Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-04-23
DoltttraI.
.THE DORR CONTROVERSY.

THE DORR CONTROVERSY.
There are great principles at stake in
this controversy; which, If our working
men were aware Of, they would soon settle
at the ballot box. The subject Of the con
test is, in general terms, "whether the
people are to be allowed the privilege (2)I
of self.goyernmenl, or whether they shall
be subjected TO the control Of self consti
tuted guardians" If the friends Of Dorr
should be triumphant in Obtaining his res
cue-more especially II they should obtain
a verdict in his favor from the u s. Su-
prcme Court, the question will be put al
rest for the present; and such we hope will
DO the result. But il is 10 the working
classes that VIC must look for the continu.
ance Of these principles. The principal
check upon those classes who are aiming
at the attainment Of arstocratic power
and privileges, must be derived from that
class which is made up of those members
of the community, who are represented as
incapable of sell government. II would
not be wonderful that an aristoeratic body
should believe the common people incapa-
bic of governing themselves, il the latter
should not oppose the encroachments Of
the former upon equal rights The only
way for the people TO convince tho world
that they are capable Of self.government,
is TO insist upon enjoying the right of do
tending their own rights. Those ndiyi-
duals who passiyely submit 10 the dicta-
tons Of others, in consideration of their
own supposed incapacity and ignorance,
prove their incapacity and Ignorance by
this very act of submission. They prove
themselves ignorant Of what every intelli-
gent citizen knows, that an interested class
of men wiH acper aarise them, crcept 10
such course as ,oHl be destructive TO equal
rights.
No man who has sufficient intelligence
10 be worthy Of being democratic citizen,
would, If he were manufacturer, expect
disinterested advice from an importer, or,
if he were mechanic, from great trader
l or banker. No class Of men will give i'm.
partial advice TO another class, respecting
Amy Of those matters IN which they arc
rivals or competitors, or have in any way
an opposite interest. The objection which
privileged classes entertain against siric
democratic government, is not as they pre-
tend, that the people arc incapable Of self
government:-the truth is, they fcar M
people kaop TOO much, and that Mey witt
keep too careful guard oper their o'on
rights.
Hence they arc opposed 10 uniSersa
suffrage, knowing that the votes Of the la.
boring classes Of the people are the great
est check to the encroachments Of the rcl
and specializing classes upon the rights
Of the poor and producing closes. VIVA
matters il to these gentlemen whether The
people are capable Of sefgovcrnment o.
not, except that if they are thus capable
: the former will be obliged 10 stand on {
political level with their fellow Citizen
who have less Of the advantages Of for
tuner If The people were really incapa
bic Of seEgovernment-thot is, il the.
could be LED like sheep--those individual
who now cry out against democracy woul,
cease their opposition, Democracy wou
DO fine thing for them, if the peop
were silly enough 10 their bidding. The,
would no longer dread any opposition /
thciFselEaggrandizing schemes--ihe pd6
po, in tina, case, not having sufficient wis
dom TO perceive their fatal tendency.
( is the wisdom and knowledge Of the poo
pie that these privileged classes fear whci
. they are csnting about radicalism an
mobocracy, as they term the soyereignt
Of the people. Investigator.
NJ. a.. ta.... A. ...a.,s. a.