The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-03-06

right, for the olhs "hoie ~ ." ..;1n
:" That properter a'is's i'O" eA
tain Indusuy,supl ever be uneIu'i .e = Ger
ity of management, elty 81 'a'en'', ,;.' se
tuna,e opportunities on fme nue""!' -.
means OF these things will oppo' pr.'sI,',. ,h",
feet without having recourse ~ C. h,r.h
iil-soundcd names OF avarice and ,np.s.;o
and besides this, there are some me 49,,
though they do not despise wealth, WI nnt
stoop TO drudgery, or the means Of acqn INC,
il, nor will be troubled with the care of j, -
yoDd their wants or their independence,
whilst in others there is IN ayi1ny to a,,ai,
il by every means not punishable. j, makes
the business of their lives, and tAey follow
it as their religion. All that is ecgired with
respect to property, Is TO obtain il honestly,
and not employ 1t criminally Lui is al
ways crimiDally employed, when II is made
u criterion for exclusive rights.
In institutions that a"e purely pccuniarys
such as that OF bank, or conn erclal com.
psny, tie rights Of the members, COMPOSING
that company, are wholly created 10y the pro-
perty they invest therein, ard no other rights
a:e represented in the goveiument of that
company neither has that government coz.
nizance OF any hinS 6ut hrohtrIy.
But the Case is different with respect TO
the institution OF oi,ii go,ernn mt, organized
On the system OF representation. Such
government has cognzance ct every thing,
and every man, as member Of The comnu-
nifty, whether he has property or 10, and
Therefore the principle requires that eu,ery
man anu erery k7na " riSh1, be represented,
OF which the night 10 acquire and TO hold
property, is hut one, and that ncn one of the
most essential KIND The pro,e ciion of a
mans person is more SACRED than the p:otec-
tion oil his property and besites this, the
faculty. Of performing any kind Of work, by
which he acquires j. livelihood, or maintains
family, is Of the nature of'propeity. II is
property 10 him--he has acquitted /, and it
Is as much the object OF his protection, as
exterour property possessed withort,hat
faculty, can be the object OF protection to a.
mother person.
81 have always believed that the best Sc
curly tor properly, be il much CT little, isto
remove tom every part of The conin unity,
as 'ar as can be done, every Cause OF con.-
plant, and every motive oi violence and
this can only be done by an cCuainy OF rights
w hen rights are secure, properly is secure III
consequence. But when property is made a
preiente tor uneG Gual or exclusive rights, it
weakens the night to hoit, the properly, and
provokeS indignstlCn anu iuniult--for it is
unnatural 10 believe that property Can be st
cure under the guarantee OF society inur.
ed III It's rights ty the influence OF that prop
eiy. An inquiry in,o the origin Of right,
viii demonstrate 10 Us, that rights arc not
tie SyfS from one man TO another, nor from,
one class OF men TO another--ior who is he,
who could be the firss giver, or by what prin-
cple, or OH what authority could he possess
The right OF giving A declaration of rights,
Is lot Il creation of them, donation of
them. 1t Is manifest of the principle by
which they eXis,--followed by detail Of
hat the rights are; tor every civil right has
natural ri. hit for its foundation, and it ex-
cludes the principle of a reciprocal guaran-
tee OF those rights, from man To man. AS
Therefore 1t is Impossible TO discover any or
igin OF rights otherwise than in the origin of
man, it consequently follows that rights ap-
pertain TO man, in right Of his existence only,
and must therefore be equal 10 every man.
The principal OF an equality Jrights, is clear
and simple-eyery man can understanc il
and 1t is by understanding his ghts, that he
claims his dulies---tor where the rights Of
men are equal, every one must finally see the
necessity OF protecting The rights of others,
rs the most ehectusl security Of his own.
But it in the formation of laws, We depart
from the principle of equal rishts,or attempt
any modification of it, we plunge into laby-
rinth Of difficulties from which there is no
way out, bu, by retreating. Where are we
to stop or by what principle are we to find
out the point TO stop a,-,hat shall discrmatc
between men of the same State, part of whom
shall be free, and the rest not If property
iS made he rriterinp. 4 iS total f. mamma
from every moral principle of liberty, because
II is attaching rlgh, to mere. matter, making
man the agent of that matter. 1t is morrow.
er holding up property as an apple OF dis
cord-.nd not only ex,itiDg, but justifying
IL Cor r,nintain L..