New-York daily tribune., 1842-12-07
mr. Rro,ynson,s Lecture.


ton. before the Mercantile Library Association st
the Tabernacle 1t was listened to by a large and
intelligent audience with far more interest than
would have been anticipated from so abstract a
theme and SO close and logical a discussion OF 1t
The subject was Government, its Origin, Organi-
zation and End. Each division of the general
topic was discussed with referenceto the fundamen.
tai principles which it involved. The origin oi
all Government Mr.. BRowNsoN found in the
Unity of Man, which consists Of the Unity of the
Rnce and the Unity of Life. The doctrine which
prevails the present day, that all rishtful Go
vernmcnt is founded upon the assent Of the 60
verned, Mr.. BRowNsoN rejected, first, because il
assumes that all men are equal in state of ma
ture, which is uneqnvocally contradictcd by fact,
both in regard to physical strength and mental en-
dowments; and secondly, that Government de
rivss all its authority from the free delegation OF
individuals The last assumption, Mr.. b. urged
is proved 10 be false by history; for 'tere never
was time when men existed without Cover a.
ment; there never was time antecedent to thi:
assumed compact. IT, moreover, this assumption
were true Government as creation OF The Peopl'
would not be abooe them, and therefore it wouc
not be that which binds them and demands. from
them love and rightful obedience.
The doctrine that government was founded
mainly upon the assent Of the governed Mr.. Is,
said seemed to hin: absurd; for if 1t meant any
thing at all it was simply, that government had
no righ. 70 impose laws upon all individual, or to
runish him for violating them, without first ob
tanning his definite consent. Ifa man commits mur
der government must say TO him, you have been
so unfortunate as to murder your fellow, and now
will you be SO obliging assent to our chohsng
YOU to death in return7' The very statement OF
the theory exposed its weakness. Government
truly grows gu. of secie,y-and society is as old
as man. The rights of government are primitive
rights and are vested in society. When we eok
at an Individual we see in him something more
than an individual. He is from the fac'
that he partakes Of the Race-and yet the Race
does not enter into all men in its integrity. Each
partskes of it-but no one possesses 1t all-else
Humanity would be exhausted and the race mus
stop. There is but one human nature and of that
one nature all men partake. Still each man Is
distinct from every other man-in this, that ne
presents some aspect of humanity different from
that presented by every other.
Out of this Unity Of the Race grom Society
and Government: and out Of the Diversity Of The
indtvidaals arises the necessity of Gorernmemt
Passing from this discussion of the origin and
foundation Of Government, Mr.. BRowNsoN in
sisted that its true purpose is to afford scope for
each man to act out the humanity that is in him
to allow each individual to exercise his individual
liberty, which is his right to thus manifest his
own peculiar humanity. The great error of all
the governments that have existed is that the!
have sought to mould all their members after one
model-instead of protecting and aiding zach in
the manifestation of his own individuality.
AS to the peculiar form of organization which
governments should assume in order the mos
efectually to secure this end, MIR. Brownson said
that this was purely matter OF expediency-to
be determined by geographical situation, the cha
rac,er of the people. &c. In this country the eX
listing form he thought beyond all doubt the best
because it was best adapted to the extent of ter
rtory to the variety of climate and of soil, the
habits of our people, and to all the peculiar circum
stances which mark our country. But he did no
believe the same form would best suit the peopls
Still the peculiar form of government under which
we live, in some respects, most nearly approaches
general model: for the different State Govern
nnents represent the diversity of individual man
while the Federal Union expresses the unity
of the race
Mr. BRowNsoN protested against applying to ou
government the name Of Democracy. Demo-
eracy, he said, was always used, when used pro
perly, to express the supremacy of the will OF the
mass of the peopS-whatever that will might be
or however it might conflict with established law
and order. Ours, he said, might more properly
90 termed Constitutional Government ono
where liked Laws and written Constitutions gov
ern the people as we'll as individuals and anv
government IN which the people are controlled, no
matter oy what, is not democracy. We do Amer
lean Institutions grievous wrong. said Mr.. B., when
we call them democratic: they are better ,han
that, they are republican, looking solely to the pub
lie good.
These were the leading principles of Mr.. Brown.
sons lecture, which embraced many minor points
of considerable interest. He insisted mos, e,o.
quently on the necessity of Law and Order, main.
tanned with reverence and respect in order to the
existence of Liberty and as the sole condition Q
human progress. His discourse embodied sent
ments yisally important to national wei-being aA'
deserving the closest attention of ell. 1T was en-,
nea,ly conservative and yet full of genuine love e
Man and Jealous regard for his rights.
% We are indebted to the Expresses of PoaE
ROY s. Co. and ADAMS & Co. for Albany and Bos