Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-07-14

In times when men who seek to control the politi-
cal action OF the %populace greatly abound, it may be
well TO turn aside, for a little while, from the more
immaculate concerns OF strictly party strife, and scan
the motives and the doctrines of these pretended and
Wanting friends of the people.
All along they have held themselves up as special
apostles of Democracy, and the peculiar friends of the
"dear peopie," whom they declare to be the only SOW
ereigns known to our government, which they repre-
sent as purely democratical.
1t is believed that to call ours a purely democratical
form of government, is not wider from the truth, than
to style themselves the especial guardians Of the pco-
pie who compose it.
All governments, to be complete, enduring and en-
crgetic, must include within their scope these three
great powers, viz the executive, the legislative, and
the judicial.
These powers underlie all existing governments;
and the peculiar manner OF distributing them among
the different functionaries thereof, distinguishes one
form of government from another.
In a despotis1n, all these powers are vested in, and
are exercised by, a single individual. In an absolute
aristocracy, they belong to a few persons, constituting
a permanent sovereign council. And in a pure and
absolute democracy, they are exercised by the people
at large. in their original sovereign assemblies
But a purely despotical, aristocratical, or democrat-
icaI form OF government very rarely exists as these
several powers are commonly vested in independent
departments OF the same government in which case
the government becomes a mixed one. When the
executive department is hereditary in a single person,
it is styled a mixed monarchy if hereditary in certain
chieitains, or families, it is Il mixed aristocracy if
delegated by election, it is a mixed democracy, or a
republic.
Tins classification is in accordance with that adop-
ted by Mr.. Justice Story, and will be found, on exami-
nation, to be correct in all its details.
From the above, it is plain that our form Of govern-
ment is not an absolute democracy, but a Republic.
Nor do these distinctions consist in words alone
for the powers oft the people in a democracy are widely
different in their nature, and more enlarged in their
extent, than in a Republic. In a democracy every
citizen is a quasi executive, legislator and Judge. His
participation is direct, as well in executing and de-
claring, as in making the laws. If he acts at all, he
must act for himself, as he can in no event delegate his
authority. While it is OF the very essence ot a Re-
public, that all the powers OF government are delegated
powers, In virtue of his citizenship no one is an ex-
ecutive, no one is a legislator, no one isl Judge. And
it is neither true in fact, nor correct in theory, that the
people are sovereign. lobe sure, in certain limited
sense, they may be said to be sovereign for all the
powers OF government, whether executive, lie legislative
or judicial emanate, in the first instance, from the PEG.
l-' VA 80 N'NN'~' ''' 49, tS'-' - NNN''' 'A@
shall be their executive, their legislators, and their
judges.
But when, in the exercise of their rights as citizens,
they have once delegated these great fundamental
powers. and have thus constituted a government, that
government, as such, possesses and exercises powers,
which, though emanating from, are yet above and be-
yond the control of the people at large. And though
they may, in the exercise of their limited sovereignty,
change the form, and abridge the powers, of the gerI-
eral government; yet until that be done, the govern
ment so established by them, is sovereign and not the
people.
In this examination of the nature ofour government
and in its comparison with hat of an absolute democ-
racy, it must have occurred to all, that the latter form
OF government Is clearly u%nadapted to any other coun
Try than one OF scanty population, limited extent, and
rude, simple habits and that, even then, il would but
poorly satisfy the wants and necessities OF the inhabl-
tantS. And it is equally clear, that i'll adopting IA Re-
publican form OF government, the trainers OF that beau
,,an,n r' mowers s,,s1 nrs " dteiniS %s tye a. l9 Mh aflle the the, i sHd a.
a measure, independent tunctionaries, were guided
not only by correctness OF theory, but by the light OF
the history OF the past, which alone can lead to abso-
lutte security from error.
And when the people are told by ranting denarogues.
that in our country they are the only soyereisns. they
will do well TO remember that they are really n only
to a limited extent and that il behooyes them (, DEL
egate sovereignty to those only, whose inteliigchse.
honesty and patriotism are a sure guaranty lha, the,
wIl aim at nothing short Of the true end and scope .
all governments, the greatest good OF ALL. And lei
them not forget that in all ages the greatest ,yran,s
have been those who were raised to power BY affect
ing the highest concern, and deepest regard tor the
interests OF those over whom they have swaycd the
bloody sceptre OF despotlsm. Let them not be eaioled