The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-03-26

aud resblve that s1urdefJhal Sc no crime May
tGey, wheth& ns4iveslhf aliens, bladk orwhite,
Sby pubic Hl6etiles repeal Or aher The laws reg
ulating wills, descent, distribution, &c. Have
they natural right" to repeal all laws impos-
ing penalties upon The vicious, and turn them
loose to prey upon society? May they, by resolu-
lions a, PUBLIC meetings, change the orgapiza- |
ton of our courts define their powers and duties,
and prescribe the times and places of their meet
ings? If the opinions advocated by those who
justify the Dorr rebellion are correct the MAORI
" Of The people may certainly do these things
But again: If majority of the people have a
nafarul Tighl' 10 change their government, m
their primary assemblies, to what portion Of the
people can this right be denied If a majority
'tof the people of Rhode Island enjoy this right,
does it~not equally belong to the people OF any
particular county Suppose a majority OF the
!, people residing in the western part of Ohio and
!, the eastern part of Indiana, occupying contgu-
GUS territory, should meet together in popular
., assemblies, and establish a. new. government,
embracing parts of Ohio and Indiana. Would
my colleague suppose that they We're merely
- exercising a right which the :. God of nature
gave them?, Can governments pc thus made
- and unmade by majorities within any given
!. Limits j Have a majority Of the people OF the
United States "a 1" natural right" 10 determine
l. by resolutions at public meetings, that the State
j. governments shall all be abolished, and one CON
tsolidated government framed in their stead
!. The geographical lines which divide States and
I, counties, can not be Mterposed 70 prevent the
. people from the, exercise Of those 8 natural
" righs'' which the Z" God Of nature" has given,
\. miles square, which compose the District Of Co
i lumbia, should meet together and resolve that
/, they would no longer be governed by Congress;
but that in the exercise of their :. natural CHS,
!. they would form new government. They
would be but carrying out, the. Dorrism of Rhode
. Island, They, are now deprived Of that right
which my colleague calls; a "nattural right"
They have no, voice, in the selection of those
who, govern them. We may exercise our pow
.ers Of Legislation over them in the most oppres-
.siye manner, and yet we are not responsible to
. them, But according to these new notions OF
q" Democrqey.n' they have an easy remedy. A
!, majority Of them have only to agree toa.new
I, form Of government and the constitutional power
]. Of Congress to control them IS at an end.
III, The people Of the District Of Columbia GER
. tanly enjoy the same natural rights the people
of Rhode Island. Those natural rights" which
. belong to us as individuals, and which il is the
duty OF every government to protect, can be con-
fined to no territorial limits, can be circumscribed
by no geographical boundaries. If majority Of
the people of any State may change the govern
\, .ment in the manner attempted by the Dorrites,
a majority Of the people Of the District Of Co.
. lumbia may certainly do the same thing. II it
IA !" natural righp' belonging to the people of
!, a State, It belongs equally to the. people Of a
|. county, of q township Of a village, ls...,
The artificial lines which separate States, and
counties can not interfere with the enjoyment
!; Of those natural rights, and cannot limit their
exercise by the people. Establish the principles
Of Dorr and his infatuated followers as correct,
and the ligaments which bind us together be-
!; come as feeble as ropes Of sand. Every State
in The Union may be subdvided into an hundred
/. INDEPENDENT governments The changes Of gov
,F 1,
moon. II is in Short but substitution Of anar-
chy for, governmental Iawless violence and
faction, for law and order.
-. Whoo are the people Have few factious.
i and DISCONTINUED demag ogues right 70 meet to-
4 gether and resolve that they are the people, and
that the rest Of the community shall yield obe-
.dence to their commands? Have they right
TO determine las was done by the Dorrites of
Rhode Island) not only the form government
which shall be adopted, but also the question
whether they constitute a majority Of the peo-
4 pie? Have even majority a "natural right :"
10 govern the minority Of the people without
their consent There isno despotism 50 CALLING
and SO oppressive, SO utterly destructive OF all
rights, both natural and political, as the lawless
despotisn Of faction. M. '.,a '~'''.' 4
!, Mr.. Madison, who believe has always been
admitted TO be genuine Democrat, entertained
the opinion, that even majority Of the people
might constitute q faction lii The 10th No. of
!. The Federalist he says: ~, i" ''''3,.' e
IN" By a faction, understand number Of citizens,
whether amounting to majority OF minority Of the
whole, who are united and actiated by some common
impulse of passion interest," adverse TO the rights of
other citizens the and aggregate interest Of
- the community, Ill. ,,.1, l,,,,.,.,,. ~ 4
I'll ask yon, DIR. Speaker, if principles so wild;
SO Jacobinical, SO utterly destructive of all go
r yernmenti as those which are advocated by the
! Rhode Island jnsurrectioniss, are encouraged,
where will you find limits for, their operations
The history Of the French. revolution furnishes
sns an instructive example of their fruits when
practically acted upon, i. The same, principles
i were advocated by Robesperre, by Danton, and
a,by Marat, while their savage bu,cheries were
Ito be the guardians Of the peoples rights and TO
act by the authority Of the people, while the peo-
spfe were themselves, by thousands falling victims
10 their ferocity. The expressions Of public as
:, semblies Ief lawess ,desperadoes were declared