The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-06-19

e the Ingredient"
Again, letter 1872 "Our Legislators are not sui
ficiently apprizcd Of the righfu limits of their pow
ers tina, their true office is to declare and enlorc
= only our natural rights and duties, to take none o
them from us. No man has Il natural right to com
hit aggression on the equal rights Of another ant
This Is all from which the laws ought to restrain him
Every man Is under the natural duty of conribu
ting to the necessities Of society, and This is all til,
laws should enforce ON him /; And no man having
Il natural right to be the Judge between hin sefane
another, it is his natural duty to sabnil to the un.
pirase of IN IN partial third. VI hen the laws have
been declared and enforced all this, they have full
filled Their functions, and the idea is quite unfoun-
ded, that on entering into society we give up any
natural right
Again, 1876: "At the birth ofour republic, ! COM
United that opinion to The world, in the draft of a
constitution annexed to the Notes on Nirgn;i, in
which provision was inserted for representation
permanently epuaed. I he infancy oiihc subject
AT that moment, and our nexpcrience of scll-gov-
eminent, occasicned gross departures in that draft
from genuine republican canons. In Truth, the
abuse of monarchy had much filled all the space
of political conten pla!ion that we imagined eve
ry thing republican that was not monarchy. We
had not yet penetrated TO the mother principle, that
governments are republican only in proportion as
they embody the will Of their people, and execute
it," 81 he true foundation eff republican govern
ment is the equal right of every citizen, in his per-
son and property, and in their management Try
by this, as tally, every provision of our consiillI-
ton, and see if it hangs directly ON the will of the
people. Reduce yonr legislature to convenient
number for full but ordcrI, discussion. Let every
man who fights or pays, exercise his just and equal
tight in their election. Submit them to approb;-
ton or rejection ut short inlivals. Let the exccu-
tive be chosen in the sane way, and for the same
term, by whose agent In is TO he and leave no
screen of counci. behind which to skulk from
responsibility"
Again, letter 40: at should be remembered,
as axiom of eternal truth in politics, that what
ever power in any government is independently, is
absolute also in theory only, ut first, while the
spirit Of the people is up, but practice, MS fast
that re!aXcs. Independence can be trusted M
where but with the people in mass, They are in
hcrcn,'y independent of all bu, moral law"
again, letter ~, ''Ours, Uhe object of the re-
publican party) ON the contrary, Was TO mainlai,
the will of the majority of the convention, and OF
the people themselves We becved, with them,
hui man was II rational animal, endowed by nature
with rights, and with an innate sense of justice
and that he could be restrained from wrong and
protected in right, by moderate powers, comiidcd
to persons of his own choice, and held 10 their du-
ties by dependence ON his own will. We believe
that the conpcalcd organization kings, n0b'cs
and priests, wHs not the wscst nor hest to effect
the happiness of associated man that wisdom yir-
tue were not hereditary that the irnppigs Of sucl
II machinery consumed by their expense those
earnings Of industry they were meant 10 protect
and, by the qualities the, produced, exposed liber-
" 10 suiirrancc. We believed that men, enjoyin
in ease and security the full fruits Of their own in
duslry enlisted By all their interests the side of
law and order hiluaIcd to think for themselves
aud follow their reason rs their guide, would be
more easily aud safely governed, than with mind,
ncurishcd in error, and ,i,iatcd and dchnscd, as IN
Europe, Wy ignorance, indulgence and opprcssiun
The cherisllnent Of the prcp.e then was our prin-
ipe, the fear and disirust ofhera, tial ofhr OIL,
r party
In the p'lianhropic aud conso'ing fiili ola true
democrat. Mr.. Jefferson lived and died. But Ten
DAYS before his death, in reference 10 the neclur-
alton of Independence and its fruits, he sIid letter
LOS:
"Mnv /, be- to the world, what believe Il vii
he i0 s0nc parts sooner, 10 others latcr bu final
Is 10 a) the signal Of arou'ing men to burst tht
chains under wiii'h ncnkish Ignorance and super.
sii'on had pursuaded them To bind themselves, unt
to assume the blessings and securil, of self govern
mcni. The form which we have substituted, re.
s,orc. ,he reason and rrer r;,L, IN the rnhonndo,
cxc,c;.e oc reason and Freedom IF oniuion. All
cycs urc oncrd or openny. to ,b. rights If man
I'm. General .orcrJ of the I;rb, of science has nj.
,o,J, m;J o,n, IN ,ynry ,irw tho r,ln,h,. ,ru,h
,Lo, I'm. n,,is If ,nnnLind Ina. mt bc.n bnrn v;,l
.,JdIc. m ,heir lurks NOR i, G,,ori,c few hoo,eJ
.,rJ ,,.,rr.J ,ooJy ,o r;Ie ,bcm l,a,i,,,,,.ly IA,
tho cr,cn Of God !,
~, ,;o..-
ih'Se eH'i"''S "h"nc''. s''o" ""', "'""" "r''t''
ehces "p',n" 'N,,e" ''''o"s ~, iu',,o' VI ''
hepohhr' ne'c ",.'rehc'S 'A'''p"e" ''e'nSeNe'
III 'he convention =" 'o''' 'e s;''c e1ns, .'o'S n'
more Slr'hlhs'l III 'Hc con, c",o" "'' o'''c" '','
'h'rra, CONSTITUTION Inc "c,,'oc.a''c pnr'P''
sr'gsed'" give tue Pe"p'c Us ""ec' coh'Io' ~
poSSih'e over 'he schera' governments leaving !"
Inc states nl power: III" 'p'o't'c! heceSsaf! 10 ''
general wrIlh,e' WINE me aho'ue'"oc,"''c so"sh
10 pnr,uade me STARE governments Wv. remove 'h'
executive "h" -e"'"r"'' orl,'"cs W '"e genera
government 'n'ire'y' ana the representative Us
p'ac'iaabIe, from 'he p"p"'ar co,i'ro'. WIN soh''
concessions 10 the anll-dcI,ocralc parry ~ the e.
lection OF 'he eNcch'He ana SENATE when me spr
Of" nr prcp'c has rendered hnea'or! VI Prac'ice
the constitution offered To the Sae' was essential
L. dam tn. sIAtlN .tI A. A n