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Ts her name a s2c et ?” cunningly I
ht r ladyship.
“ i have her in my eye,” murmured ihr :
Capram, looking tenderly upon the widow. j
“ Laws, who can H be?’ said Lad) Popkin.
half SHrpeeling the truth, vet wishing not to be '
thought a ware of his meaning. “Laws, who*
ran it be? I® it Mis® Figgtus ? or the young ,
Arab* Ila Brad? Or Miss JaCintha Jimmins?'
Or one of the 'iltle a«karels? Or iMis Such’’ j
ni<e . Or ihe heiress of Old Jmnpson, the mt-!
».?r ? Or —of —or ’ —
She would hav run over the names of all j
the young ladies in the rentn, but Cornelies ;
popped her; looking languisbingly upon her, '
h<* ft ’ enled, “ I have her in mv eye.”
“ La .vs, who can it he?” said the widow,
s<4!o voce, blushing deep as scarlet, and eu
deavo.ing to withdraw her hand, which my
friend Cornelius only held tighter.
“ I have her in my eye,” he sighed; the wi
dow said nothing; her fan fluttered violently;
her heart also throbbed with the impulse of
ne a |y awakened feelings; the Captain breathed
a sigh, and murmured again, “ I have her in
my eye.”
His meaning could not be mistaken; the
company’s attention was all engrossed by t e
song, which was encored, and the lisping youth
was now carrolling it far 'lie second tone. <>r
they would have beheld my friend’s love-mak
ing, and the widow’s emotion; the song was
at last brought to a conclusion, and amidst ihe :
applause which ensued the Captain whisper-j
•d-~
“ 1 never heard such a delightful song in mv
life.”
“ Nor I,” sighed the sympathetic widow of
the g' «»d Sir Janah Popkin.
“ Such is ?/i ; 7 love,” said the Captain, with
the intention of giving tiie coup de grace at
oi.ee.
“ Ah I” murmured the widow.
The Captain sung—
“ O, i could love thee,
While the clouds drop rain 1”
Ti e widow patted him on his cheek with
her sap : Cornel.us tei< that he was a happy
man.
'i liiis commenced the wooing of Cornelius
nnd the widow i'opkin He was a faithful
lover, always at the side of Ins ancient fair,
and as she was so deeply enamoured of the
song, he learnt the whole oi it, and was forever
•mging,
“ Tell Iter I’ll love her,
While the clouds drop rain;”
And the widow said she only desired such love
us that.
“ And stidi love I have for thee !” declared
the Capi’iin; and Lady Popkin felt that she
was a happy woman !
On the evening of one deplorable rainy day,
the gallant Cap ain was sitting at <»ne side of
the fire, which l»laz> d up in Lady Popkm’®
drawing room, blowing tin* German flute, to
the tune which the widow loved so well; hei
l-- .1,1 ... 1 • I. ■ ...» L —UjuxL Al juaft. lAr.il
on, pored over the pages of at) old novel ; the
run paltering against 'he windows, and the
wind howled mournfully, wuen a servant enter
cd with a letter f< r het ladyship, immediately
open seeing wfiicfi, xMiss Prudentia arose, and
left ihe room.
“ I ’pen H, dear Cornelius,” spike the wi
dow, as sue reciined ill her easy chair, too
i omiot table to think of disturbing herself.
Coroeiius opened the letter, and handed it to
hor ladyship.
“ Dear me,” she said, “ who can this be
from?” nnd casting her eyes to the bottom of
the page, she continued, “ John Jenkins, now
who is John Jenkins, and wiiat can Ins busi
ness be with me I What a deal of trouble peo
ple give me.”
“ IL»w happy am I,” rejoined 'he Captain,
“ that I slmll so soon have the honor to take
that trouble ofl’youi I advship’s bunds.”
Lady Popkm looked u world >f gratitude,
nnd commenced re idi >g the epistle; her fen
turns changed as she went on, a cloud then
came upon tier blow, preparatory to the storm
which on-tied; stalling up from her comforta
ble seat in the ci y chair, sb • cried, in voice
of b inder, •“ \\ iiere s that ungrateful girl ?
VV ere is the viper that 1 have haroored in my
breast ? Where is the” and lien recoi
lectmg herself, and that Cornelius O’/Lgge
wis m company, she lovv« red her lone and
exclaimed, “ Did yo i < vei hear of such an un
grateful thing as this m your life, my dear
Cornelius ?”
“ May I be permitted to inquire the nature
of the injuty. mv dear L idy Pupkin?” said the
Captain, appearing much concerned us he
spake.
“ ,M v daughter, sir, rnv daughter;, she whom
I have nurtured, whom I have brough’ up in
the way that she should go, now flies off, ui.d
wants to be married, forsooth, married to a” I
“ My dear Lady Pupkin.” interrupted her
lover, “ do nut t>e ang. y with t:ie voting hdv, I
she is but following our step-, nnd flow can
yve expect perfect h tppmess uu selves, t s w ,. '
denv it to those wn » are dependent upon us I" ■
*' She is young,” replied Ladv P.
“ Her lover does not think Iter so, and whv
should we ? He, I dare say, offers to take n i
for lu t'< r for worse.”
“ l<»u shall h ir what he offer®,” said her’
ladyship, nd then cmume.iced Pitlmy i.i .
cpis h , it was to lfi,» following effect—
Matliim,
Penetrated by a ®ense of duty to vour I nly j
f»h p, i UuinbL take leave io di < lose to von ■
the wool,* truth of a circumstance upon whi - . i
de; ends all mv happiness, nay, Jnmsi my !i, j
It i- hi your lad»ship'- ;><»wer to reahz
tire nil o happiness r plunge tw • ae ir - ii i ~ I
de pes misety. Ladv Popkm, I Will Ut- c n i
did with you; 1 am holiest, and so are mv ,
teattons; uwd will conceal nothing from y i
) I. v y *ur daughter, und mv luxe is re'uru
j ,t> ' at, ! »igt,ed tru» » d<»vv.? i’bxt > *
pot I.or lurtuue 1 Covet, y.*.i ,us feel a.—
I tell jeu that two-Curds vs a v,u, sutli v '
I am no? du un'easenabks marl, and hope youi
wi| be convinced *1 that fact. I beseech your:
lady-hip to smitp upon <-.<ur affection, ami make
•'our ciiarming daughter mme fbr ever. In
return for which, I shall bv night and day, for
ever p'rav for vour l.tdyship’ijfelicity, and have
the honor to be, your I ijyship’a most obedient
and very tHimbie se> v nt, t
JOHN JENKINS. ;
‘ Well,” exclaimed Cornelius, after Lady |
Popkin had finished re idiu. r the letter. “M vll’ 5 :
i “ Well 1” cried her ladyship, “Il is not
i well, sir.”
j “ Now s think tha f it replied the Capt.
i running his fingers through his well curled
i iinir. “ Whv should wo deny to others that
i haopmess we expect and pray for ourselves ?”
“ Whv, look you, my dear captain,” said
' ady P. in in under tone, and drawing her
chair close to his. “ Why, took you, my dear
C-'pf litt, for as you are about to become a
member of our family, I need not conceal the
f ct fi m vou. your interest is concerned in
this as well as my own.”
“ I feel that it is,” replied the Captain fer
vently.
“ Well, then,” continued her i tdvship, “you
must be told, that wiieti mv poor dear late hus
band, Str Jonah Popkin, of blessed memory,
departed this life, fie bequeathed the whole of
his property to me—but to me only in irust for
our child Pr identia—the hussev 1— the whole
j b dk of which, wi>h the exception of a pitiful
I Hundred a year, wis to become her’s on the
dav of her m irri >ge.”
“ 1 uu acquainted with the fact,” said Cor
ne iu .
‘ But,” rejoined the widow, “ in order that
she might not throw away herself upon the first
puppy that fell in love with her fortune, her
father wisely directed hat unless she married
witk mv consent, not a firthiag of the money
should ever touch And well it is for us, dear
Captain, that poor Sir J >n di acted so -agelv ;
for, long ere tins, s me skipjack would have
seized the girl and the money, und 1 hive been
reduced to the beggarly hundred a year.”
“ Well, and what if you had, my love?”
murmured the Captain, m one of ins sweetesi
ones, “ let the girl mairy, if it so pleises her,
and, believe me, we shall tie happier on your
hundred a ye <r, and —my ample forlun*—than
with JI Sir Jonah’s gold ”
“ Impossible ! You cannot mean such a ’
fifing, my dear Capt un I” said the I dy.
“Upon mv conscience, I d replied Cor
nelius, “love an i a cottage, dear lady P >pkm,
what can be sweeter ?
“ ‘O, we’ll love together,
Wliile the clouds drop ram,” &c &c.
Lady Popkm grew warm, she ar >se from
her seat, and pared the room; Cornelius took
the German fl He, and piaved hi hi® most meit 1
mg s yle, but this time his music had no effect
upon tiie heir of the ancient fair.
“ Captain O’Rigge •” she exclaimed, “ it
is plain enough that our lequamtance mus'
end.” -
non, “ sooner shall the world end! tVliv, whv,
deare®t Popkm, say’st thou that ?”
i “ ’ Tis plain you love me not,” said Lady
P and tiie tear® >.'amr into uer eyes, “you lov
uit- not, and we must part.”
“ N. ver while there’* hie in this h> art !”
ex< I iinit'd O’Rigge, throwing himself <t tne
fret of the widow “ Never, never ”
“ We must !” rejoiin d i.ady P. m a tom
killing 'oriitudr'; “ no m m »h 41 reign lord
ibis heart, who can a!t> nipt to crush its iir.i
and best desire. Farewell.”
Corri'diils discove ed his e>ror; his i
hung up m that m»m i>. “Stay, stay,” lo
rried, in a tone of i< nder suppln ation, “do ,
you will, dear Indy P., you bold that mas • i
over mv heart, I cun dissent liom nottimg.’’
Diete Spoke the g JiaiH Captain O iigg
again.” replied the w.dow, and extend.ug m i
hand, my friend Cornelius piessed H to m
lips, and bedewed n wiih scalding (ears.
: It must have appi an dto the reader ere ihi®,
that my lueiid Cornelius was » hai m me com
inmi parlance ol society, is c ailed a •'iiumbug;'
in* lived p m ins wiih and ms comim-smii, .
tiad no oilier means of livi ig; wiieuier or o
he was sincere m udvismg i.,dy Popkm to r->u
sent m her daughter’.® m r< r ige, and giving up
her toriune. and wn.il ms object w is, the »e
' quil a ill show.
, “ Paid ni my error, dearest lady P.” cr eu
' he enamoured Captain, “ do us you please, i
will nm oppose your .vishrs.”
“ \ou ere,” said her 1 niyslop, “ it is our
interest to keep off 1 >vms; be®id"s,” an I as
she spoke, she cast one of tier tendcresi gl in- ’
era upon Ihr youth, “besides, suppose the/
tyrant d> ath should, in some tew short >eaisl
des roy our happiness and my life; would it j
not gr.rve thee to lose all ihv wealth, and be
red tc.- d even to ihv presem me ms !”
“ Indeed, indeed it would !” signed Curne- 1
lius. Lucre aits more m • thing in his wolds
th m the widow understood.
“ i'lien it is our duty,” replied she “ to set ,
iipir< a provision for tne i> inner of mv hem.” |
“ ( d’-ar<- si I<>d y, you are too gmid.”
“ \ el j o i deserve it alt ”
“ Yn'l oviipoUer me, d'.ir I idy, I shall ex !
jore beu a a -:h-.v.m>;h oi u.dig itiou. Due'
a* vou say, I tni.-gj. I el .he loss of sucii an I
• ••» nr, .»r v u e i,i mt od- .®p->ii in® of my
< min i.t-st ti a*, .r , nJ me la.c, no doubt is
t d> * • , u,)i■' <i s i > Hit! */«f «i >ii ih |
ip‘«i !: • UKt’k: w | i.H hrjv d «t *i ojner
it tus you pour»yer Mi®® Pr idvm.j, .v.hcu
you could trans.’erto unuf/ur”—
\ Ii ippy thought, dr .r < aji nm. ' s i,J Irdv
'• Um tali* ts v-i v ti oi’. J ma > m , !>• h>»
vJI hiii>.elt, and i*> it hr de< lar»'J in ~ I'r i 1
d *nua sh'iuid not mitrv wuhom my cmi.ent.
imy -s.'ig jis a* Im •eqma ■ «1 ill .he
'lid hi® I rope ty. V h»ppv mougut, indeed:
r our wedd ng is over, dear C ipr un, i will
i ike over to you the power, 1 posies®, and
® he fort ,nr wi;| ,>e se< tir>-d io you.”
)e,r' lacy 1* »pkiu,'’ -aid < oruelius, “1
n>»t ®p» >k my (jruittjds. Let my tea»s'
Sensitive young man !”
“ I do not deserve this unexampled kind
ness.”
“ O, yes, you do, indeed.”
“ Indeed I don’t,” sighed my friend, “the
thought was happy though; for life is so un
certain, our felicity may not last beyond a dav.
\h. that thought distracts me. Yet it behooves
us tube prepared for the worst, would it not
be pr >dent, dearest 1 idy, to make Hie assign
ment at once ?”
“ Why—as —as to that’’—said the widow,
hesitatingly.
“ No—no. I am to blame,” continued
‘Cornelius. I know not what Isay; excess of
gratitude for what vou have already spoken,
did suggest the prudent settlement of an affair
which 1 feel myself quite unworthy of being a ■
i party to, but I beseech you, pardon me.”
“ Your modesty quite charms me, Captain.
Upon aonsideralion, it would be prudent to
I give you present power over the graceless
’girl; and the giving you which, will be the best
! tes irnonv I can give of mv regard for you.”
i “ Everv moment I pass with vou heightens
jmy esteem !” cried the gdlant Captain, “do'
■ not, do not sav more, les 1 consider von above
your sex, and become idolatrous in my devo-
' lion.”
I “ Well, well then, dear youth,” sighed her
i lady-diip, “ I will only entrust this affair to
vour entire directio i; but Ido insist tha you
j undertake th * guardianship of Prudentia; and,
lat your peril, come not here to-morrow with
out a lawyer with you, with the necessary pa-
I pera of assign n-nf.”
( “ Your iadvship is indeed too, mo good. 1
pray you to consider of it more; let it be de
laved a week.”
“ No—not a day.”
“ Y W S for one day only.”
“ Your modeai v, dear Captain, only m ikes
me more firm in inv de ermination; say no
n > more, or 1 shall be tempted to send for a
lawyer this instant, and settle the affair at
once.” '
■ “ I hope.” replied Cornelius, humbly, “that”
i I shall never so far offend my dear lady, as to
I cause her to give me such a sign of her dis
j pleasure *'
' Ladv Popkm rehred to rest that night very
! happy tnd comfortable; and so did my friend
Cornelius O’ltigge, but from a very different
■ c i use.
: The next morning was as wet and misera
ble as all the week had been; the run poured
down m torren.s, and scarcely a pedestrian
was to be seen m the streets; nevertheless did
Cornelia , O’Rigge issue for'fi fi un his domi
cile, eu vrapt tn a military7*|oak, and with his
well worn umbrella r used above his head, he
did defy the pelting of toe prdess storm. Be
hold him. presently, in tie tfi e of (Jrabl) and
<S>| d.b, \tiormesat Law, and the j mior part
ner, Mi. Nicodemus Snabb, a little burstlmg
mm of business, n earnest conversation with
nim. \t last a clerk exclaimed, “ I he papers
are ready, sir ”
uiab r ?)f
of accompanying ou ”
\ coach wa-mttn di <t< lv called, and into
- rpped the lawyer n.d m lireud, m t-n
mules they were at lady Popki- ’s dpor At
lie window stolid the < nar, n mg Prudentia, in
HI the splendour of you ‘i & iie ojty. O’Rigge
!used fora mfmeiit, as he alighted to con ’
molate such liveliness; tn,- n uden seemed
•le |{ his freed tm. bv retiring trmn the Win-j
I 'w; the CajitaHi then recovered himself, and ‘
kissing his handle lady P pkm, w./nm he had
m before observed, he skipped into ihe j
• use.
Presently, lab Popkin held in her hand the
mortant p-per, which was to the following
•I ct, viz : “ shat So Jonah popkin, hiving,
ven the guardariship of his daughter, Pru
titia, with his property, to his de n wite, he*
and assigns, she, with a view to the bet ,
mainten ince of that daughter, by these
esenls, did assign such guardianship, with all
•mers, t-> her de T blend, Captain Corne
as O’Rigge,” &«■ &c.
I’tiis scene whs nastily enabled, the parties
•igned. nd the paper was put mm the posses
m of my friend Cornelius; the n<*Xt halt hour
wis passed m complimen s and ••hit coat, and
•en Cornelius and the min ol business de- j
parted.
toward® the evening, lady Popk r; thought
• f breaking th»-matter to her daughter, and
mwards of an hour was spent by her in pre
a iring herself for tin* < xjdanatioo of what she !
'h «d dope. rhen she rang the bell, and de-l
; <in*d the servant who intended ihe summons,
to desire Mis® Prudentia Income to h« f- Ten
i minutes passed, and then ladv Popkm rang
! tire bell again. \ servant entered. •• Where
1 is Miss Prudentia,” exclaimed the widow, an-
Igrilv. “ that she does not come ?”
“Please vour ladvship.’’was the icply, “she
I canno' lie found.”
“ Not found! How ! What what do vou
mean ?”
Why, my ladv, that every oom in the
house has been searched, and Miss Prmfenur
is not Jiere. Nobodv ha® seen tier since .she
wen' om with (' <ptam O‘R gge and .Mi; .hnab.”
“ Went out wrh Captain O’Rigge and Mr.
®n ibn !” e. te ed ihe widow, •• O, Heavens .
I am beiraved I”
And so she was; mv friend had effected his
Dtirpose, and freed hi> beloved Prudenna Pop
km from the tyranny of a cruel parent.
Tiie next div was one of bright sunshine.
Sol seemed tube cotnoeiisating the world lor
his I mg absence, when the fair Prudentia was
li mded by my gallant f r iend, C- rriehus, -o the
al ar -I church, wheira d»*-y become
man and wife, and mutually promised to “love
ho- • r, and obey each other.”
Ladv Popkm never forgave mv friend, al-I
though h~ <!e fares that he only promis' d to f
love tier tn wet wea'hrr. “ I pledg'd myself,
said lie, when s.ie upbrided turn, ” to adore;
vou only in the word® *d tie sung,
“ ‘While the cl »ud® dropt rain.’
Eu*. ; tushtue n.ig come again, uud uow I kneel t
st the shrine of rescued innocence and beauty.”
Prudentia is a happy woman, nnd my friend
is a happv man. Wil! anv body blame him ! 1
think not, and so thinks bis lovely wife, Pru
der.lia.
Battle of King's Mountain. —The Anniver
sary of the Battle of Kings Mountain was cel
ebrated yesterday on the spot. Capt. Mulle
nax’ Company and citizen amounting to about
two hundred persons, were iu attendance. The
ici izens of the district residing near the conse
crated ground, feel a just pride in commemo
rating this glorious triumph oi American valor
and patriotism. It does them honor. It is en
deared to them in a peculiar man er. Long
may they live tree from those shackles of Iy
r mny that their fathers were so instrumental
in throwing i ff—enjoying, in peace, plenty
and contentment, freedom of conscience
freedom of elections and freedom from taxa
tion without representation.
It may not be amiss to state that it wa gen
erally understood that there were but two test
oath men on the ground, and they did not be
long to our district. Are the Test Oath de
fenders unwilling to celebrate the Anniversary
of the Bailie of King,s 1M mu’tm, or are there
none in that section ? Yorkville Patriot
Singular effects of Beauty on a young man.
Bishop Dupoy invited one day to dinner
two clergymen and three ladies; he noticed
iha» during the whole repast, the youngest of
tiie clergymen had bis eves fixed <>n one of the
ladies who was very handsome. The Bishop,
after dinner, when the ladies bad retired
ask -d him what he though of the ladv he haj
just been looking at. Die clergyman au
swerd;lord ,tn looking at tiie l*idv, I
was nil -cling that her beautiful forehead will
one day be covered with wrinkles; that the
coral on her lips will pass to her eyes, the
vivacity of winch will be extinguished; that
the ivory ofher teeth will be changed to ebony;
that to the lilhes and roses of her comlpexmu
'the withered appearance ol cure will succeed;
that her fine soft skin will become a dry parch
ment; that her agreeable smiles will be con
verted into grimaces—and at length she will
become the anti do e of love.” I never should
have supposed, said the bishop, that the sight of
a fine woman would have inspired a young mar
with such profound meditations.
The Chemistry of JYature.—The constitu
ent principles of vegetable matter are very
simple, and are reduced principally to these
three—oxygen gas, hydrogen gas, and cubon
iic acid gas. To these three principles, mere
i ly, ah vegetabl ■ substances may be reduced at
that endless variety of appearances, which
presents in the vegetable kingdom—the s ately
oak, and the tendei daisy; the hardy lignum
vitae, and tiie pulpy mush-rooni; the poison
ous upas, and 'he healing balm; the nauseous
ass.ifoetida, and ihe sweet-scented arose; to
gether with all the various colours, shades and
' —X— L - w
wKirTi cover the eartli—have all been com
posed tiorn ihe three gases we have mentioned,
i Not only hi these diff-rem vegetables seper
; ately, do fhev compose such opposite ®ub
> stances but frmn the same trunk, and from
I the same apparently homogeneous m<tßsol sup,
' are compounded substances as opposite jn
their qualities as any that have been mentioned.
For instance, <h<* seed of tne stupefying poppy
produce san all bland as the olive, and it IS
cultivated in great quantities in France, for
table use; while from (lie milky jmee extract
ed from its hand is produced the opium ol our
shops; and the delicious pulp of tho pea h
encloses in its kernel a poison as deadly as
arsenic.
All these various results are occasioned by
a slight v <ri itinn tn the commuaiiou ol these
Par mtr and Gardner.
POLITICAL.
FROM THE SOUTHERN BANNER.
oi Review of Mr. Clayton's Jlddress to the
Stale Rights' dissociation of Clark County.
NO. I I .
If is useful in government as in morals fre
quently to recur to those fund amen al and
elementary maxims, which form tiie basis of a
system. This is especially neressmy m a
government like ours, having written Coitstitu
ions. i i order to see how fur we have been
governed t>v them. The rompatison will al
ways tie wholesome, and very often essential.
When out people were presented with writ
ten constitutions, defining the power®, and
prescribing the duties which the goverumeni
was to exercise, a new era tn llie science of
politics da>» tied upon the world In the lan
guage of Mr Clayton, p. 4. “O < forefather®
had fell tiie hmd of oppres-ton bearing injiv.
ly upon tin tn, and it was their design to pi<>.
te« i if possible itie.r children, even irotn the
shadow of oppression. Tney well knew tfie
selfi-hnes® of mankind, that a leckiess inajoit
tv, it uncoritruled, would d.sregard'he i igh<s
of h»' minority. Hence their great exertions
were directed to their protection."
I l.iS i® a conclusion winch their wisdom
and sagacry could n>t overlook. Now he
question presents itself to the mind, did they,
se« i g the dan.er, prov.de <> ren • v ? or have
they left their posterity lo labor under a full
ronrtonsness ol the evil, unprovided wish ihe
means for meeting it ?
Upon the resolution of this question by the
A met man t eople, much obviously depend®.—
Ii n i® such a government as contai *>, <u ra
ther recogn.zes no certain md fixed princi
ples, y which the rights ol a m.iiornv in >y
be protected from the abuse & oppressions ol
a m • j uitY, out torelaih'-rs have failed entire
hi ttu ir grind md ulterior object in “presen'
ing us with written coiisihiiiious.”
But mi the ti md, it here art* provisions m d
made bv them cal u!a>ed lo exert tins ueauiiim
mtt lence of cuireciing ihe abusi s, und corrup
turns of a “ reckless majority, ” we are I
look for them m the constitute on; and cotwe
quently, when they are exercised, it must bd
done upon the authority ofthat instrument. j
Tiie original conception of a plan of gov- *
eminent, consisting of mutual checks and
balances, is perhaps due to no one individual, j
The English government presented the first
system the world ever saw; and the basis on *
which that system was originally founded, is
now a matter of research and curiosity to the ’
Antiquaiy in historic lore. The correct opin
ion in regard to this subject, seems to be, that
n owes iis present form to the gradual influence
of fortuitous circumstances.
In this respect we are more fortunate than
he English. The formation of our govern- £
mens, the most perfect system of reciprocal
checks and balances known in political
science, is the most prominent and well known
feature in our civil history.
What, let us ask, (for we discuss ting
subject primarily) is the object of incorporat
ing these checks and mutual balances in a sys
tem like ours? The answer is obvious; for
the purpose of preventing corruption. If cor
ruption exists in our government to any inju
rious and oppressive extent, it must be found
in a majority, for that alone has the capability
to injure and oppress. The final deduction
from this, then, is clear. The object, the ul
terior object of this system of checks, is to
prevent tiie w? -by a-
“reckless m ijority.” Here is to be seen the
ground work of those guards of safety, which
have so wisely b<*en thrown around a minori
ty, in ihe govei ntnent.
But how do these checks operate in our
government, so as to secure a minority from *
oppression? For the sake of perspicuity we *
will examine the subject somewhat minutely.
The constiltiuon divides our government
into three distinct and co-ordinate depart
ments; first, the Legislative, second, the Ex
ecutive, and thirdly the J idiciary—The legis
la'ive power is again subdivided into three
par's; first, the house of Representatives, se
condly. the Senate, and thirdly, the President
ofihe United States.
All legislative enactments must necessarily
come before each of these three distinct, and
as to each other, independent branches of the
legislative power of the 'United States. If
it be intended to introduce a bill for appro
priating money, or raising taxes, it must ori
ginate iu the house ol Representatives. It
there undergoes the most deliberate investiga
tion. And as all the powers they can legiti-.»
mutely exercise, are contained m the consti
tution, the first question which presents itself
is, whether they Have the constitutional pow
er to enact the law in question ? Ifthevde-x
ride that they have, the next is, as to ns ex- ’
pediency. When all these considerations
are settled, which the standing rules /if the
house require to be done in the most solemn
and deliberate manner, the bill is then trans
muted to the Senate, where the same process
is gone over a second time; and if the Senalq
decide in favor of it, before it can btCutne a x
--law it rnust hft (inmimhlmX tzuilu*. Pxpsudeet for
division. The constitution allows him tetv*
.lays (Sundays excepted) to meditate and re/
fleet oil it; and unless lie signs it, it cannot
become a law until two thirds o f both houses
declare by yeas and nays being i a^en j n j(s
vor. Thus we see the Senate exercising a
revising power over the acts of the hou«e O f
representatives, and the executive over both
and he in Ins turn controlled by a concuring
m ijority ofthose two branches ofihe govern
ment. In iike manner the house of Repre
s-utatives can revise the acts of the Senate,
whenever that body originate bills.
this system stop here m its beneficial influence-
Even after a bill has passed both houses, and
received the signature ol the President, and
thus become a | a w, if unconstitutional &c.;
it m ( y mild Ire rendered nugatory, and its exe
cution prevented by ihe judiciary of the United <
Here, then, we see the guards which oor
fore! Itiier®, who “knowing the selfishness of.
mankind, ” and feeling determined to save
then offspring, even from the shadow of op- •
pressxm, have provided lor that offspring iu the
or aoiz num of om government. So much
for dial power t>y which each branch of the
government may check Corruption and usur
pation in the otuors.
There is yet another important class of re
medial agents, intended by pur forefathers to
protect us ft "in ih<* oppretaiofi r>f<*ur govern
ment; w<* shall merely glance at them.
I’he people have al all times the right pence- \
ably io meet in primary assemblies, and free
ly discuss not only ihe nature of political prin
ciples b .t the characters ol public individuals,—
whether incuinhonts of, or candidates for of-I
fi<-e. The ii fl mnee which the exercise or
diis r g'it Ins upon the admi-iistra ion of the
govei nm-in , must, from its very s Picture, be -
powerful. The general government is very
often spoken of as an irresponsible, self-exis
tent power, acting independent of the people;
and hence the continual clvtnor among a cer
tun class <J political panic makers, who, as
suming to themselves the duty of watchmen
u mu the walls of liberty, proclaim to the peo
ple (lie dangeious innovations and corruptions '■
of that government. The contiary of this
u true. Die government is sufficiently res
ponsible to the people, to enable them to con
trol ns administration, and check its corrup- *
'ion®, before it can destroy their liberties, or
subvert then cherished institutions. And one
es the pritnaty means of effecting this result,
is dial ol assembling themselves together, and
by dismissing the meiits ol the principles acted
>ii by an existing Adminisirauon, to spread
informal ion, and enlighten the public rnmd.
I he influence produced by the exercise of
tns tight, is a moral one. Il tends to disem-j*
rite 'ruth, detect error, and expose falsehood.«<
In short, it enables those who hold the rights
I the elective franchise, to vote with discrim- : .
nation, winch brings us down to ballot-box
as a powerful remedial agent in correctin',-
!>e abuses of our government.
It ts useless here to enter into a minute ex-*