The republic., 1851-08-13
May | be pardOned for another citation from
Edmund Burke:

Edmund Burke:
'lf civil society be the offspring of convention,
that convention must be it's law That convention
must limit and modify all the descriptions of con-
stitution which are formed under IT, Every sort
of legislative, judicial, or executory powers are its
creatures. They can have no being in any other
state of things; and how can any man claim, un-
der the conventions of civil society. rights which
do not so much as suppose its existence? Rights
which absolutely repugnant to 1t One OF
the first motives to civil society, and which be-
comes one of it's fundamental rules, ia, that no
shall be Judge IN ms Os0n cause. BY this
each person has at once divested himself Of the
first fundamental right of uncovenanted man,
that is to Judge for himself and to assert his
cause. He sbdicates all right to be his own gov
ernor. He nclusively, in great measure, aban
dons the right of sefdefence, the fret law of ma
ture. Men cannot enjoy the rights OF an uncivil
and of civil state together That he may obtain
justice, he gives up his right OF determining what
il is in points the most essential to him. That he
may secure some liberty, he makes surrender in
trust of the whole of it. "-BTks's Works, Dol. o..
page l2l.
Nothing is easier than for men to find a
higher or transcende1ltaI law in their own will
and pleasure, or in some fanciful construction
Of their natural powers and duties, distracted
from their civil and social obligations. No
thing can be more true than that man, in state
Of nature, may do some very fine things. The
the weaker. The mere man of Drawn may
deem himself elected, as Milton says, to out
ward privileges in this present world. The
lnsupportable evils of this state of things is
eminently suggestive of government, not only
as convenient, but absolutely necessary, for
the peaceful existence of men living together
in society. But it must be apparent TO all
other than besotted or bewildered intelligence
that the idea of right reserved to obey on
disobey is utterly inconsistent with the idea OF
government. 1t follows not hence that govern
ment must necessarily be absolute. 1t may be
limited and framed with all manner of checks
and reservations; but no matter what the mOdi-
fication of the government may be, when the
c0nlDliliS consensus Omniltnl anin0rum shall
veframed and established tbat government,
the laws emanating from it must be obeyed, or
it cannot stand. Five hundred men could be
found, suppose, who, if Mr.. Parker or Mr..
Sumner should turn his eloquence to the sup
port of that doctrine, could be prevailed on to
assert their natural right to a multitude and
variety of wives. 1t has been discovered that
every thing which is disagreeabIe is amconsti-
tutionaI.
1t might be said that laws restraining po-
lygamy, or the equalization of property, were
of this description, and that the natural rights
of man remained undelegated in himself. Spe-
cious arguments are never wanting in support
of the will.
But government is designed to restrain the
passions of mankind.
Government" says Mr.. Burke, ''is not made
| in virtue of natural rights, which may and do
ist in total independence of it, and exist in much
greater clearness, and in much greater degree
OF abstract perfection; but their abstract perfec.
ton is their practical defect By having right
to everything, they want everything. Government
is contrivance of human wisdom to provide for
human wants Men have right that their wants
should be provided for by this wisdom. Among
these wants ia to be reckoncd the want out OF civil
society, of sufficient restraint upon their pas
sons. Society requires not only that the passions
of individuals should be subjected, but that in
the mass and body, as well as in the individuals,
the inclinations of should frequently be
thwarted, their will controlled, and their passions
brought into subjection. This only be done
by po,cer out of themseluss; and not, in the
else of its functions, subject to that will and those
passions which it is its office to bride and subdue
In this sense the restraints men, we'll as their
liberties, are to be reckoned among their righs."-
Ibid page l22. SIGMA.