Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-07-24
For the Southern Standard.
Memoranda Of Political Truths.
OAK GROVE, July 9Th.
by IRA V. DODSON.
mo. IV.I

The term Governor, applied to the chief or head
agents of the people, in the administration of the
several Republican State institutions in our coun-
try, is nonsensca gra uty, and it should not have
been adopted by our forefathers upon the estab-
lishment by them of those governments, the lead
ing idea and the distinguishing feature of our po-
litical systems is, that of fgoverament through
representative agents and perfectly is this the
case, that the science of Republican governments
originates in, and springs directly from the minds
Of the people, who, in the written formula const-
tutng the fundamental basis, and creating the SUI
perstructure of such systems, also provide for the
election by themselves of those persons who shall
afterwards be entrusted with the conduct of all
public affairs Is it possible for man to discover
or invent perfect system of government
than this :? Among these agents there must ne
cessarily be principal representative OF Chief of
fcer. Similar head officials under other forms of
government, are varously entitled Emperors,
Kings and Governors but the idea conveyed by
each one and all these terms, and the political con-
diton of things incident thereto are similar name
y,-the officer so called, is really the gogeraaor or
ruter over certain country, territory district,
and the inhabitants thereof are his subjects But
not so in the United States He who is elected by
the people to fill any governmental Office under
our system, is merely their agent, and such an
one cannot be above and superior to those who Gre
ated the government and the Office and appoint him
to discharge for short term of years, the func-
tons of the latter,-no matter whether he be the
Chief or subordinate agent. Hence the Execu-
tive Office of the State of Mississippi for instance,
is as truly the representative of the people of the
State any member of the Legislature and so,
also, of the judicial officers they are all alike the
agents of the people. temporarily discharging the
respective trusts confided to their management.
Republicans speak into exiStence-create the
governments, the officers, and the agents and, in
the nature things it is utterly impossible for any
such creations to be equal to to contro-goUeras
their creators. Freemen establish their own pre-
ferred political systems and then govern Themselves
through and by the appointment of agents of their
own selection. The term Governor therefore, is
inapplicable and unnatural when applied to the
Chief agent of the people in Republic. Those
officers enjoying this title among u.s. neither gov
the people at large the subordinate officers
of the systems with which they are connected. And
if this be true of those holding office in the States
the only Republican governments known to the
world-how weak and mistaken is the notion, and
which, it is admitted prevails almost universally
amongst us, that the United States Confederacy,
the creation of the States and which latter are the
creations of the people, is supreme in power and
authority over the States and over the people =
Surely no one who calls himself freeman viii hold
to such monstrous idea, for one moment after he
fully comprehends the meaning of true liberty,
and the nature of the principles and the structure
of Republican governments.