The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-03-19

clarations OF power granted and Of power
withheld. The latter is also susceptible
Of division into power which the majority
had the right TO grant, but which they did
not think proper TO intrusi to their agents,
and that which they could not have gran
ted, not being possessed by themselves.
In other words, there are certain rights
possessed by each individual American
citizen, which in his compact with the
others, he has never surrendered. Some
of them, indeed, he is unable to surrender,
being in the language Of our system una
lienable. The boosted privilege ola Ro-
man citizen was to him shield only
against 4 petty provincial ruler. whilst the
proud democrat of Athens could console
himself under sentence of death, for n
supposed violation of the national faith,
which no one understood, and which al
times was the subject Of the mockery of
all, or the Punishment from his home, his
family, and his country, with or without
an alleged cause that il was the ac., not
of a single tyrant or hated aristocracy, but
of his assembled countrymen. Far diff
lerent is the power of our sovereignty. 1t
can interfere with no mans faith, pre-
scribe forms of worship for no ones OBJ
servance, infict no punishment, but after
well ascertained guilt, the result of mveS-
,iga,ion under rules prescribed by the
Constitution itself. These precious pri-
vilcgcs, and those scarcely less important,
of giving expression 10 his thoughts and
opinions, either BY writing or speaking,
tinrestraiiied but BY the liability for injury
to others, and that of full participation
in all the advantages which 1ow from the
Government the acknowledged property
of all, the American citizen derives from
no charter granted by his fellow man.
He claims them. because he is himself a
man, fashioned by the same Almighty
hand as the rest of his species, and en-
titled to q full share of the blessings with
which he has endowed them. Notwith-
standing the limited sovereignty posses.
sed by the people of the United States,
and the restricted grant of power to the
Government which they have adopted,
enough has been given to accomplish all
the objects for which it was created. 1t
has been found powerful in war, and
hitherto, justice has been administered,
an intimate union effected, domestic tram
quillity preserved, and personal liberty
secured TO the citizen. As was 10 be en-
pocted, however, from the defect Of lam
gragc, and the necessarily senlentlous
manner in which the Constitution is writ
ten, disputes have arisen as to the amount
of power which it has actually granted,
or was intended to grant
This is more particularly the case III
relation TO that part of the instrument
whce treats of the legislative branch
And not only as regards the exercise oil
powers claimed under general clause,
giving that body authority 10 pass all laws
necessary to carry into effect the speclhet
powers, but in relation 10 the latter, also
Ii is, however consoIatory TO reflect, that
most of the instances Of alleged departure
from the letter or spirit of the constitution
have ultimately received the sanction 0
majority of tie people. And the FAC
that many of our statesmen, most dISun
gushed for talent and patriotism, have
been, AT one time or other Of their poii,ica
career. on both sides of each OF the mos
warmly disputed questions, forces upoI
us the inference that the errors, ii errors
they were. are attributable TO the intrinsic
dficulty. in many instances, OF ascertain
ING the intentions Of the trainers Of TN
constitution, rather than the influence o
any sinister or unpatrlotic motive. Bn
the great danger to our institutions doe
not appear to me to be in a usurpation b.
the government OF power not granted b,
the people, but by the accumulation, II
j one of the departments, Of that which wa
, assigned to others. Limited MS are TIT
, powers which have been granted, sill
enough have been granted to constitute
. despotism, if concentrated in one OF III
: departments. This danger is great,
heightened, as it has been always observa
: bic that men are less Jealous of encroacIl
! ments of one department upon anoihe
, than upon their own reserved rights
! When the constitution OF tho Unite
: States first came from tho hands of tn
r conyention which formed il, many o! III
a sternest republicans Of the day were alarm
: ed at the extent Of the power which ha
: been granted to the federal government
i and more particularly of that porto