Rhode-Island constitutionalist. [volume] (Providence [R.I.]) 1834-1834, 1834-04-07


like property to their successors who under the Of
Chiefs kings and other aPPeaion' to designate the post Of
supremacy n state ihenesorih became % the established
That the elective process which has been described not
the fiction Of speculative writers, but actually took
place. period in the history Of almost every
countryn the old world for instance, in the progress ID
population westward from It's earliest seat In the east-s
rendered almost certain by what know Of the insttu-
tions Of remote progenors in the forests oi Germany
and by the laws and usges Of in some Of the
aboriginal tribes Of this continent. II adopted among
ourselves by the Pilgrim Fathers who when they had passed
beyond the execution OF English laws proceeded 10 form
plan Of government by mutual and natural suffrage,
which carried into effect upon their arrival at the rock
of Plymouth The Proceedng Of Roger Williams and his
associates furnish another striking example and we are
not greatly Mistaken the history OF some of our
Western settlements, the early period, when the hardy
pioneers first buried themselves IN the Forest beyond the
reach Of civilization and law would elucidate this problem
OF the formation OF goverDmen and fully sustain the sug-
gestions that have been offered.
As general rule then Government was first formed by
the act and with the consent OF those who were 10 be gov
ened given either expressly, by acquescence And what
did government confer upon those who established here
lies the radical error Of those who contend that all Political
Rights the Of the Political Compact Those
will tell you about rights created by society
wish to ask previously what those rights were, which existed
before political society ITSELF Those rights were the Right.
TO Life TO Liberty TO propery,-in general TO the Pursuit
OF Happiness Life the gift Of the common Maker o ALI
and could not be taken without committing the greatest act
| OF injustice, which one commit against another
Personal liberty too the right 10 walk abroad upon the face
OF the eartb another natural rgh-The bounties of ma
ture all the beginning spread out before the human
for their and enjoyment and he who should
appropriate the fruits Of the earth to his ue,-and
especially those with which he had mixed his own Ia.
Dor, by the cultivation Of the SOIL had just right TO repel
the invasion Of him who should seek TO dpossess him Of
what he had acquired This the natural right TO prop
ery-Eeeh individual also had the right of pursuing BIZ,
own happiness in the way which he might prefer provided
he injured in the enjoyment Of the same right An
other great personal right already alluded to- has been
served for the last is the Rghi ,uhch every man.
tAe families by Which nations composed had, Of giv-
IN
the union Of those families In form Of government and
Of remoping from its Jurisdiction tha union IOsre form
cd against his consent The existence OF s.ch natural
right too evident to be disputed. And far from
being surrendered when government formed that
It's continuance absolutely necessary to maintain the
,enee Of that government hy the reelection Of new mag
This right the very Right Of Suffrage which the burden
Of our present nquiryj and which we call Natural Right
its members, by the erercse Ohieh first into ers-
fenee In other words, Man. in the exercise of his natural
rights made Government and government did not give To
his rights. Why then, will be asked, was govern
ment established all if not to give rights We will answer
by ing that the end Government make previously
erisiing rights conferred by the hand Of God,
Where men live in families, have described, without
laws each the NATURAL and in most cases, the sole,
protector Of his rights IL life, liberty, property and
happiness be threatened invaded each then obliged
to defend himself against the aggressor and victory will
attend not the best right but upon the strongest
The portion OF land appropriated out of the common stock
to individual will be liable to continual invasion.-Ind
Suffrage which we have .ba,vn o e,;,, bu, for which there
is no use in th, state Of tbnga a,t brnys men Of differ
cnt families together and ihey agree IN Certain law. and
upon certain nae,rate. IN execute them thus freen9
themselves from he necessity o nern.,i warfare ndy;d
ually against ndyiduas, In private defence This Gov
them Examine ibe n"., es,en,vs ealIas,;ao S Ia T.;
existence which has been vraduajv ac,nmnia,;n Sr
from the nee of men In their varou, Relations 40
oherand which ba. heen m,red by an. ,y;.Jo or ,.
most enIightened legislator, and ;dge. and o Iii No, snd
one lust law In the whole of hc6 !. no, ies;.ned ~,
mote and .ome ono oc ,h. rr.., s,,I s;h,.
existed beiore ,rr;it ls~ and noi or;., IS G"w
for each man than he could single handed secure 10 bm,c
an. Gr..s.., Caaai ac ,L Gs,", s , Wu ~ W W, , n ~,
evera,ting criterion of ali vovernmcoi l.; ali a and na,
of the world ana n /. The ,v oc na,;o,. anil h;j,nih
p,, whenever mi, rreate good hs been dragardd II
the abrdgmen or .uspen,ion of natural yb ,o cndnv
TO bring back government 10 M original an3 ut nr;nc;
The idea Of surenderng natural liberty in a1y proner sense
GRAFTON of The bepe6,, t he derived from /, i n S h".
preposerou, 6ctions with which dav dreaming me, have 90
long abused the ea.v cred;,v of ranL;nd nj .h;.h a.
motto ruler, most yead;lv enhr,co ,h,, ,6o ,.a iii
greater appearance of m.tice en,aye and on4re bs cl
fow-creai,irc, man nnon ene,;nn int ri,;,;n, ;
surrender, TO The mor,raie "A, nro,rson ac h ;b "a
| moi the ,r;,,,ncs oc A. ;L, ~ ,tri " III" 's"'' anu
II |, yery common IN aiiemnt 40 m,Lc , d;.,;no, No.
tween the r;vh. Of nro,crv apd IN. rnh - 's
political power founded on the fac, 5ha, ,hap rrps l. ~
much les, nterered with hv .ovsrnm.n. ,L. H. i,,
From thi. fact ,he inf.rsnc. Z a., d., % ,h e Wv '. ~
natural right and The I.,,er !. No, III e., ~ - s
4, true hui tbe Inference !. no correc J,; -
men will for Il, own ,ake rc.ncc Tho ;h. Of sn''
but viii carec,lv ."nnr 81, We e VI properly
contact with Itself HnJ vel, var;"n. ro";a % On .Vns % ~
inr of propcr,v have nrey;ld anJ o ra ~ u ;aa
a,n,.I.. Il A.. :. 80: @ ~" P''''.an I" ""eren'