Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-02-18

onsts had suffered from the tyranny of James
the Second Their charters had been wres'cd
from them by mockeries of law and by the cor
ruption of Judges in the city of London. and in
no part of England was there more qualification
or more resolute feeling when James abdlca-
ted and William came over, than in the Amerl-
can colonies. All know that Massachusetts,
Immediately overthrow what had been done
under the reign of James. and took possession
of the colonial fort in the name Of the new King.
When the United States separated from En-
gland by the Declaration of l776, they departed
from the political maXms and examples OF the
mother country, and entered upon course more
exclusively American. From that day down,
our institutions and our history relate to our
selves. Through the period OF the declaration
Of independence. of the confederation, OF the
convention, and the adoption of the constitution,
all these are records out of which our system Of
liberty is TO 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 all legislative and
constitutional provisions had regard to this new,
peculiar, American character which they as
sumcd. Where the form of Government was
already well enough they let it alonc.-Whcre
it was necessary, they reformed it. What was
valuable they retained what was essential they
added, and no more. Through the whole pro-
cceding. from &c to the latest period. the whole
course of American public acts, the whole pro-
gross of the American system. was marked by
peculiar conservatism. 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 system
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 its
members are their agents and servants. lie
who would argue against this. must argue with
out an adversary. And who thinks there is any
peculiar merit in assertinga doctrine like that
in the midst of twenty millions of people, when
nineteen millions, nine hundred and ninety-nne
thousand nine hundred and nincty-nine of tlem
hold it as well as himself! There is no other
doctrine of government here and no man inn
r:tes to another, and no man should claim for
HIMSELF any peculiar merit for asserting what
every body knows to be true, and nobody denies.
Why. where else can we look but 10 the people
for political power, in a popular government
We have no hereditary Executive, no hereditary
branch of the Legislature, no inheritance of great
masses OF property. no system OF entails. no long
trusts, no long family settlements, no prinoge-
niture.
Every estate in the country, from the richest
to the poorest, is divided among sons and daugh-
tiers NATURALIZATION is made as easy as pos
sible; everywhere the transmissbiity of pro-
perry is made perfectly free the whole system
is arranged so as to produce, as far as unequal
industry and enterprise render it possible. uni
versa! equality among men, al equality Of rights
absolutely. and equality of condition so far as
the different characters of individuals will allow
such equality to be produced lIewho considers
that there may be, is, ever has been, since the
Declaration Of Independence, anybody who looks
to any other source Of power in this country but
the people. as to give them peculiar merit who
camor loudest in its assertion, must be out of
his mind even more than Don QuiXotte was
His Imagination was only perverted lie saw
things not as they were. lie saw w.indmills,
and took them to be armed men-knights on
horseback. This was bad enough but who
ever says, or speaks as if he thought, that any
body looks to any source of political power in
this country but the people must have a strong
cr and wilder imagination, for lie