Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-05-30
FOR THE ADVERTISER.
No. EEE.
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE7

that health in The body polite is TO be res
lored by spreading intelligence and by cor
recting popular prejudices aud errors. 10
these ends, therefore, our humble efforts
will be earnestly directed.
The first error that claims our notice is
one of much universally. Ii is founded
OIL the notion, natural in despotlc govern.
ments, that The interests Of those holding
power, are separate and distinct from The
interests of the governed. II is often said,
for example, "the peoples rights are usurp-
ed &c.
Who are The people! 1t is pretended,
that there is a certain class of society in
this country, as in The arisocralic govern.
meets of he old world, called The people,
contra -disting guished from others, who form
another class by reason of entitled priv-
liges. In the sense here meant, this is
non .senscal jargon. Where is the priv.
liged order in this country, or where The
individuals who, can be taken out from
among the people of The nation and placed
in separate privileged class? Socially
there may be distinction; but in polit-
cal point Of view, as meant in This connec-
lion, no one can poiut to any such distiuc-
tion. Politically we are all on an equality:
we are all the people. 1t is The baliot-bor,
and nothing else, tina: gives political rank
in this country. Every one who exercises
fully the elective franchise is one Of the
people. and no other class is known 10 our
civil mud ,,oIitica psIitutiOns
How are we to understand, then, the
expression, ,--.ihc pcopLe's rights are usurp-
ed?" Iris true the people Of one section
Of the country may array themselves
against the people Of another section, and
.usurp authority; butil would be solscism
10 call this an .usurpation Of The peoples
rights, since the only rights that can he
infringed are the peoples rights. When
infringement or usurpaiion takes place,
therefore, ii be by one portion of the
people over another. There exists, as we
have stated, no separate class 10 usurp
popular rights, how much soever it may
suit the policy of demagogues 10 urge This
notion. Legislators who make the laws
tha, are though,.lo usurp the rights Of The
people, are no distinct class. They are
simply agents or trustees. selected by The.
people from among Themselves for The dis
charge of certain duties, and are instru-
mental mainly in. carrying out the wishes
of those whom they represent. For. the
time being, il is true, they are somewhat
privileged; for instance, in going and
returning from our Legislative assemblies,
and during their abode, they are exempt
from The ordinary process Of law; but this
poor privilege ceases on their return, and
after the short period OF Two years, without
reelection they are once more on a po-
li,icaI footing with The plainest of their
citizens. This principle extends
10 all The political offices Of the country
even to The Presidency Of The UniIcd
States, in It's exalted dignity. Beside,
public fuaclionaries in this country are
nearly always identified in interest and in
feeling with thnse whom they represent.
What interests can they have that conflicts
with the interests of their constituents If
as Legislators they infringe the rights Of
their FeIIow-citizens, they will themselves
alter year or SO be the party aggrieved.
Is it raional to suppose that men will take
away rights, or lesisate uSurpativety when
they know, that they and their posterity
must become tho sufferers thereby? But
with the slroug reins, held by the people
over their Legislative agents it is almost
impossible for these latter with any sorl Of
vigilance on the part of the people 10 usurp
unauthorized power. The thing is out
of reason. If one Legislature do wrong,
the people will have control over the next.
II Legislators acl amiss they can be readi.
ly deposed from power. Indeed expert
ence enables 10 affirm, that in by far The
majority Of cases. tho action of Represen-
tatives in our country is consonant 10 the
feelings and wishes uf their constituents.
In The first place, on all leading measures
their opinions are not likely often to clash,
because simiitude OF intelests is almost
sure TO produce similitude Of feeling and
sentiment; but in the few cases iu which
representatives have had the moral bold
ness to differ from their constituents, they
have nearly always been made TO succumb
TO The latter, who hold The reins of power.
A Representative openly refusing TO carry
out the wishes of his constituents on
prominent public measures will not he a
Representative long. However injurious
10 the country this may often be. it is ney.
ertheless true. We speak TO facts that
come within The knowledge and expert.
ence OF every enc.
The conclusion, then, at which we wish
10 arrive from our reasoning is this: That
in loukipg for The sources of Legislative
tyranny or usurpatioD in our country, we
must in general, 80 further back than 10
our Legislators and public funclionaries.
We must recur 10 The people themselves
TO the predominant factions in the land.
We do not pretend 10 deny that many of
our public men are corrupt; but without
faction among The people this corruption,
we contend. would be comparatively harm
less. We will. also, not now undertake to
say in how far The corrupt leading men of
the country excite and provoke faction
among the people. In this point of view
their influence is, we believe, exceedingly
wicked and dangerous. as we will en-
deavor 10 show in succeeding essay; but
the fact on which we dwell as highly inn