liberty where the legislative, executive, and judicial powers, or any two of them, are united io the same person or body of per- sons. See Spirit of La,vs, in reference to the English Consti- tution. If any corroboration of this high authority is needed, I will refer to Mr. Jefferson, and the writers of that invaluable text book, the Federalist. Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Vir- ginia, page 195, says the concentration of legislative, executive and judicial powers in the same hands, is precisely the defini- tion of despotism. And in the Federalist, page 261, it is said, "the accumulation of these powers in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, is the very definition of tyranny." In the same great work it is clearly demonstrated, that if each department is not so fortified in its powers as to prevent infringement by the others, the constitution which creates them all will be worth no more than the parchment upon which it is written. So impor- tant was it deemed by nil the states of the Union to keep these departments distinct, and in different hands, that it has been spe- cially provided for in all their constitutions. See the constitu- tions or the different States. And yet in the face of all this wisdom and experience, an4 contrary to every thing that is re- publican in its nature, the framers of the .Mexican constitution have reserved to Congress the sole power of construing the con- stitutionality of its acts. This, it will be readily seen, is an en- tire nullification of the judiciary in all constitutional matters, aod leaves the rights of the people and the constitution itself without any other security than what is to lie found in the virtue, patri- otism and intellii;ence of Congress. What slender reliances, where the liberties and happiness of a nation are concerned! If in the United States Congress should transcend its powers in the passage of a law, the courts would declare it null and void, and bring back Congress to n constitutional discharge of it,; duties. But if the same thing were attempted in Mexico, Congress would re-enact the law, declare it constitutional, and imprison the judge fo1· his presumption. It appears then, that the .Mexican consti- lution of 1824 contains within itself the seeds of its own de- struction,-for the accumulation of legislative and judicial po,v- ers in Congress, :and the enabling of that body to violate the constitution at will, renders it of no more avail than "n sounding brass 01· tinkling cym.})al." It will be no alleviation, says Mr. Jefferson, in his work above quoted, page 195, that in the case
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