 ~
derived always from import u"'ies
upon luXUrieS. ~,
The coast survey was ordered, the mill
| tary academy at West Point opened inc
/ Cumberland road from the Potomac "
the Ohio begun, liberal naturailza tion
laws enacted, millions of aGeS OF lahu
fairly obtained from the Indians, and
law passed to put an end to the foreign
slave trade. On January l. lSS .
Foreign ministers were withdrawn from
Holland Prussia. and other nations where
they were useless. and Mr.. jefferson e%-
pressed the opinion that a consular eS-
tablishment was all we needed abroad.
What real benefit this republic derives
from its costly and elaborate diplomatic
paraphernalia It would puzzle very
able expert to explain. 1t would not be
difficult to make strong showing to
the contrary.
net bugbear, and he did all he could to
repubicanize the courts
He removed some attorneys and mar
snals but with the judges it was an I'M
possible task. fmpeachNents were tired,
but that cumbersome machinery would
not work satisfactorily.
Judge Pickering. o. the New Hamp-
shire district, was convicted and removed,
1 ,Nl,-t, liza
arraiguad Judge Chase. of Maryland, he
met a crushing defeat Judge Chase had
been violently partisan on the bench, and
had exhibited every trait OF the judicial
! tyrant during the trials of persons pros
! ecuted under the sedition acts. But when
| the republicans put Chase himself in
! the dock, 1t was soon apparent tnat ne
was too strong for them. He was we'll
| connected he commanded unanimous
| partv support, his revolutionary record
| was fine. he had been signer of the
! Declaration Of Independence. and he had
! committed no indictable offense Luther
| Martin was his leading lawyer. and IN
! the hands OF Lutiler Martin, the debate
being on the questions of law, Randolph
was a lightweight. indeed.
| Mr. Jefferson had contenanced and indi-
/ rcctly encouraged the impeachment of
! Chase. but he had not committed HIM
| self Holding severely aloof. he viewed
! RandoIphs discomfort philosophically.
though he was chagrined at Chase's es-
cape.
Randolph. Of Roanoke, was not a pa
tent man-enduring much and thinking
! no evil-and he did not relish what APP
peared to be the task of rakng chestnuts
out of the fire for other people. especially
when the fire was particularly hot and
the chestnuts refused to be raked. 1t is
thought that the sudden decline in his
administration for Thomas Jefferson dated
from the collapse of the Chase impeach-
ment.
In matters OF Legislative reform Mr..
jefferson had to proceed slowly. He
treated null the appointments MIR.
Adams had made at the close of his term,
and as soon as possible prevailed upon
congress to repeal the act creating the
circuit courts.
TIE federa lists very strongly resisted
Mr.. Jefferson in his assault upon the fed
eral judiciary. They realized the aoVant-
age they held there quite as fully as the
republicans did and they contested every
incn of ground BY the dine the circuit
court act had been repealed and the i'm
parchment of Judge Chase had failed
Mr. Jefferson appears TO have been cont
WINGED that he could DO nothing more
without running the risk of splitting NJ,
his own party. To himself and to the re-
publicans generally it afterward became
a source of regret that nothing more was
done to put limits on the power of con-
gress and of the judiciary The troubles
with England, the disunion tendencies in
of Mr. Madison the continual alarmlst
outcries of political enemies-al acted
as brakes to the wheel of Jetfersonian
purpose.
10 dream in the studio is one thing to
conduct an administration is another. IL
IS this difference between theory and
pracHce which makes jefferson seem in
consistent. From the time that he first
rediZeu the unique position of the FEEDER
al 1uiiciary in Qlr system, Mr. Jefferson
was its bitter enemy
1t violated all his ideas Of democracy
It's Judges were not amcnabe to poDutar
control. There was no rotation in Office.
no snort terms, no frequent appeals 70
the people. a body SO independenf ~
the popular will, and clothed with ira
tremendous power OF setting aside the
| statutes OF every state and Of the United
/ states was by the very law of its nature
antagonlStic 10 the principle upon which
democratic government IS founded. The
Will OF the people, the preference of the
majority, was sovereign, ACCORDING ia re-
publican theory; halt here was a sover-
eighty more permanent than presidents
and senates, more untrammeled than tha
executive or the legislature, and its f1naI
word was law supreme overriding cahi
nets, lawmakers and people. Bv its very
constitution such a tribunal would be out
Of touch with the masses wGlld feei ,,o
! popular impulse, would inevitably tend
to become arstocratc, If not autocra tic
IN method and In purpose. By the Gle
mental selhshness of human nature it
would ete1nally seek to broaden the
! bounds CT its empire. Jefferson dreaded
it, prophesied against 1t, bewalled its ir-
rcsistible power.
Reading his gloomy forecasts. one al
NOSE believes he anticipated government
by Injunction and the advent Of the den
uty marshal. But we doubt if even his
widest fears could have pictured a stu
alton in which congress Is not allowed to
put the income tax upon a millionaire
and when the sympathizer with labor is
| enioined from persuasion and peaceful
! aid.