Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-02-19


~hich has the right comma nd in the last resort
Ihe gentleman from Halifax had also enquired what
Mas the meaning OF the word allegiance? To Til.
question, he, MIR M) would reply, that true mean.
tg OF the word allegiance, according 70 his
vi IT. and the meaning which attached to it by every
~o'hor nc h1d been enabled TO consult was the duty
which subject to his sovereign or the obligation
which he wa under toobey him la ieuda times ex-
pressed the ealty due vassaS Ia their superior Lords
present, denotes the duty due from subject or citi.
zen 10 hrs Government The gentleman (hlr b } says
that sovereignty is like the soul in the body; that Il ill.,
the Deity. 1t appeared however, him, (NIr NJ that
was necessary make the deduction which he mir
NJ had made, between the foundations or elenenti
principles Of sovereignty and sovereignty itself To make
TINS distinction, in reference to the sovereignty of the
Deity, was attended with difficulty; because in that
case the elemental principles, aud the sovereignty were
both IN the same being. But the answer he would rive 10
oquesiion asked by the gentleman, (Nlr b. might serve
TO throw some light upon that subject lie (Mr b. J ask
vac "'",'u,cs OF sovereignty might not be transferred
and resumed at the will OF the sovereign? His (Nr
MS) answer would be, the Deity can trans.
yer OF uNeSt himself oil amy OF hiS attributes any por
ton OF them The attributes of the Deity are unlimited
power supreme wisdom aud unbounlcd goodness. You
cannot Tor moment suppose the Deity diveste of
these attributes, or the smallest portion either without
destroying the very idea OF the Divinity. We cannot
Of'n any other Rational idea of the Divinity than that he
being possessing all these attributes the highest mar.
fiction, al all times. re-
But, in reference to sovereignty as il exist, AMONGST
mdnNnd, there is difficulty whatever in mak;np the
distinction between the fundamental principles ON Which
is based, and the thing itself Every one nercc -,
once, that although each individual NAV be said with no
Pcty To possess in himself all the elements of
W. sur there can be no such thing sovereignty in
State OF nature, which every individual stands IN tbc
ground OF perfect equality with every other person no
ono having the least POtcer command" another and
no person being under any obligation obey any other
oil course there cannot be any that allegiance due from
any ono oil such PERSONS to any other, which is always
que from subject or citizen TO the Governments
lhe power To create sovereignty is TO be found il; ,h
great mass OF populations; every individual POSSESSING o
nHesl Se4cee oil Intelligence has portoa of it, In no
hauon which has ever existed have the whole people at
empted to exercise the powe of sovereirntv Ero,i
ne Purest Democracies OF which history gives anv ac
count three ourths OF the entire population ,ycre
cd from any share in the sovereignty of the State b h
very first act OF those who formed the social cou
one halt OF the population OF every country consists NJ
age OF discretion; and that three have always
excluded with their tdcit consent from any particna
uon IN The sovereignty in Dcmocracies and its x
ercise confined to the remaining fourth the popu-
laton And in those Democracies in which slavery was
tolerated. all those who were held in bondage althoueh
by nature invested wilnall those natural rights, ont of
which sovereignty sprngs excluded Without their
consent from any participation in the exercise OF soye-
reign power. Sovereignty cannot exist until the soci
compact is formed the which creates the body
polite, creates Sovereignty, and the moment the body
polite is created it becomes invested with an the powers
anu rights incident to sovereignty Who shalt the
powers incident TO sovereignty is the rsgueson de-
ciIedb the parties the social compact BODY no
hc has been created? itiS determined that the
power shall be by the whole number OF male
citizens who have arrived AT maturity, the government
called pure democracy II determines, that il shall
be exercised by few in viduas belonging particular
families, the government IS called astocracv Ift j.
conhded to the hands of single person. government
Is called monarchy. In a republic or democracy th.
sovereign power may be exercised by tire people h, is
TO say that portion OF them who not excluded by the
original cOnpdc,) themselves In their own proprr nor
sons, as was the in Athens or, by their
uves, a. is the case in the several States belonging to this
Union. Sovereignty, as he (Nfr NJ had rc,norkcJ ~,
former OCCASION might he entire in the hands of
single person, OF individuals was the case i'm all
solute mondrcheS and arsocratic gOvernmenis-or il
might be divided hc authority most of the writers on
national law to the contrary Notwithstanding and mart ol
1t vested in single person, another part ia select body
OF men, and part retained in the hands the people or
their immediate representatives, case in g. M
tain Oritmay be divided that portion of il will be veal.
ed in government having special powers delegated 10 H.
pra parhcuarpupoSe and the residue in another govern
pent, having other powers granted it, for other mr.
poses whchis the case in these United States It's per
leeuy obvious, Wat II these views the origin OF
government be correct, the positions of the geuleman
from Halifax, (Mr Bruce THAT delegated powers do moi
constitute soVerelgny,-and that sovereignty resides i'm
those who have the power OF revong and not i'm those
who exercise it, are not enlbe. On the contrary il is
strictly and accurately true that soverepntv conSs ot
The powers delegated TO the government bv the parties o
the social compact The definition sovereignty as
by the gentleman himself, (Mr Bruce0 viz: that il is
the supreme power in State having the right TO com,
inand IN The last resort will be sufficient shey tina,
this view OF the subject is correct sovereignty being
the supreme power az State, and the Sta existing
uhu a'er he social compact Is formed and the power
command in State being always vested in the govern.
ment it is evident that the sovereignty reside IN the
government And those views are in exact accordance,
with the idea OF sovereignty entertained by all the apurov
ell writers on the subject of government. 1t is only nv
regarding sovereignty as vested III the government in
the hands OF those who administer it, that can be able
TO comprehend what said by all the distinguished ri
CrTs upon government, about the power and RIGHT of the
>eople, TO detTOne their SOUeTGigH or to take away his
'Ye o tax oil dethronng or taking away the life of
sovereign, II the sovereignty resided in the whole peop
would be utterly absurd Ii sovereignty is an original
and not derlva;ve power, then there can be no such
hng as sovereignty among men, for all power and every
Ihhg else winch mankind possess is derived their
creator! But has been said, that ideas SOVEREIGN
ty differ from those entertained by the people of Europe
tins, however is mistake. The only difference which ex-
lists among intelligent this day in Europe is as TO
the origin OF sovereignty, the advocates desposn con
tending that the power govern derived BY the sove
reign or monarch from the Divinity whilst the ficnds l
freedom every where with wing that the
people are the true from which all the powers of
government are derived Another and very important
difference OF opinion has heretofore existed and NAV xist
TO some extent TO the present day, the source from
whch are derived those privileges which enjoyed by
the people, under mOnarchca forms government The
rights secured to the Barons and people of England by
the Magma Chartd, were long regarded in England
grants from the monarch, in whose hands the sovereign
power was vested, and they so regarded by all the
hlngs who confirmed that instrument: il now however
wen UNDERSTOOD by the people Of England that their an
cesors when they procured the Magma Chlra and the
subsequent combinations thereof by their Kings were on
Ic resuming powers which they had granted. But what
ever difference Of opinion may have heretofore existed or
may now exist, as To the from which the powers of
government are denyed the right of the people
10 resume those powers all mankind, except the advocates
oil the neU State Right doctrines agree that soveregnfv
TAKEN IN the sense in which he (Mr used it, resides
IN the government, whatever it, NAV be- which act,
as the representative OF tie nation II is also well under
STOOL that whenever people establish any form of 90
vernnent each individual who parake OF its bene
MS not only enters into and party the compact by
winch The government Is formed but there also an i'm.
pied compact between each nlvidua and the govern
eht az the representative Of every other individual in