When considering Caesar's acta

I hear much mention currently about papers left behind by Gaius Julius Caesar after his death, and I hear people discussing whether or not we should follow the courses of action referred to in these papers. My personal feelings towards Caesar aside, I think it is necessary to examine the nature of these documents before any discussion of what to do with them, and this kind of examination has been lacking among the discussions on what must be done.
First, let us examine the nature of these papers. These are unofficial documents that have been “found among Caesar’s belongings,” as is said by M. Antonius. This is a point worth repeating: although Caesar enacted a great body of legislation during his tenure as dictator, these are not official resolutions of his nor were they ratified by the senate. There is not a precedent in our legal tradition for fulfilling actions referred to in documents such as these. It is not a legally binding will (though the legality and sanctity of even such a document as that has been trampled into the mud with the recent invalidation of Gaius Julius Octavianus’ will). Although the senate, while he was alive, had given him unlimited governmental authority in each area these papers discuss, these papers nevertheless leave two glaring questions in my mind: Does that authority extend beyond death? Are these papers legitimate even if it does?
Even those senators who see Caesar as a tyrant have not made any motions to rescind the entirety of his legislation as invalid because of that opinion. Such a move would be extremely foolish and would destroy any and all progress we have made over the last few years. It would throw all of our political appointments, legislative initiatives, and foreign/domestic policies into chaos. We can say that we “were coerced,” but we always had the option of speaking out against him, whatever the consequences may have been. We have therefore lost all rights to objections on those grounds. Therefore, we cannot write off these documents as invalid just because they “were written by a tryrant.”
That does not, however, mean that we cannot still write off these documents, just that it must be argued differently. Like it or not, the senate cannot deny that it gave all of Caesar’s power to him legally. We can, however, object to the legality of these documents based on the idea that the legal authority given to Caesar by this senate body ended at the same time as his life. Never before has this body enacted legislation brought forward posthumously by any of its members, whatever their position in life may have been at their time of death. Why should we do so now, even if these papers are officially sealed, formulaically written, legal proposals written by the most powerful man in the world at his death? What authority do his ashes now hold?
This brings me to my other point of dispute with these acta. Are these informal letters which oft-handedly mention some idea for future action, or are they officially sealed, formulaically written, legal proposals? If they can be reasonably objected to even if they are officially sealed, formulaically written, legal proposals, should we even consider them if they are not? Unofficial, informal letters would have had no legal bearing for Caesar even when he was alive, but were they even written by Caesar, or by M. Antonius or some other devotee of his who hoped to use some of their master’s ex-authority? Caesar often dictated much of his writing. Could his scribes not have written these in the same hand all his correspondences appear? If close examination shows that they come from an unknown hand, why should we press further? Even if they appear in the standard form, the absence of evidence for their falsification is not evidence for the absence of falsification. Therefore, we must proceed very carefully in these matters. We need not bring these documents before the senate for discussion, because they have no bearing on the senate’s course of action. No such documents ever have. But if they are brought before the senate, their history and authorship should be examined closely before their content is even considered. Let us investigate the matter (in the usual manner) among his slaves and scribes to see if any incriminating evidence comes forth. If there is evidence for falsification, then we need pursue the matter no further. If not, we still do not need to. Even if they are from the hand (or mouth) of Caesar, they hold no legal bearing for us now.
Caesar is dead. Let us consider alive what he did while he was alive and dead what appears after his death. There is no question that we must continue with our magistrates as they have been appointed. To do otherwise would be foolish and would invite chaos upon us all. Let us not, however, continue to live and direct our lives and our state under the words and ideas of a dead man, however great he may have been. I have seen all too well in the case of my brother how this can lead someone. Caesar was a great man, and he drew men of all natures towards him, captivating them with his charm and the force of his conviction. I held Caesar in the highest regard for his character and actions (not just for his assistance in funding the construction of the Basilica Paula) during his life, and I will continue to hold him in such regard in death; therefore, let me be the first to say, “Let Caesar rest. He was a god among men, and he drew us all towards him, his ideas, and his plans. Let them rest with him. His time is over. Let us remember him, but let us move on without him. We are capable enough.”
Whether we love or hate him, we can get too caught up with men such as Caesar. Even our strongest and wisest can become consumed with it, letting it fester in their minds like a disease. We need look no further than my recently departed brother for an example. Therefore, let no more of our men waste their lives following or fighting his cause. Let us pursue our own. Caesar is just one man in a long line of mankind. There have been other men like him, and there will be more like him, and cowards and sycophants will bend similarly to their wishes, following their every word. Let us not be such. We have our own destinies to achieve.