part20-第2章

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I　am　not　acquainted　with　the　late　reporters；　do　not　possess　them；　and

state　the　fact　from　the　information　of　others。　　To　come　now　to

ourselves　I　know　nothing　of　what　is　done　in　other　states；　but　in　this

our　great　and　good　Mr。　Pendleton　was；　after　the　revolution；　placed　at

the　head　of　the　court　of　Appeals。　　He　adored　Ld。　Mansfield；　&

considered　him　as　the　greatest　luminary　of　law　that　any　age　had　ever

produced；　and　he　introduced　into　the　court　over　which　he　presided；

Mansfield's　practice　of　making　up　opinions　in　secret　&　delivering

them　as　the　Oracles　of　the　court；　in　mass。　　Judge　Roane；　when　he　came

to　that　bench；　broke　up　the　practice；　refused　to　hatch　judgments；　in

Conclave；　or　to　let　others　deliver　opinions　for　him。　　At　what　time

the　seriatim　opinions　ceased　in　the　supreme　Court　of　the　US。；　I　am

not　informed。　　They　continued　I　know　to　the　end　of　the　3d　Dallas　in

1800。　　Later　than　which　I　have　no　Reporter　of　that　court。　　About　that

time　the　present　C。　J。　came　to　the　bench。　　Whether　he　carried　the

practice　of　Mr。　Pendleton　to　it；　or　who；　or　when　I　do　not　know；　but　I

understand　from　others　it　is　now　the　habit　of　the　court；　&　I　suppose

it　true　from　the　cases　sometimes　reported　in　the　newspapers；　and

others　which　I　casually　see；　wherein　I　observe　that　the　opinions　were

uniformly　prepared　in　private。　　Some　of　these　cases　too　have　been　of

such　importance；　of　such　difficulty；　and　the　decisions　so　grating　to

a　portion　of　the　public　as　to　have　merited　the　fullest　explanation

from　every　judge　seriatim；　of　the　reasons　which　had　produced　such

convictions　on　his　mind。　　It　was　interesting　to　the　public　to　know

whether　these　decisions　were　really　unanimous；　or　might　not　perhaps

be　of　4。　against　3。　and　consequently　prevailing　by　the　preponderance

of　one　voice　only。　　The　Judges　holding　their　offices　for　life　are

under　two　responsibilities　only。　　1。　　Impeachment。　　2。　Individual

reputation。　　But　this　practice　compleatly　withdraws　them　from　both。

For　nobody　knows　what　opinion　any　individual　member　gave　in　any　case；

nor　even　that　he　who　delivers　the　opinion；　concurred　in　it　himself。

Be　the　opinion　therefore　ever　so　impeachable；　having　been　done　in　the

dark　it　can　be　proved　on　no　one。　　As　to　the　2d　guarantee；　personal

reputation；　it　is　shielded　compleatly。　　The　practice　is　certainly

convenient　for　the　lazy；　the　modest　&　the　incompetent。　　It　saves　them

the　trouble　of　developing　their　opinion　methodically　and　even　of

making　up　an　opinion　at　all。　　That　of　seriatim　argument　shews　whether

every　judge　has　taken　the　trouble　of　understanding　the　case；　of

investigating　it　minutely；　and　of　forming　an　opinion　for　himself；

instead　of　pinning　it　on　another's　sleeve。　　It　would　certainly　be

right　to　abandon　this　practice　in　order　to　give　to　our　citizens　one

and　all；　that　confidence　in　their　judges　which　must　be　so　desirable

to　the　judges　themselves；　and　so　important　to　the　cement　of　the

union。　　During　the　administration　of　Genl。　Washington；　and　while　E。

Randolph　was　Attorney　General；　he　was　required　by　Congress　to　digest

the　judiciary　laws　into　a　single　one；　with　such　amendments　as　might

be　thought　proper。　　He　prepared　a　section　requiring　the　Judges　to

give　their　opinions　seriatim；　in　writing；　to　be　recorded　in　a

distinct　volume。　　Other　business　prevented　this　bill　from　being　taken

up；　and　it　passed　off；　but　such　a　volume　would　have　been　the　best

possible　book　of　reports；　and　the　better；　as　unincumbered　with　the

hired　sophisms　and　perversions　of　Counsel。




　　　　　　　　What　do　you　think　of　the　state　of　parties　at　this　time？　　An

opinion　prevails　that　there　is　no　longer　any　distinction；　that　the

republicans　&　Federalists　are　compleatly　amalgamated　but　it　is　not

so。　　The　amalgamation　is　of　name　only；　not　of　principle。　　All　indeed

call　themselves　by　the　name　of　Republicans；　because　that　of

Federalists　was　extinguished　in　the　battle　of　New　Orleans。　　But　the

truth　is　that　finding　that　monarchy　is　a　desperate　wish　in　this

country；　they　rally　to　the　point　which　they　think　next　best；　a

consolidated　government。　　Their　aim　is　now　therefore　to　break　down

the　rights　reserved　by　the　constitution　to　the　states　as　a　bulwark

against　that　consolidation；　the　fear　of　which　produced　the　whole　of

the　opposition　to　the　constitution　at　it's　birth。　　Hence　new

Republicans　in　Congress；　preaching　the　doctrines　of　the　old

Federalists；　and　the　new　nick…names　of　Ultras　and　Radicals。　　But　I

trust　they　will　fail　under　the　new；　as　the　old　name；　and　that　the

friends　of　the　real　constitution　and　union　will　prevail　against

consolidation；　as　they　have　done　against　monarchism。　　I　scarcely　know

myself　which　is　most　to　be　deprecated；　a　consolidation；　or

dissolution　of　the　states。　　The　horrors　of　both　are　beyond　the　reach

of　human　foresight。




　　　　　　　　I　have　written　you　a　long　letter；　and　committed　to　you　thoughts

which　I　would　do　to　few　others。　　If　I　am　right；　you　will　approve

them；　if　wrong；　commiserate　them　as　the　dreams　of　a　Superannuate

about　things　from　which　he　is　to　derive　neither　good　nor　harm。　　But

you　will　still　receive　them　as　a　proof　of　my　confidence　in　the

rectitude　of　your　mind　and　principles；　of　which　I　pray　you　to　receive

entire　assurance　with　that　of　my　continued　and　great　friendship　and

respect。







　　　　　　　　RELIGION　AND　THE　UNIVERSITY




　　　　　　　　_To　Dr。　Thomas　Cooper_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　November　2；　1822_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favor　of　October　the　18th　came　to　hand

yesterday。　　The　atmosphere　of　our　country　is　unquestionably　charged

with　a　threatening　cloud　of　fanaticism；　lighter　in　some　parts；　denser

in　others；　but　too　heavy　in　all。　　I　had　no　idea；　however；　that　in

Pennsylvania；　the　cradle　of　toleration　and　freedom　of　religion；　it

could　have　arisen　to　the　height　you　describe。　　This　must　be　owing　to

the　growth　of　Presbyterianism。　　The　blasphemy　and　absurdity　of　the

five　points　of　Calvin；　and　the　impossibility　of　defending　them；

render　their　advocates　impatient　of　reasoning；　irritable；　and　prone

to　denunciation。　　In　Boston；　however；　and　its　neighborhood；

Unitarianism　has　advanced　to　so　great　strength；　as　now　to　humble　this

haughtiest　of　all　religious　sects；　insomuch　that　they　condescend　to

interchange　with　them　and　the　other　sects；　the　civilities　of

preaching　freely　and　frequently　in　each　others'　meeting…houses。　　In

Rhode　Island；　on　the　other　hand；　no　sectarian　preacher　will　permit　an

Unitarian　to　pollute　his　desk。　　In　our　Richmond　there　is　much

fanaticism；　but　chiefly　among　the　women。　　They　have　their　night

meetings　and　praying　parties；　where；　attended　by　their　priests；　and

sometimes　by　a　hen…pecked　husband；　they　pour　forth　the　effusions　of

their　love　to　Jesus；　in　terms　as　amatory　and　carnal；　as　their　modesty

would　permit　them　to　use　to　a　mere　earthly　lover。　　In　our　village　of

Charlottesville；　there　is　a　good　degree　of　religion；　with　a　small

spice　only　of　fanaticism。　　We　have　four　sects；　but　without　either

church　or　meeting…house。　　The　court…house　is　the　common　temple；　one

Sunday　in　the　month　to　each。　　Here；　Episcopalian　and　Presbyterian；

Methodist　and　Baptist；　meet　together；　join　in　hymning　their　Maker；

listen　with　attention　and　devotion　to　each　others'　preachers；　and　all

mix　in　society　with　perfect　harmony。　　It　is　not　so　in　the　districts

where　Presbyterianism　prevails　undividedly。　　Their　ambition　and

tyranny　would　tolerate　no　rival　if　they　had　power。　　Systematical　in

grasping　at　an　ascendency　over　all　other　sects；　they　aim；　like　the

Jesuits；　at　engrossing　the　education　of　the　country；　are　hostile　to

every　institution　which　they　do　not　direct；　and　jealous　at　seeing

others　begin　to　attend　at　all　to　that　object。　　The　diffusion　of

instruction；　to　which　there　is　now　so　growing　an　attention；　will　be

the　remote　remedy　to　this　fever　of　fanaticism；　while　the　more

proximate　one　will　be　the　progress　of　Unitarianism。　　That　this　will；

ere　long；　be　the　religion　of　the　majority　from　north　to　south；　I　have

no　doubt。