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

er, in a government already free and repub
llcan, held to be sufficient to justify por'
ton of the people in resorting to revolution
Sir, in the language of the Bill of Rights
sslhe ends of government must be perverted
public liberty manifeslly endangered, and
all other means of redress inefectual," be.
fore the right Of the people to overturn the
old, and establish new government, be-
gins. An equal distribution Of power a.
mongst the different portions of commu'
nifty, can rarely be attained, under any 60
vernment. And, so far as such distribution
depends upon mere population, fluctuations
mus, necessarily take place, as population
will increase and diminish in the various
sections of the state. In the distribution
and al'o,men, of political power and poli.i-
cal franchises, it is the part of wisdom, and
more in accordance with the principles and
spirit of true republicanism, to look, rather
to the nature and extent Of the franchises
conferred, than to the number, or condition
of the individuals upon whom they are con-
ferred, or upon whom they are to operate
If those powers and franchises, in their ma
ture and extent, are bestowed alike on all
between the citizens of State, with respect
to the quality, nature or extent Of their po-
liticaI franchises, no we'll grounded objec-
ton can be urged against the republican
ism of such government, because those
powers and franchises happen to be enjoy
ed, in larger masses, in one section OF the
State than in another. To base the right
of revolution upon mere f1ucluation in the
population of State, would render the 60
vernment so unstable as to be unworthy Of
preservation. Revolutions will become Of
so frequent occurrence as to destroy, not
onl ~ the substance, but the forms of free
dom. If mere equalization Of power is wha,
gentlemen want, they will find ii unaltaina-
bic under any reform that may be adopted.
Mr.. B. cared very little about political pow
er. He wished it to be sovereign, no mat
ter where it was lodged. In This free 60
vernmenl, happily for US, all political pow
er is derived from the people In monar-
chcal governments, it is said to be derived
from the king, by the jure divino. But
whether it springs from heaven, or from
earlh-from king, or from the people-it
ought TO be sovereign. Would you have
people; Ia tie exercise Of their sovereign
power, establish constitution and TO m Of
gove!nment.-provde the means by Which
II may be pefpeiuated, and Then, IN Oppose
ton 10 The modes lescribed by themselves,
adopt olhe-s, wholly different? In all ages
and under all forms of government, the So
vereign has been held to be bound by his
acts, and his declarations. And whether
these acts of sovereignty proceed from the
people, or from a monarch, they are alike
obligatory on both. When the people I'M
derlake to exercise acts Of sovereignty, they
should be allowed to enjoy the fruits Of
sovereignty. The formation of government
is one Of the highest acts Of sovereignty !;
and any deviation from the rules prescribed
by the fundamental law, either by The peo-
pie themselves, or by the agents whom
they have entrusted with political power
to carry on the government, is an infringe
ment Of the sovereign power. and is subver-
sive, in liz tendency, of all right to insli-
tute government. or to institute government.
or 10 establish rules of civil poliiy. What
ever the compact is, the people are bound
by it. If the compact prove injurious, in
practice, let them alter it in the mode pre-
scribed by the compact. If it be destruc-
tive of the ends for which it was ordained,
and no mode Of alteration is prescribed, then
the right to alter or change it, as the peo-
pie NAV desire, is an inherent right. .'When
life and public liberty, and the pursuit Of
happiness are maniieslly endangered'-
"when other means of redress have been
tried, and found inehectuaI," then, but not
till then, does the unaienable and inherent
right Of revolution begin.
But, sir, gentlemen have been pleased TO
say that the people have the right to con-
troll the minority, and that whenever it suits
The pleasure of The majority to alter the con-
s,ilulon, they have the inherent right to do
SO. To the extent contended for, | cannot
sanction this doctrine. agree that IN the
act Of forming government, the will Of the
majority ought to, and most generally will
prevail. am willing to admit that govern
mentt TO be best, which administers the great
est good to the greatest number. And
whether in the formation, or in the admins
tra,ion of government, admit, tina, the in
teresl and happiness Of the greatest num-
Der, should, for the most part be consul
ted. But gentlemen must recollect that
all "government originates in compact"
and is Instituted for the good, not of a
part only, ''but the whole people''-for
minoriies as we'll as majorties. Govern
ment itself is a restriction upon the power
of the peorle-,he whole people. And not
only are majoriies, bound by it, but the
whole, and each and every one of the people.
All and every one Of the people-majori-
lies as we'll as minori.ies, are bound by the
constitution and the laws and il is no more
in the power of majority to violate that
constitution, or those laws, than it is in the
power of single person to violate any
other law Of the land. Mr.. 9. thanked God
that he lived in country where the con-