The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-05-01
THE NATIONAL ERA.
WASHINGTON, MAY /, 1851.
a" THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLE"

=" The Era mentions several principles undoubt-
eddy democratic, and among them opposition to
class legislation, but in the very same paragraph
il calls for Harbor and River improvements.
Now, what is this but class legislation Nay, it
is the worst kind Of class legislation and it has
been destroyed in reality by nothing bat the glsr-
ing evils it brings along with it, 1t is legislation
TO build up cities for those who want the profit of
city sites without bestowing upon them the ex-
pense that will make them profitable IL is ask
ing the country at large TO be taxed for the bene
fit Of cities for their much greater benefit at least
and the result has been, as the result Of all such
legislation always must be, that appropriations
have been z1sae not TO meet the wants of the
country but TO meet the wants, or rather de-
mands, Of influential landhSfSelS.
O. We say, organize on the true Democratic
principle We say, organize on the principle
that Congress shall do nothing for men, unless it
be TO define their rights and privileges, and pro-
tect them in them. We say let the merchant,
the mariner, the manufacturer, the farmer, the
laborer each look out for himself and we tell you
there will be great gain to each class and loss
to none except the few who live on legislative
plumber, for that is plumber, that takes from all
interests to give to one, no matter how important
that one may be deemed.
Let people build their own harbors, as they do
ters and papers, as they do -four and pork. Let
them attend to their own business as they choose,
without interference, for every interference is in
justice. Organize on this principle, and you
carry with you every real Democrat in the North
ern States, be he now of the Wing, Free Soil, or
Hunker party, and you carry with you all those
Of the Southern States who are not blinded by
self-interest, and even those who are, must come
to yOu."-RaeiHe (IVis) Advocate
The foregoing is part of an article on our fourth
page, from an able Democratic paper in the West.
The editor is commenting upon some suggestions
we made respecting the organization Of party
which should take the Democratic Principle as
its central idea, and boldly apply it to the solu-
ton Of ell political questions pressing upon the
public mind. He admits the applications of this
principle, pointed out in our article except as TO
the improvement of our Rivers and Harbors-
legislation for this object is, in his judgment,
more carefully, he would have seen that its very
terms exclude the idea of such legislation River
and Harbor improvements, where the works are
Of national Importance, and can only be accom-
plished by national enterprise" This was our Ian
gusge. What is there in it, or in the ideas it
was intended to convey, repugnant to the DEM
ocratic Prinoiple2"
Democracy means government by the Peo-
pie. 1.-THE Democratic Principle" may be stated
in the two-fOd proposition that, it is the right of
the People to govern themselves, and their duty
to govern for the benefit Of all. Recognising the
the right of all men equally to life, liberty, and
the pursuit Of happiness ii insists upon universal
suffrage, and upon the obligation Of protection to
the rights of each by the power of all Necessarily
it rejects the policy of legislation by classes or
Legislation for the benefit Of classes seeks, 80 far
as it may without interference with personal lib
erty, the equalization Of conditions, as vital to the
realization Of equality Of rights. Justice at home,
defence abroad, it enjoins as the first duties Of
Government-but not the only duties And here
we differ from the Racine AdvOcate, which seems
to assume that the only function of Government
is Z" to define the rights and privileges of men,
and protect them in them" True, it is speaking
of the sphere of Congressional legislation but
the context shows that the assumption is intended
to apply to Government generally. We say,
then, that on this point we differ from the Racine
AdUooaie. Its idea of the functions of Govern
ment is not comprehensive enough The People
have right, not only to life and liberty, but to
the pursuit of happiness; and it were indeed
marvellous, had they not the right, in Govern
ments instituted by them, to provide as well for
the promotion Of their interests, as for the pro-
lection of their liberties. We hold that the Dem
Ocratic Principle recognises the right and duty Of
the People, through the machinery Of Govern.
ment to arrange their circumstances in such way,
and secure to themselves such facilities as without
weakening the sense Of personal responsibility,
imparing individual freedom, lessening motive 10
individual effort or building up class interests,
to aid all in the pursuit Of happiness. Ii is for
them to say what things are necessary to be done,
which individual effort cannot do. We know,
that in developing the resources Of a country,
and bringing out the full energies Of its inhabit-
ants, works or movements are at times required,
to which individual enterprise is inadequate, and
which could not be accomplished by local cor
poratiOns, witout the grant Of powers dangerous
to Popular Sovereignty. Such works, such
movements must be- ought to be, performed by
the whole People, acting through their own Gov
eminent, whose power in such a case is made sub
servient 10 the general welfare, while it is re-
strained and controlled by the Popular will. No
Government has ever existed, or ought to exist,
without such a power II were q hindrance,
rather than help to progress In the organizs-
tion Of the Federal Government, II was empower
ed by the People to do something more than de-
fine the rights and privileges of men, and protect
them in themn Congress has power to regulate
commerce external and internal, to lay and COL
lect taxes, to establish post Offices and post roads,
to encourage science and the arts by the grant Of
patents, to coin money, and fix the standard Of
weights and measures. These powers might have
been withheld, and yet the "rights and priv
leges of men" might have been defined and pro-
tected and had this been the sole legitimate OBJ
Jet Of Government in the judgment Of the Peo-
Pile in 1887, they would have been withheld
Had they so judged, where would have been the
Progress Of which we now bosst7 Ii was neces-
AIRY TO the harmony Of the States, to their CON-
nerce, to their highest prosperity, that Congress
hOuld have the power to regulate commerce, to
ay and collect taxes, to provide for the convey
nee Of the Peoples letters and papers, to coin
money, and fix our weights and measures and
his power must be exercised, not only SO as not
o infringe upon the liberties Of the People, but