Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1849-12-19
PUBLISHED BY REQUISITE
S p E E. G. HI

February 9th, 1916,
ON THE
r E F O r NJ L L.
[Conclusion.]
Mr. Bowie said he had confined his re-
marks 10 the consideration of the constilu-
tional argument, as presented by the gen.
tleman from Baltimore city. He had shewn
that conventional reform was not "a consti-
tutional legal right" as the constitution pow
stands, and that to make it so, the constitu-
ton must be amended in such manner as
to authorize the general assembly to provide
for the call of a convention of the people.
He would now proceed TO consider the
doctrine of ''inherent unalienable rights,''
which had been so often adverted to by
some gentlemen in the course of the debate.
II had been said that if the constitutional
right did not exist, the revolutionary right
did, and upon that revolutionary right the
friends Of reform mi ght fall back. But this
did not follow as a necessary consequence.
Unalenable rig hts were very different from
constitutional ghts. The revolutionary
right could only exist when the government
had become subversve Of lis original ends,
and public liberty had been prostrated or
DESTROYED. Then, and then only, did the
right Of revolution begin. 1.-THE people, bv
the terms Of the original compact. had part
ed with the right to alter or change their
government, and lodged that power in some
other branch of the government, they were
bound by the compact, and could only
change it when the exercise Of the power
had been subverted from its original pur-
poses, or had become destructive Of all free
government. 1Ais was the doctrine Of the
Bill of Rights, it was the doctrine of the
Declaration Of independence and it was
now too late for the Interpolation of new
theories, at wor with these great, fundamen-
tai principles Of all free governments. Bv
inherent, unalenable right, or the right of
revolution, Mr.. B. understood the right to
fight. The right 10 defend ourselves a.
gainst the encroachmenls which govern
ment may make upon our lives, our liber-
ties: and OR pursuit Of happiness. When
government begins this encroachment, il
becomes snbversive of its ends. Instead of
free goyel nment, it becomes despo,;~m.
Against such stale of things it is the in
herent right Of the people 10 defend them
selves. This is a right which the God Of
Nature has given us. But, sir. he has given
us no political hts. Our political hts
are derived from ourselves. We derive
them, and derive them only, from the COM
pact, under which we have agreed to form
government. In state of nature, man is
unresirained BY municipal laws. His only
restraint is the moral sense. He has the
right TO take and appropriate 10 his own use
such property as he may be able to main
tain BY possession. And yet. in state Of
nature. every man has the right to defend
himself against encroachmenls or assaults
that may be made upon those rights. Co
vernment, under which he acquires political
rights, is q compact. 1t is compact, en-
tered into for the purpose Of securing and
establishing greater amount of happiness,
by the enlargement of his political rights
By this compact, he is bound, end bound
through all time. If the compact contains
no mode Of changing or reforming the 60
vernment, and by long and repeated en-
croachments on the freedom Of the people,
the government has become subversive Of
public liberty, then, admit the right Of the
people 10 change the old, and TO establish a
new government. But, if the compact does
contain mode of change, that mode must
be resorted TO, or having been resorled to,
must prove Intellectual, before the right Of
revolution can attach. Now, sir, ] would
respectful ask gentlemen, whether the 60
vernment under which we live, and which
the people themselves have formed, has
stepped beyond its constitutional limits !?
Do they feel any ppression-any tyranny
from the government? Do those evils,
consequent upon the perversion Of govern
ment from its original ends, weigh oppres-
sively upon them? Are they not as free
and as happy now, under this government,
as they ever have been? Are they not as
free and as happy as they wish to be?-
Free? Yes, sir. They are as free. And
are now enjoying as many political bles-
sings, and as large share Of public liberty
as has ever fallen TO the lot Of man. The
government under which we live is essenii-
ally republican, both in theory and in fact,
And for the reform of all abuses, should
any exist, an ample remedy is provided by
the provisions of the fundamental law. No
Unsuitable or maintainable ground can there
fore be urged for the exercise Of the revo-
Iutionary right.
But gentlemen have said that the upper
and more populous counties Of the Slate
have not as much power, under the present
organization of the government, as they are
entitled to. They want more power. And
for the attainment Of more power they are
willing to resort to the exercise of the re-
evolutionary right. But have they tried all
other expedients, and found them ineffectu-
al? And whether they have or not, when
before, was the mere desire TO acquire pow