Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1840-09-26
FROM THE stakeholder.

FROM THE sTocKHoLDER.
THE TRUE DoCTRINE-M ultum Inaparro
If any friend of Mr.. Van Bsren can produce
from his pen, or from his lips, more chaste COM
prehensive or precious specimen Of republican Or
thodoxy than the following extract from the recent
speech of General Harrison, at Carthage, Ohio,
we will ride half days journey to hear it read.
We'll and truly may his slanderers bewail the day
when they reused the manly old Patriot from the
quiet he had prescribed to himself by representing
him "caged'' and in the keeping of a commit
tee. Multum Imparpo' -much in lttle--may be
truly said Of the space occupied by this extract.
The whole substantial of our governments--(s state
and nationaD-the whole question of Abolition
the whole doctrine of popular suffrage, and much
besides-are all compressed into the compass ola
single lesson at school, and in style simple
and elegant as to be comprehensive to the most
ordinary capacity
It is by no means the least gratifc we expe-
rience in transferring 1t to our columns that it was
said of it, few days ago, by one of the most en-
lightened supporters of the enthusiastically is
tbs true doctrine"
6yWill the Democrat venture on its repubica-
ton, or will it continue to content itself, and its
readers by merely slandsring its distinguished
thor We shall see.
"Having recently received letter from per-
sonal friend, who is member of an abolition So
ciety proposing to me two questions, which he re-
quested me to answer; but having from necessity,
arising from the absolute impossibility of my an
swering the numerous letters | receive, req uiring
my opinion upon political subjects, declined to an
swer any from individuals, willingly embrace the
opportunity Of answering them which this occa-
sion has given me- without violating the rule had
found myself under the necessity of adopting.
The questions the following, viz
lst--Do you believe the people of the United
States possess an unrestricted right to discuss any
subject, that TO them may seem worthy of consid-
Grafton!
2nd-Do you believe the people of the United
States have the right to petition their Legislature
for the redress of whatever they may deem griev-
ance and for the adoption of such measures as the
petitioners may think conducive to the welfare of
the nation!
do not hesitate to answer both of these gues-
tons in the affirmative. The Constitution of the
United States, and that of our own State, have Sc
cured to the people the enjoyment of the rights re-
ferred to in both questions, entirely unrestricted
but by their own sense of propriety and the legal
rules which protect the rights of others. The free
dom of speech and of the press, the distinguish
ing characteristics of free government. Without
them, we might call our country Republic, but it
would be so only in name, like that of Rome, un-
der the Emperors, il might be mask to cover the
most horrible despotism. The right Of the people
to write and to speak openly and freely upon all
matters of public policy, sis the palladium of all
civil and religious liberty!'' The authors of our
Constitution must have known that it would be
subject to abuses to be used for improper and in
deed sometimes for criminal purposes; yet they
declared it without restriction. More than half u
century has passed uway since it came into opera
lion, and although upon one memorable occasion
it was resorted to for the purpose of giving effect
to councils tending to paralyzs the efforts Of the
nation, in the midst of a dangerous war, and TO
encourage the enemy to persevere in supporting
their unjust pretensions, still these declarations OF
rights in relation to writing, speaking and pub
fishing, have been suffered to remain in all their
pristine force. | should be the last person who
could under any circumstances, consent to restrict
them by legal enactmenls.
must, however, take this occasion to repeat
what have before declared, that the discussion of
the right of one portion of the States which COM
pose our Union to hold slaves by an assemblage OF
citizens Of other States, which hold none, is in my
opinion not sanctioned by the spirit of the Consti-
tuition. If it is tolerated by the broad and unre-
stricted declaration in the Constitution to which
have referred, it is forbidden by the general tenor
Of thet instrument, and the fundamental principle
of the government which 1t has established. Our
government is certainly one Of very complicated
character, difficult in some of its aspects to be well
understood. To foreign governments it presents
and was intended to present, power clothed with
the most important attributes Of sovereignty ant
so far our relations with them may be concerned
they are to see nothing beyond that which is de-
scrbed in our glorious motto "E PLUribUS Unum.'
We are, however, not "One," in the sense that i
would be understood if applied to other nation,
which have been formed from once dsiointed and
separate parts. Our Union is not that which, like
marriage, merges the 1hole rights of the parties il
common stock We are not.
like meeting rivers
Which roll into the sea one common flood,
And are 10 more distinguished"
Our union is more properly like an ordinary CO
partnership composed of number of individual
who each furnish portion of capital, to be sub
iected TO the control Of the naiorty of the part
ners, but who each also retain another portion un
der their own exclusive management. With tn
latter neither the partners collectively nor ndivid
uay have an, more right to interfere than if Their
existed no sort of connection between them. Thi
is, also, the theory of our General and State Gov
0var the movers retained by the State