Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1845-06-14

bo1Sspa;sA wh;aA 6ansd ehad trsasosnd,
ed their powers - thesefoss their work
W. without sstlsrity; ~ ystd. ~.
Msdison admiltsd that The tscf Ms -. and
defended the oonvention against The charge.
He sid that III conzsniion .shad seen IL
l;bvty which few deputies, from : very
fsw States. convened 4 Annapolis, bad
taken Of recommending great and critical
object, spholly jrsigy p tkeiv eossasissios,
not only justified by public opinion, but
actually carried into effect BY twelve ont
of fourteen States" He also goes on r
remark: .s .s
aThey Tthe members of the con
vention1 must have reflected that, in I'll
great changes Of established governments,
forms ought to give way to substance; that
. rigid adherence 10 such case&to the form
er, would render nominal and nugatory the
transcendant and preeious right Of the peo-
pie 70 sbolish or alter their government,
as 70 them shall seem most likely to effect
their safety and happiness, since It is im-
possible for the people spontaneously and
universally to move in concert towards
their object; and it is therefore essential
that such changes be instituted by some as-
formal and sna,dhorized proportions, made
by some patriotic and respectable citizen
Of number of citizens. They must have
recollected that it was by this irregular and
assumed privilege Of proposing to the reo-
pie plans for their safety and happiness that
the States were first united against the
danger with which they were threatened
by their ancient government; that commit
tees and Congresses were formed for con-
centrating their efforts, and defending their
rights; and that conuentions were elected in
the seuerol States for establishing the con-
stitutions under which they are now gov
erned. Nor could it have been forgotten
that no little i'll timed scruples, no zeal for
adhering to ordinary forms, were seen ex-
cept in those who wished to indulge, un-
der these masks, their secret enmity to the
substance contended for. They must have
borne in mind that, as the plan to be framed
and proposed was to be submitted to the
people Memselpcs, the disapprobation Of this
supreme authority would destroy It forever;
its appreciation blot all antecedent errors
and irregularities. p Fsderalist, No. 40.
Thus was this benifcent measure-the
present constitution Of the United States
brought into being BY an irrcgulated and un-
authorized proceeding On the part Of the
convention which framed it. But its subse-
quent approval BY the people blotted out
ssantecedent errors and irregularities"
In absolute monarchies the sovereign pow
or resides in the monarch, from him al
law, authority, honor, power, and distinc-
ton are supposed to emenate. This theory
entirely excludes the people from al voice
or participation in the government, except
as agents and subjects.
In constitutional monarchies, like that Of
Great Britain, the sovereignty Of the nation
is supposed to reside in the crown, which
is the representative Of the king, lords and
commons, or in other language it is held IA
be in the political organisatics Of the State
According to this theory, the people, a.
such, have no sovreign rights; they cannot
change the fundamental law Of the empire,
or its government Of their own sovereign
viii, but such change or alteration can only
be made BY tho parliament, or legislature,
with the assent Of the king or executive
head. aas
The democratic theory differs radically
and fundamentally from the two just stated
It holds that sovereignty il not vested in ,
single individual who happens to be It The
head Of the nation, nor in its political or.
ganization, or constituted forms Of govern
ment, but in the people themselves, BY
whom, and for whose protection and vel
fare, all government is, or should be, insti.
tuted. 1t holds that the sovereign power
belongs to the whole people, Of which each
individual is joint tenant with his fellows
and an equal sharer in the political powe,
fthe State. The democratic party, there.
fore, maintains that the people can, At d
times, and in any manner they may thinl
proper, alter, reform, or abolish existing
forms Of government, and institute othel
forms in the places Of those they abrogate
whenever they deem such an act necessaI,
for the perpetution Of their liberty, safet,
or happiness. That this is the America.
theory, and principle upon which the ex
isting Political systems Of the American
Union are founded we are prepared will
the best authorities to demonstsats. Blu
we have neither time or space to quote bu
a few Of them 1t present. Il
/ Justice Wilson, signer Of the Declara
tion Of Independence, . membsr Of th'
convention Of 1857, which framed The con
stitution Of the United States, and after
wards Judge Of the Supreme Court o
the United States, says: sOf the right 0
the nsyority Of the vhols people t. chang.
their government at viii there isno doubt.
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