Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1844-12-11
11oIftftal.
FROM BANCROFT
THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.

from an dhnTeSS heLlbcTeh ~ bcOIBt
Bancroft on the 4lh of July, 1926, be-.
fore the citizens Of Northampton, Mas.
8dchuSettS.
"rhe sovereignty OF the people is the
basis of the system. With the people the
power resides, both theoretically and
practically. The government is demo.
crazy, determined, Incorporating de-
mocracracy; administered Immediately by
the people, or by the peoples responsible
agents"
"Tho interests of the people are the in
terosts Of the individuals who compose tho
people. five needed no general govern
ment for our private success and happl.
ness, we should have adopted none. 1t is
created to supply want and deiiciencyj
il is simply a corporation, invested with
limited powers for accomplishing specific
purposes.
"Govornment is based upon population,
not upon property. If they who possess
the wealth possessed the power also, they
would legsato in such way as to pre-
serve that wealth and power; and this
would tend to an aristOcracy. We hold
il best that the laws should favor the die
fusion of property and its easy acquisi-
stion, not the concentration of il in the
hands of few to the Impeachment of
the many"
WHAT rs DEMOcRAoY2
Extract from an address 10 the democrat.
ic electors of Massachusetts, adopted By
democratic State contention in 1885,
prittcn By George Bancroft.
"Democracy is a government founded
on persons, and not on property--rocog'
nizing not only equality before the law,
but equality of political franchises"
democracy is accused of ondeovoring
to set the poor against the rich. DUmoc-
racy, resting on the great middlng class,
is the mediator between the poor and the
rich. We certainly would secure the
rights of the loeblest individual. This is
all and if this includes the idea of oppo
silion TO the rich, it can only be because
the rich are striving to obtain more than
has been conceded to them by the lnstitu-
tons Of our country"
at is the uniform tendency of the pop
ular element to enfronchise and bless hui
mainly. The exact measure of the pro.
gress of civilization is the degree in which
public opinion, the intelligence OF the
common mind, has prevailed over wealth
and brute force; in other words, the meas
uro of the progress Of civilization is the
progress of democracy.
"To defend the rights of labor is the
glory of the age. The democracy de-
mands, as a test OF IFS measures, their
tendency to elevate the laboring classes.
Ii our opponents arc heartily disposed TO
aid us in this design, let them abandon
their opposition and Join with us in estab.
fishing the reform which will promote it. "
wuIGGIsM AND DEMOCRACY.
The wing rests for support on material
interests: democracy on morality and mind.
The wing respects men with their possess
sions: democracy cherishes naked human.
ity. The whig idolizes established abu.
sos, and pleads prescription; democracy is
the party of hope and reform. The wing
klndIes with zeal in the defence Of sopa-
rate interests; democracy demands equal
rights. The wing claims the privilege of
his sovereign: democracy asserts the so
yereignty of the people. The wing re-
gard liberty as fortunate privilege, or as a
covenaned Acknowledgement: democracy
holds liberty as natural and nalienable
right The wing builds his strong 60
vernment on force: democracy trusts in
the diffusion of intelligence, and the pow
or of opinion. The wing iulfIs his con
tracts, and knows no obligation to do more:
democracy claims kindred with every suf.
ferer, and as each generation takes up lis
line of march for eternity, it cheertullv
provides for the iufirm, The whg makes
common cause with his clan: democracy
cares for the well-being of the many. The
wing, resting government on wealth, lays
the foundation of a moneyed aristocracy:
democracy, resting government on the in.
telltgence and morality of the masses, es
tabIlshes the supremacy of the people, and |
opens the way to the principally OF virtue.
GEN. JAcKsoN'S SwoRp. we under
stand that Con I,,l.,,,, ~ . .-.-.-.