The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-07-30

processing Tree aad Populsr pffnciplfs ~
Roms ilselL bar. even ia ths besl days
u The Rrpuhlir. ready 10 carry slavery
and chains into her pravss~es. and ahr.uEh
every connlry over which hrf exsIes repld
be home. Who ever hrard af Liberty in
Spain. ar Gsal or Germany, or Bsilsin
in lhe days Of Rome There wss none
such. As The Roman Empire jrcliued.
her provinces. not Instructed In the prin-
ciples Of free popular government. ons sf-
Ter anoiher derlined slso. and wien Rome
herself frl in he end. all fell together.
| hare sail. gentlemen. that aur lnhefi-
tance 10 an inheriianee oi American Iiber-
iy. That liberty 10 rhsrsclrrislir, pecn-
liar. and altogether our own. Nothing
like il existed in former times, nor WAS
known in the most enlightened States II
antiquity while with MS iis principles
have become interviewer into The minds
Of individual men. connected with our
daily opinions and our daily habits, until
il is. IL may so say, an element of social
ss well ~ OF political life; and The con-
sequence is, that 10 whatever region an
American citizen carries himself, he takes
with him. fully developed in his own an-
defsianding and experience, our Ameri-
can principles and opinions, and hecomes
ready Al onre. in cooperation with oihers.
10 apply them 10 the formation Of new
governments. or this. most wonder
!, FOL instance may be seen in The history OF
the Stale OF California.
On former occasion have veniuIed
TO remark thai, " II 10 very difficult 10 es-
. tablish free conservative government Tor
! the equal advancement OF all The iniere d
J Of society. What has Germany done;
: learned Germany. fuller of ancient lore
Y than sll The world beside What has
y Italy donel What have they done who
Y dwell ON The spot where Cicero lisedt
= They have not The power Of self-govern-
= ment, which a common town-mceiing.
Y with us, possesses r. Yes. | say, that
=, those persons who have gone from our
" town, meetings 10 dig gold in California.
are more I'll to make republican govern
u ment than any body OF men in Germany
c. or Italy because they have learned This
on one qrca, lesson, that there 10 no secure
ih ~ wi.hou, law. and that. under The cir-
he cums,ances in which they are placed
as. where there is no military authority TO
To- rut their lhroais, there is no sovereign
md will but The will OF The majority; that.
Therefore, IL they remain. they must sub
OF. nit 10 that will" And this believe 10
ice be strictly true.
ay- Now. fellow citizens. IL your patience
ici- will hold oni, will venture, before pro-
en-. ceeding TO The mo,e appropriate and par
led ,cuisr duties Of The day, 10 state, in lew
er words. wha, take these American polIt-
lss ical principles In substance 10 be. They
nd consist, as think. in ,he first place, in
bi. the establishment ofpopular Governments
DTS on The basis Of representation for 4 Is
lst plain that a pure democracy, like that
il- which existed in some Of the States Of
A. Greece. in which every individual had .
nd direct vote in The enactment Of all laws.
ed cannot possibly existin country Of wide
extent. This representation is TO be made
u. as equal as circumstances will allow.
lh Now. this principle OF popular represen-
~ iaiion, prevailing either in all The branches
or OF Governments, or in some OF them. has
ay existed in these States almost from the
in DAYS Of the settlements al jamestown and
ilh Plymouth borrowed, no doubi, from The
g.. example Of ,he popular branch Of the
all British Legislature. The representation
ln- OF the people in ,he British House Of
sts Commons was. indeed, originally very
is unequal, and 10 yet not equal. Indeed, il
led may be doubted whe,her The appearance
ind oG knights and Burgesses assembling on
la The summons OF the Crown, was not in
rue tended q, first as an assistance and sup
lie port to The Royal prerogalive, in ma,teis
ing Of revenue and taxation, rather than ns .
~, mode Of ascer.aining popular opinion.
ars Nevertheless. representation had popu-
in lar o,iRin, and savored more and more ol
di- The character Of that origin, as j, acquired
i's BY slow degrees. greater and greater
ro- strength, in the actual government Of ths
'ra- country. In fart the constitution Of thu
Honse Of Commons was a furm Of repre-
nee sentsiion. however unequal; numbers
in. were counted, and majori,ies prevailed
Pc and when our ancestors, acting upon TIN
ex- example. introduced more equality ofrep
a"u reSentattOus tiie i6ed assuucu WOiO 70
re. iional and Distinct shape. Al any rate
of This manner Of exercising popular powe
'riy Was familiar 10 our fathers when ihes
en-, settled on this continent. They adopse,
'me il. and generation has risen up after gen
iiy. eralion, all acknowledging il. and becom
tied ing acquainted with lis practice and i
eni- forms.
but Ard The next fundamental principle !
en- our system is, that the will Of the major
ils ". fairly expressed ,hroueh The means |,
red representation. shall have The force oflaw
her and Ills quite evident that in accounts
f0re without Thrones or Aristocracieso OF prl
ever legged castles or classes. there can be |,
sink olher foundation for law to stand upon.
4 u E And. as the necessary result Of ,hls. u
serat third element is. lhal The law 10 The $
- IF r.c,v.s v,.la fnr tha rownrumanl nf q