ey P.0Z311.T 77ZITM MMIDZ.',L'TON.I
A DVERTISE3IENTS
Kettleivell,lPilson 4s* Hillard
G1L.003 liS & COMMISSION
ERCH ANTS,
Corner of Commerce and Pratt Sired.",
13ALTINIORE,
O FFER to the Country trade for Cash
or prompt payment, tho following
GOODS.
.
TO WIT:
Ms Ns. S. 81. alotasseg
20 lilids West India & N. Orleans ditto
200 hags Rio Coffee, (part strong scented)
100 " Laguira do.
100 " Havana do.
50 hhds. N. Orleans & Porto Rico Sugar
10 pipes and half pipes Champagne and
Rochelle Brandy
5 " Gin
50 tierces Honey
200 boxes Raisins
100 quarto do.
150 eighth do. Fresh importation.
50 hags do.
TOGETIII3I WITH
Cinnamon, Cloves, Pepper, Teas in chests,
half chests and boxes, ,tc. 4 7 c
13altimore, Nov. 17, 1837
FRESH GOODS.
Cheaper titan evert
Prim subscriber has just returned from
the city,and is now opening at his store
on the [mOll43ElBl corner of the Diamond,
A SPLENDID ASSORTMENT OF
of the, best qu.tility,--einbr a
cing every variety of
DRY GOODS,
074001 1 1R,1M%,
4.c. gc. &c.
which hmie.been purchased on the best terms
—and which he can sell cheaper than they
have ever been offered. lle invites the public
to give him it call, and judge for themselves.
SAMUEL ‘1 ITIIEROW.
Gettysburg, May 15, 1838. t f-7
COACE LAUB,
IFICLVGE TeISSAHLS.
n Subscriber has now on hand a large
stock of very superior
1? ZPI* Ica 0
FRIINGE TASSELS,
OF lIIS OWN MANUFACTURE,
which he will dispose of on the most reason
able terms.
C*-Orders from a distance will be prompt
ly attended to. Any Pattern made to order.
Address
JOHN ODELL,
Gettysburg, Pa.
N. B. All kinds of MILITARY work
done to order.
November 17, 1837. tf-33
CO-PARTNERSHIP.
F 7 r '4TVr7NTM7M
DANE= TRIIVEIII.IOII,
HAVE this day entered into Partnership
in the busines of
C ILVET Alfa G,
IN ALL ITS VARIOUS BRANCHES
which they will curry on nt the Old Stand
of David Heagy, in Chambersburg
Where they will keep constantly on hand
for sale, at the lowest prices,
Bureaus, Tables, Bedsteads,
and till other articles in the hue of their
business.
0::7 - They will also make COEFLVS
on the shortest notice—and haven HEARSE
with which they will attend Funerals when
- required.
They hope for a share of public patron.
age, and will endeavor to deserve it.
DAVID lIEAGY,
DANIEL TRIMMER.
March 13, 1838. tf-50
Register's Notices.
Notice is hereby Given,
Fro all Legatees and other persons con•
corned, that the ADMINISTRA•
TION ACCOUNTS of the deceased per
sons hereinafter mentioned,will be presented
to the Orphtins' Court of Adams County, for
confirination and allowance, on Monday
the 27th day of August ne.it., viz:
The Account of linniel Kohler, Adminis
trator of the Estate of Jacob Kohler, dvc'd.
The Account of David Clapsaddle, Ad
ministrator of the Estate of John Mcilvain,
deceased.
The. final Aermunt of George Storßer,
Exerotor of the Dilate of Henry
deceased.
JAS. A. -THOM PSON, Rrgieer.
Register's Office, Gettys
burg, July 31, 1838.
Franklin Independent Guafds!
:V ArendtWiwit, on Sat.
urtloy the :25th y of Augustin e . at, 11l
o'clock A. at. precisely, for:drill.
By order of the Captain,
ADAM WALTER, O. S.
August 13, P43R. tp-2D
IPrefersburg ittavtizeiblerd
- WOU" will parade at the usual place on
JaL Saturday the 25th inst., at 10 o'clock
A. 1'47 with arms and accoutrements in good
order. By order,
A. A. AIcCOSH, 0. S.
Petersburg, (Y. S.) Aug. 14. 1838.
TUE GARLAND.
sarecte-st &men esasrf d,
From rari. - strs gat...teas caird writ% came."
FflOM THE EOCTlira..s". LITr-11.111T NIESNCICGESt.
POrs ft -V
The warrior's arreat&—:ts da.-k green leases
Are twined around a lofty terw;—
The laurel crown which Glary weaves,
Adorns her warlike eatery wow:
His dark eye casts a brithterbraar.
Earth trembles at his hatarEtT tread.
His mien and gestures pre telly seem
To tell how oft he's fought cad lied_
not lo! that lanzel hears a stain—
A blood red stain deSles its leaf,
A stain which tells at titans and pain,
Of ruin, se° and Et. 1126211 vikf,
Of cities razed; of shattered nom,
Of desolation, rage and arsles„
Of prostrate thrones; of tines is 161211111 ,
Arid yet, behold!. the arassir= wades!
4 1M3
CIIILDMEV t%D Arntcssnrs--The New York Son
has an excellent chapter on sc.n2rr matters und
things pertaining toeforreesi:ic Fife , fnorca which we
extract the following:
"By the way—of childlern. These lithe
unsophisticated rogues are sad marpli.ts
Let but the slightest variation be made in
compliment to a visiter,rred the little rasr-als
arc sure to expose it. .1135_ mal what rooks
you put on the nice plates-----or, what is m
that pretty b. atle—or, ?ire me a olass of
wine; you said I should have scone viten Mr.
A. was here.' They cannot play the hypo
crite. They have not learned the trick of
the world, and will, in spite ofall eantion,let
the cat out of the Eng. Oh, in can- heart of
hearts, as Butwer says. how often have we
been deleghted to see them ilium , shame their
parents.
"A very common way vibe:raving shame
at economy is the thrills:lino, ten thou sa nd apol
ogies down the throat of a gortst with his
deiner. This thing es poor, and that is bad
—this underdone, and that overdone—this
too stale. The poor gr.m-st iiseri thorns dur
ing the whole sitting, and compelled to ex
haust his vocabulary of commendateons, in
order to show his Ito-Ices:a_ that Le is pettedly
satisfied. As you value your g-ed a:pest:inn,
never dine twice where arcs dila every dish
with apologies,and endeavor to petarade ‘ you
that the food provided for the family is not
lit for pigs to eat."
From the Ital' trt n::=ne A
Geolor,:g.
There is no dep-trtnaent it.f.cience is nhicb
the haman mind cf.de.i.t.s t.a) eve:rase 117..-elf
more than in that ot - Ge-to.p . - . By emamin
,ing the several layers of cshreh the ~ k lie,as
it exists at present, is er.ade lip, we are ena
bled to trace the history of its formation and
note the changes which, from time to time,
have been wrought either by the gradual
process of decompck , ition or by ...Fadden and
violent mutation. Ir. ptm- - riangstich inquiries,
the student derives from no s;turce more im
portant aid than from the can,- - id-ration of
the nature of the veg.-tribt...-s that have cover
ed the surface efthe earth at chEi.runt e p o chs
of its formation. In Sitliarinis Journal we
find all eatiernetv interesting artiee, trans
laced by R., W. Esq., of Buira:oe,
N. Y., from the French et M. Adolphe Brag
niart, by whom it was read be-fv.re the Acad
emy of Sciences of Paris on the 11th Sep
tember, IE3I.
In the pursuit of such iNairics there is
nothing vague or urkttsfactory, for by ex
amining the superficial strata of the earth,
the order in which they succeed e.acti other
and the animal and vegetable re 1:1111/CltS they
contain, we learn the history et our globe during
the numerous ages that have prees-&-id its present
condition. The investigation rnailies known to us
the beings which have surcessisely inbabated the
surface, and the revarations br vribich :bey have
been desfroyed,ancl by rushing as asynainted with
the phenonsena attendant en these changes, ena
bles us to appreciate events. anc to irsionsistrincl„as
it were. beings that base hem corral with the
most ancient historical traditions. To ready the
alterations thus produce:Us to the mquiring mind
a matter of the most obsurting interims, and in
the pursuit all the light is required that can be
furnished by Geology„Zooteey and Botany. It was
by a process suggested by such incomes that the
celebrated Cagier g as enablzd to tract a new
world out of the fragments. efthe
According to the views cif the acrilbor of the me
moir. Botany is even more ceiririiMiieJle than Zool
ogy, so tar as the mast ancient f.i-einations are con
cerned, inasmuch as et tie epoch whets Irk first
began to be manifested en cur gr-.21e, the animals
were all confined to the interior of the wale - sand
oven these presented Sit:rim:Ake specimens of
their lands, whilst such porn - limos of Lbe earth as
were exposed above the ricrac, were cornered by a
strong growth of vezetatiara- These vegetable
growths are of peculiar interest, as of them are
formed the layers of coal, which. basun under
gone
a mighty change during es inne of
ries, furnishilner to the generatiscas of the Arapent
day. The leaves, stems, sad limits Sewed inihriz. I
ded in those masses of ersatz-lit calf indicate their
vegetable origin,but shoar ths descripitstras of trees
that existed at the time at their fkara.alion. So
far as can be gathered tram otaie:-rdtarai,the Ferns
appear to be the most accier..l indlicatiel by the
leaves, whilst the trunks dimurirened to show the '
existence of tves totally diffssent from any in ex
istence a: the present day. and the analogies fie ,
longing to whi h must be Emma in plants now ex
isting of a Very diminutive grass lE. To the words
of our author, • - •liour eiiiierent this pi:me:fel vege
tation from that which sea clothes in evvr Vary
ing. tints the seztiee of the earths- ilagnitude,
strength, and activity of growth emastiaviled its
essential charaeteristics; the smallest plants of
our epoch . were their represented by gigantic
forms; and yet, what simplicity of ensraciratitti
and what uniformity in the midst ova lineation
so enormens." It is a cmeaus Cam that of two bun
dred fa Mikes or groups o reps. tab Les cabled Pica
yledens„ know!: to our modern nova, not ace is
to be found In that early age, whilst fcw, Very few
can be recognized among tf.e thirty ctassse,.lleti
Monocotyledons, thus showing that vegetable or
ganization is almost entirety elarized.
A Step.—There arr no less than SIX
newspapers which supported Wins. nos battling
on the side of the "OLD FARIIICIL"
la - rsif NO °TIME TIEFULLD, NO OEILEII SPEAKER OF MY LIVING ACTIONS, TO SEEP MINE TIONOR FRONI CORRUPTION. —melts
432227ZZDZIPZRZW 0 rpbah, foraziaturo alVeittiaaLf4 sap azacic,
Cori.—The appearance of the crop of
Indian corn, was unprecedentedly fine, the
middle of July, in all the near counties,
,but
the continued heat and drought since has al
ready destroyed the expectation of crop on
all light soils:—and in•the best sods the far
mers' hopes are nearly blasted. An early
and general rain may yet save much Corn,
but would scarcely make over two thirds of
a common crop.
BUCKWIMAT.—Very little above ground;
and much that lied been some time sown,has
not vegetated. Altogether it is err uheertain
rep, and generally given up by farmers.
Porftrons.—The crop of early Potatoes
is very short,•and that of late is likely to' be
an entire failure, except in some few moist
situations. The loss of this crop will prove
very serious to the country. •
Hay.—The first crop is good and well
secured; but no second crop cur. be :node—
the pasture fields generally being without
verdure. .
SEEDS —There . igno expectation ora crop
of Clover sad, and that of Flaxseed will be
a very poor one. • • •
Of.n MAIDS.—Say what you will of old
maids, their love is generally more strong
and sincere tlmn that of the young milk-and.
water creatures, who hearts Vibrate be
tween the joys of wedlock and the dissipa
taals of a ball-room. Until the heart of
women is capable of setting firmly and e . x.
clusively.on one subject, her love is like
May shower, which makes rainbows, but
fills no cisterns.
The London Court Journal says that Mr.
Sully's portrait of the Queen has been ex.
hibited to a numerous and distinguished N3I . Y
of visitors. The Journal is in the main good
co'-- The Afassachusetts Anti-Slavery Society
held a meeting on the Ist inst. at Boston, in corn
mcmoration of the final emancipation of the Slaves
in the British West India Islands. The following
letter from the Ron. Juicy Qurxer AD.A3tB was
read to the meeting.
QUINCY, 28th July, 1838.
Edmund Quincy, Esq., Boston.
Dear Sill—l have received your kind in
vitation in behalf of the Committee of Ar
rangements of the Massachusetts Anti-Sla
very Soaiety, to attend their celebration of
the anniversary of the day upon which sla
very was abolished in the colonial posses
sions of Great Britain.
It would give me pleasure to comply with
the invitation; but my health is not very firm,
my voice has been affected by the intense
heat of the season, and a multiplicity of ap
plications from societies, political and liter.
ary, to attend and address their meetings,
have imposed upon me 'he necessity of
pleading the privilege of my years and de.
dining them all.
I rejoice that the defence of the cause of
human freedom is falling into younger and
more vigorous hands. That in threescore
years from the day of the Declaration of In
dependence, its self evident truths should be
yet struggling for existence against the de.
generacy of an age pampered with prosper.
I ity and languishing into servitude, is a mel
ancholv truth from which I should in vain
attempt to shut my eyes. But the summons
has gone forth. The youthful champions
I of the rights of human nature have buckled
land are buckling on their armor, and the
scourging overseer, and the lynching law
yer, and the servile sophist, and the faithless
scribe, and the priestly parasite, will vanish
before them like Satan touched with the speer
of Ithuriel. I live in the Nth and hope of
the progressive advancement of Christian
Liberty, and expect to abide by the same in
death. You have a glorious and arduous
career before you, and it is among the con
solations of my days,that I um able to cheer
You in the pursuit and exhort you to be stead
fast and immoveable in it. So shall you not
fail, whatever may betide, to reap a rich re
ward, in the 'blessing of him that is ready to
perish, upon your soul.
I am, dear sir, faithfully,
Your friend and servant,
J. Q. ADAMS
The following report on the crops of Wheat,
Rye and Corn in Pennsylvania, is published in the
Philadelphia Commercial List of last Saturday
week:
As far as we have been able to obtain cot..
mot information, the following report of the
crops, might he considereil as embracing all
the counties in Pennsylvania East of the Al,
legheny Mountains, and all New Jersey. As
it is the result of personal observation in a
great measure, it may be relied on.
WHEAT.—The crop is decidedly better
than for the two past years, but still short of
an average one. Heads, in general short,
compared with those of very productive
years, and in a large portion of the district,
rather light on the ground. The quality is
good when not injured by mildew, and this
injury is partial-1/ot extending to more than
anejifth of the crop—well secured. The
product, per acre, will average about three
fourtl.s of a good yield; but us there has evi
dently been a dimunition in the breadth of
grotind for winter Wheat, the aggregate re.
suit of the crop will not exceed two-thirds of
a fair average crop of former years, nor ono
half of the abundant crop of 1830. Spring
Wheat is almost universally a failure, and
will not pay for the seed.
RVE.—With a superabundance of straw,
and great prospects of a find crop, the far
mers are greatly disappointed in Rye, as the
heads are found to bo very unproductive,and
the grain generally of poor quality. As there
was an increased breadth of ground for Rye
in many parts, the crop may turn out one
half of an average, of poor quality.
OATS.—This is very generally a light
crop,and much of it has been cut premature
ly, to save it from destruction by grasshop.
pers. The yield may be about two thirds
of an average.
authority in the Fine A rts,and therefore the
following splendid compliment to Mr. Sully's
abilities, comes with positive fbrce;. "As LI
likeness it is esteemed the most admirable
as yet painted; as a work art, it reminds us
in its execution more of Sir Thomas Law.
rence than any of our modern painters."
A letter from a gentlemanlconnected with
the firm of Nlessrs. Tiers, Hewitt and Cu.,
of this city, dated Huntingdon, August 1,
says—"We have shipped ofF all the goods
from this place, including n boat load that
arrived this morning,amc which left Colum
bia on the 28th ult. You now have a clear
course, and we havo a sufficient number of
wagons secured to forward twenty five tons
of morchandizo daily, without any delay
here."
GnAssiroiTnns.—Tho attention of the
public was excited on 'Thursday last, at about the
hour of noon, by tiro disappearance of the grass.
hoppers (supposed to be) which have been su
abundant during the present season. Immense
myriads of them, apparently from the sizo of a boo
down, were to be soon floating in the beams of
the sun, their wings glittering like spangles, and
extending as far us the eye could reach in height
and extent wherever the sunbeams would render
thorn visible and around which they appeared to
play. The birds seemed to hover about them,
and here and there would catch a straggler, and
some of them would seem to come do rim as low
as the house tops. This may be quite a familiar
occurrence to naturalists. but we have never be.
fore known it to attract so much observation.
So states the Frderick Herald of the 11th inst.
Conn Cnor.--The eer i e crop in this coon
ty, it is thought; will be an almost total failure
from the long .drought, which has prevailed.
Gardens have boon burnt up by the heat, and a
groat scarcity of all kinds of vegetables and of
pasture prevails.
Wo are happy, however, to learn from a farm.
mor of experience and intelligence from Charles
county, that thorn is a prospect of us largo a corn
crop as has over been made, in the towel counties
of this State, and that ruins have been thorn quite
abundant.—lb.
LiGurNlNo.—Crmsiderable damage was
done in this neighborhood by the lightning which
tiCtoinpanied tno gust on thurscisy evening last.
St. John's Literary Institution in Frederick
was struck, but we understand the damage was
not materiel.
The barn of Mr. Jacob Doub (7) we hear was
struck, loss estimated at $3OOO. We also learn
that the barn, &c. of Mr. Plummer Ijams was
consumed, but we hope the report may prove un-
Von Buren young men of Oswego
county hero had a solemn mooting and resolved
that Mr. Nicholas fiddle is "no gontlemari."
Hg will. therefore please to consider himself in
that category—these Oswego youths being, bl
course, first rate judges of the "article." ,They
Weed monstrous great cheeses In that country.
and by analogy there Must 'be a groat crop of
(Logo Foca) growing -upon that
. ground. It
doien't take much manure to nudity/ma a rank
.rowth of tienbano.
• Such is dile unpopularity of Mr. T. H.
BEreroN in St. Louis, which ho claims as his res.
idenco, That the Loco Foco organ in that city char
ges ono'of the Wing candidates for the Legisla
ture with being friendly to film, and lives, by
that charge, to defeat his election.
EXCBEDINGLY N EAT. --There was a
specimen of the ready politeness of Frenchman,
on hoard the nereules during the recant fete,
iv hile that ship lay at Newport, which is worth
recording.
One of the American guests gave as a toast,
"The three days ofJuly." referring, of course, to
the revolution which placed Louis Phillippe on
the throne. An officer of the ship immediately
gain—" And the Fourth!" A happier instance
ofimpromptu politeness nevbr occurred.
THE FAR WEST.—Tho South Bend
(Iowa) Free Press advises emigrants intim West
to stop when thiry reach St. Joseph's county,
which it avers to be exactly in the centre of the
world— , defying all other countries tt. beat it in
raising wheat, oats, rye, corn r potatnes, pumpkins,
watermelons, end all the et ceteras whsch flour
ish in a Northern climate.
More Screws Loose—Party
three Germans to the
Rescue!
The following is a list of the FORTY.
TII/lEE NATURALIZED GERMAN CITIZENS
of Beaver County, who have come out with
nn address, avowing their determination to
go for the "Washington County Partner."
So much for the Loco loco abuse of the
GoviAnor at Harrisburg. We Germans of
Pennsylvania will not soon forgot the
"Down Hoo" epithets. A fouler insult
upon a high minded, intelligent and upright
people, was never perpetrated. The Ger
mans are conceded to be among the most
valuable ; as they are certainly among the
most industrious of the population of this
country. They have greatly contributed
to (ho wealth, character and influence of
Pennsylvania; and blistered be the tongue
that at this late day, and - for base political
objects, would heap insult and wrong upon
the heads of this noble class of our yeo
manry.
John Endriss George Louis
Philip Bente! Wilhelm Baker
Frederick Schuhmacher Franz R. Le Joullon
George Wagner Johan. Barter
Fredlc Carl Sp f errer- Geo. Schimnfer
Wilhelm Schmid Bernhard Ziegler
Jacob - Stahl George Ziegler
Ludwig Epple • hrael Bentel
Tobias Schmid Jocob Strolicker
Jacob Welliqf Reinhold Frank
Jacob Deim Christian Aiarictle
Adam Keller _ 'Konrad Gann
David Wagner Rudolph Wolfer
Simon Wagner' Maithiates Schule
Jacob Shaffer Andreas Colz
Raimond Cann Lyzins Postncr
Jacob Durr . George` Vogl'
George Reif , Jacob Sander
Jacob Bachinger Anion Knapper
Frederick Straiger , Christian Schmid
Zeno Y. Sehnobel Jacob Konig,
Beaver Co. July, 1838,
STATE DEBT.-A false statement has been
going the rounds of the loco foco papers.and
has•at•last found its way into those of this
ounty,in which an attempt is made to prove
that the state debt has been increased dur
ing Governor Ritner's administration, and
that the Treasury is now bankrupt. This
is n most barefaced gull-trap-a bait to catch
gudgeons. A correspondent of the Penn
sylvania Intelligencer promises to pay any
one who can prove before Daniel Sturgeon,
the loco 6,e° State Trea4tirer, that Gover
nor Ritner hies increased the'state debt, the
sum of ONE TIMIRAND DOLLAR:I. And yet
the anther of this loco foco statement has
not applied for the rewardl[Pa. Republican.
Prom the American Sentinel, a Von Buren paper
Let Well Alone.
No. VI.
The next alterations that I find in our old
Constitution are in the Vth article, and re
late to the Judiciary. This seems to my
mind the most important article (Ad': I have
often thought that whatever may happen to
the government, our liberty will be safe as
long as the Judges remain free and igdoiten.
dent. The Governor may be bad OMNI°
Legislature corrupt, but while the Judges
are out of their power a mates' life and pro.
perty are in no danger. And why? Because
the only way in which laws can he.executed
is through the means of the Judges and the
other officers injustice; and suppose an ar•
bitrary and unconstitutional law to be made
so•asdor oxample,to condemn a man to death
without a trial, or to take ono Man's' pto.
perty away from him and give it to another,
the Judges, according to our present consti•
lotion, have a right to say that such a law
is void, and therefore that they will not exe-;
cute it. And as long as Judges aro -free
they will so act,because they hatte the same
interest with their fellow citizens in resisting
the encroachments of arbitrary pottier.—
And I have often thought, too, that if any
ambitious man should want to make htroso
king or emperor of the country and get the
supreme power into his hand, he will begin
by trying to make the judges dependent.—
Such a man will get up a convention, and
try to persuade the people, thnt the judges
ought not to be independent, and he will talk
about office fiir life, and aristocratic tenure,
and such things,while all the time ho means
only that the judges are dangerous for those
who wont to have all the power for 'them;
selves: nave lived pretty long in this state,
and hare seen the time of McKean and Sny
der, Findlay; fl ester and the others, and I
have always felt'uneasy when]. saw man of
great book learning, or of high aristocratic
families coming, out with radical projects
and schemes for altering the Constitution,
because 1 nm sure that they have some oth
er design in View'. than What they 'profess;
and I don't know whether they will not im
pose Upon some honest democrats. Every
one has rend of Julius Cmsnr who made
himself master of the Roman Republic short.
ly before the birth of our Saviour. He was
just such a man as that in the begenning. 7 -
fie was a great aristocrat in his heart end
really despised the people; but he got him
self elected to the legislature of that day.
and professed to be a great radical,and was
again.t the Judges,and in favor of Agrarian
Laws, &c. The people unfortunately behalf=
ed him, and trusted him, and he got all the
power into his own hands; and so ended the
Roman Republic.
I have said more than once that I think
it best to stick to our old republican rules
until we see good cause to alter them. I
have been looking back to see hoW matters
have stood with respect to the Judges in this
state,und I find that in the first. Constitution
of all, William Penn provided that the Jud•
ges and other o(lice►s should he elected eve•
ry year. This Was nt the very beginning,
and when probably there were only a few
fit persons in the colony. In 1683, only a
few months afterwards, an amendment to
this was rnade,which provided that the Jud
ges should hold their offices during good
behaviour. This continued to be the law
until the Constitution of 1776 was made,
which decloa'cd that the Judges should be
commissioned for seven years only. Then
thero was a trial of this plan for about two
terms or 14 years; when the Convention met
which framed our present Constitution; and
on looking over the minutes it appears that
the amendment by which the Judges were
to be commissioned during good behaviour,
that is, made independent, was agreed to
tenanimously,and another amendment which
struck out a term for years in the case of
Justices of the Peace,and declared that they
too should bold their offices during good be.
haviour was adopted by a vote of 52 to 7.
Among those who voted in the affirmative,
that is, for the Judges'and Justices holding
their offices for life (as it is called,) I find
the names of %Vrr,ta Fuvor,ar, Jorxrr
SHILIE, ALBERT GALLATIN, and other well
known democrats. Thof rut h is that in those
days it was part' of the democratic creed
that Judges should bo- free from the influ.
of power and office; and in the words of the
council of censure of 17E11, composed of
the most eminent rePublicatis . in the state,
'Judges should have nothing to hope or leer
from any one." • •
No. VI f.
• NOW T corner back to thp. old questik.—
What luirni .hns-boen done by the Judges
holding their offices during good behaviour
for the last forty eight years? Has any man's
life or liberty been:taken away from him
wrongfully? Has any man's property been
taken away,except for payment of his debts?
Have they decided cnseafrom fear,or favor,
or affection? I have looked over the sPeee - hes
that wore • published in the newspapers, of
the members of tho convention who were in
favor of the term for years, and can't find in
one of them any proofs of misconduct in the
Judges. It is true that there have been some
bad appointments during these 49 years; and
some of the Judges have not been very great
mon; and some have remained on the bench
[VOL. ,
after they had grown old; but these radicals
forget how many good Judges we have had,
and how little wrong has actually been dune
during all that time. And then what I want
to know is how things me to be made het.
tar by having the Judges of the Supreme
Court appointed for 15 years,tho Presidents
of the Common Pleas for ten years, and the
Associate Judges and Justices of the Peace
for five years. It is certain that we shall
not g6t wiser or better men appointed at
first; since if such persons would not accept
for a long term they will not for a short one.
Every body knows that ii takes a !Ong time,
both of study and practice, to snake a good
lawyer, and unless a man is a good lawyer
he cannot he a good judge--and when a man
has made himself a good lawyer he makes
by his practice more than Ito can get as a
judge. What I m'an to say then, is, that
you can't got a good judge,unless you make
it an object to him, by giving him a settled
birth, from which he can't be turned out,ex
copt for misdemeanor in office. So that if
the present amendment shall be adopted,we
may be pretty sure of having worse men in
stead of better.. Hut that is not. the worst
thing I apprehend from this change. Though
we have had some poor judges under the
Constitution, yet I think none of rho mem
bers of the Convention,who have been most
anxious for the amendments limo been able
to prove that, there has been any corrupt
judges; and I don't think that any one mem
.
ber ventured even to say so; though it is
.evident,that there *Orb a-good many who
wanted to get rid of some of the judges; for
what pinpese I eaflit at present say. Nour r l mean
by corrupt judges, not only men who take monoy
or other presents for their decisions, but those
who aro intluelmed by some great i or rich,or pope=
tar man, or by favor ,:towards such -persons; and'
when we find that nothing of the *Hid is pretend
ed. oven by their worst enemies, tt certainly ar
g nee strongly In favor of the system Of independ
ent judges, and supports my idea, that we ought
to Ler WELL Ar.ustr. But suppose judges to be
appointed fur a term of years,will they not always
bo looking forward to the end of their term, and
consider how they shall manage to get re.apponit
ad. There is no doubt that this will bo ao,bacause
it is-according to human nature. They know that
they will have nothing- to live upon unless they
are continued in office; and they will lake good
cure not to run the risk of being turned out upon
the Commons. Justices of the posed are to be
elected by the'peoplo for five years/ • -Now these
justices have large powers and authorities. They;
can commit any Inas to jitil,and they have a right
to give judgment against any, man for any sum.
under 100 dollars,in any ohs suit, and by anemia&
or number ofjudgments,they may take the whole
of any man's property. sway from him. without &
jury trial. Surely 'this is a great power for ono;
man to havoyet,lisfar as .I know, or have oven
heard,thonglilliere aro several thousand Justices .
ofthe peace in the state,there have boon vory few
instances of an alum of this power. And 1010
I don't know, unless it is bodause they hold their .
offices during good behaviour, under our present'
Constitution: •And they know that if they behave
well and do justly, they can't be turned out; but
that if they do wrong they aro liable to be im.
mediately removed: h o Out w Will it be if they
are to go out, good or bad,at the ender five years?
Why 1 think I can see plainly,that they wilt take
care nett° offend anycrich or popular man by
giving judgement against him; but they will have
every inducement to do as he desires them to do.
Suppose, then, that I have a small property, and
don't trouble myself much with going to taverns
and electioneering; but do my work and mind my
own business; and some rich man or some great
party leader should take offence at me, or want
to-get my little property away from me, why lie
will go to a justice of the peace in the neighbor- -
hood, and lay some complaint against me,or bring
a suit against me Tor lOU dollars; and what chance
will I have against such persons, when the Jus
tice knows that if he deeldes against them he will .
be likely to lose his office at the next election.--
Here, then, lies the great danger for . poer
this amendment should be adepted,and they should
chance to have any falling out with a man of in
fluence. It is of no use, saying that a poor man
may have an appeal if the Justice decideri
against him. I know that very well; but I know
also that there are a good many Firms about ap.
pealing, which make it difficult to manage with.
out a lawyer; and alter un appeal goes to the
Court of Common Pleas, why there will be the
same kind of judges there, appointed for a term
of years, looking out for a re-appointment, and
always anxious to make friends of rich man, and
mon of influence. So much for the justices of
the peace.• Then how will it be with tho judges
of the higher courts?. I have said that they will
probably be influenced in the same way as the
justices of rho peace. But there aro still snore
important considerations to be mentioned. Sup.
pose the Legislature should' pass a law enacting
that certain persons, armers, or merchants or ine
chunks, should be pat in jail, and kept there
without a trial; or that 000 man should how
another man's loud or stock in trade, without pay
ing- for it, or in short do any thing arbitrary
thereof; which is exprossly forbidden in the Con.
stitution, or bill;of rights. What is to prevent
such wicked and unjust laws from being put in
forco against any citizen of Pennsylvania? Why
you will say,tho courts will not allow these things;
the judges will declaro such laws to ho unconsti-
tuticmal and void. Not so fast my friend! The
'judges will do so note,becanso they aro independ
ant, and not afraid to do right; but let this amend
ment be. adopted, and the judges hold their offices
only for a term of years; and ;you will fihd that
they wilt hive to carry Into effect every law which
the legislature may chose to adopt,no matter how
unconstitutional; because if they do not they will
not be re.appointed; and as judges are only men,
andlavo wives and children to support, we can't
expect' thorn to ruin themsOlVes for the sake of
other people.
There is outcry however about offices for
I dont know what this means. comedy, since no
judge now has an office fot,life. because if ho
does wrong or injustice he will be impeached or.
removed, if he lia - s been in office only a day; and
this is the' wiso: provisioU of our pregent Constitu
tion. In one sense indeed the judges are officers
for life; that its for the life of every ono•of ,ns;
NTllidil, is pleserved by having independent judges
—and Weyer we liSve such judges as there are in
sonie countries whore they ate not independent.'
I would not give mlich for the life allay man
The mere I think en tho subject the more Tam
satisfied : that Alia • true deMocratic doctrine is tr.
have indopendsnt judges, and. that this scheme of
making them dependant on rich men and moo of
influence, is the weak invention of eomo enemy
in disguise. I have no doubt whatever from
some things that Y base seen in the Convention,
that thero wore a good manyreat aristocrats there
concealed under the names ofradicats arid mho.
more. I hope and trust howeVer that their
schemes wilt he defeated, and that the peOple will
consider their own true filterede and stick to the
present Constitution, which secures them by the
aid of honest and independent Wog, Lim Liz.
I:RTV and Poonaiv.