Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1849-12-19

however small the minority he might be
found in, his rights were yet protected from
the encroachments and tyranny Of the ma
jority. As for himself, he would as soon
live under the Autocrat Of Russia, as under
the fleeing and capricious dominion of a
mob-under the ever changing and relent-
less rule of mere ajori.y of numbers, un-
restricted by laws or constitutions. He
would sooner obey the nod of one master,
than Of thousand, for however arbitrary
and cruel the exactions of that one master
might be, he could know with certainty,
where 10 find him, and how to serve him.
Mr. g. desired to know in what school
Of politics gentlemen had been taught the
| doctrine, that ma GRITTY ofnumbers had the
right to do as they please? In the dark
physical force reigned triumphant over in
teIectuaI-when The power Of the sword
alone was resorted to, in the settlement OF
questions Of right-when men, in state
Of nature, had not yet learned the wise and
wholesome restraints of government, and
bad made no progress in the formation OF
laws or OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES doctrines mig t
we'll enough have found advocates. But in
this age Of civilization, and enlightened gov
ernment-in this, our day, Of written con-
stitu,ions, and Of established laws, he was
surprised to hear such sentiments avowed.
They could find no response in any Ame-
rican heart; nor in any heart, whose pulsa-
lions quickened with love OF country, or
Of constitutional liberty. Such majorilies,
in the sense in which they had been refer
red to by gentlemen, were the most arbilra-
ry and tyrannlcal of rulers. They had Of
ten become monsters in the shape of men );
and governed alone by princi pies of instinct,
or of mere animal feelings, like ferocious
beasts Of the earth, had sla!kcd abroad, "seek-
ing whom they might devour," overpower-
ing by main strength, everything that might
come in their way. They have been known,
sir, to enter the halls of justice and turn the
Judge from his bench-lo invade the lcgs-
Ia.ive chamber, and cast The members from
their scals-to seize upon the executive,
and usnrp the reigns Of government. They
have scattered death and Jesolaiion wher-
ever they have gone. In their claims to
v:ded dominion. with sac1iliai OILS hands.
thew have even attempted TO pluck from the
God Of Heaven his scepre, and to rob Him
of his power. All this they have done, or
attempted to do. And gentlemen would
say they have the right Ii is their Inherent
and unalienabIe right! Mr.. B. denied it,
He denied it in the name Of humanity, and
for the sake Of humanity. He denied it in
The name of every principle that was dear
and sacred to American freemen. He de-
MED it upon The authority of the Bill Of
Rights, that great charter of our rights as
freemen, Of which the very first article de-
clares, "that all government originates from
The people, is founded in compact only, and
is Instituted solely for the good Of The achole
Does this article of the Bill Of Rights mean
that government. is instituted for the eXclu-
sive good Of the majority? Can gentlemen
find any such doctrine in any part Of that
instrument No, sir. The rights, and the
happiness of minori,ies are as much the OBJ
jec's Of governmental care and protection
as those Of majorilies are. The day has
long since past, when ma ority of the
citizens was held to constitute the govern
ment. That day was day Of darkness
We wish not to return 10 it. We want not
to be thrown back again into state of ma
ture. From state of nature, the right now
claimed, is derived. Ii is not the result Of
conventional arrangement. Under a state
of government, founded on compact, the
rights of ma orties as we'll as those Of mi
noriiies, must be jud ged according to the
terms of the compact. In state OF nature,
every man has the right to do as he peases.
No law restraints him. He knows not his
God. In state Of nature, man is but a
brule-a lion. roaming at large through the
forest, seeking whom he may devour. Here,
power has the ascendency. Strength gov
erns-majority rules-might makes rig h'.
But, in state Of civilization-under res'ric-
tons and laws-and under form OF gov
eminent, man becomes a cillZen-a subject
bound to act according to the limitations
and restraints of the compact under which he
lives, and entitled only TO the privileges which
are secured by the compact. hope gen'lc-
men will recolIect that in this our State Of
Maryland, there does exist constitutional
compact fundamental law, and that this
fundamental law does not give the right now
commended for. hope if they claim to ex-
ercise it at all, they will put i! on the right
basis. The right to overturn government at
wiIl-wilhout reference to the objects Of
change, or to the complaints to be remedied.
And then say, they have no such right, ex-
cept it be the RICH. have just spoken Of
the right of the lion, roaming at large as king
o: the beasts Of the earth, to devour and prey
upon every other beast he may meet with. ]
hope, sir, that these gentlemen will not for
get, that these other, less powerful beasts,
have the right of self-delence. That they
have the right to resist the lion. And |
hope they will recollect, that like them, mi