Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-02-10

revolution Of 1858. The American tOlohists
had suffered from the tyranny OF James the
Second. Their charters had been wrested
from them by mockeries of law and by the cor
rupti9n of Judges in the City OF London, and IN
no part of England was there more gratihca-
ton or more resolute feeling, when James
abdicated and William came over, than IN the
American colonies. All know that Massachu-
sets Immediately overthrow what had been
done under the reign of James, and took pos
session of the colonial fort III the name OF the
new King.
When the United States separated from
England by the declaration of 1875, they de-
parted from the political maNlms and exam
pies of the mother country, and entered upon
a course more exclusively American. From
that day down, our institutions and our history
relate TO ourselves. Through the period OF
declaration of Independence, Of the Confedera-
tion, of the Convention, and the adoption OF the
Constitution, all these records out ofwhich our
sytem of American Liberty is 10 be drawn.
From the Declaration of Independence, the
governments of what had been colonies before,
were adapted to their new condition. They
no longer held allegiance to crowned heads
No tie bound them TO England. The whole
system became entirely popular, and leglsla-
latye and constitutional provisions had regard
u this new, peculiar, American character
which they assumed. Where the form of Gov
ernment was already well enough they let 1t
alone. Where II was necessary, they reform
ed il. What was valuable they retained
what was essential they added, and no more.
Through the whole proceeding, from 76 to
the latest period, the whole course Of Amcr-
can public acts, the whole progress Of this A
4 k,y.
servation. Their object was TO do what was
necessary, and no more and To do that with
the utmost temperance and prudence.
Now, without going into historical details
at length, let me state what ! understand the
American principles TO be on which this sys-
TEN rests.
First and chief, no man makes question,
that the People are the source OF all political
power Government is instituted for their good
and It's members are their agents and servants.
lie who would argue against this, must argue
without adversary. And ,chO thinks there is any
peculiar merit in asserting doctrine like that,
in the midst of twenty millions of people, when
nineteen million, nine hundred and nlnety-nlnc
thousand. nine hundred and nnety-ninc ofthem
hold it as well as himself! There is no other
doctrine of government here and no man I'M
putes to another, and no man should claim for
himself any peculiar merit for asserting what
every body knows to be trne, and nobody de-
MES. Nhy, where else can we look but to the
people, for political power, IN "A popular gov
ernment We have no hereditary Executive,
no hereditary branch of the legislature, no in
hcritance of great masses of property, no sys-
TEN of entails, no long trusts, no long family
settlements. no prmogcnture Every estate
in the country, from the richest to the poorest,
is divided among sons and daughters alike
Alienation is made as easy as possible every
where the transmissiblhty of property Is made
perfectly free the whole system Is arranged
so as to produce. as far as unequal industry,
enterprise render il possible, universal equal
iy among men. an equality of rights absolute
". and an equality Of condition SO far as the
different characters Of individuals viii allow
such equality 10 be produced. lie vino con-
siders that there may be, is, or ever has been,
since the Declaration noflndependencc. of anybody
who looks 10 any other source of power in tins
country but the People, so as to give them pc
culiar merit who clamor loudCst i'll its assertion,
must be out of his mind even more than Don
Quixo,e was. His Imagination was only per-
ycrted He saw things not as they were. He
saw wadmills. aud took them TO be armed
on horseback. This was bad
enough, but whoever says, or speaks as If he
thought, that any body looks to any other source
Of political power in this country but the pco-
pie, must have stronger and wilder imaglna-
ton, for he