The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-07-27
Rights of the People Pres
i idemliaI ElecaOrN-'Eiic Pres
iS2 d9eapry

distinguishing idea on which popular
sovereignty is based, is, that the
people are the true and only source
] Of all power, and as such, tn II
right to make the laws by which
they shall be governed, rs we'll aS
Sthe laws which shall govern those
whom they place in authority, is
perfect, imprcscriptiblc right.
The servant cannot be superior 10
the master, the creature cannot be
above the creator. All the prcroga-
lives exercised by Legislators or ru-
5lers, have been vested in them by tie
people, and are the offspring either of
necessity, interest, or convenience.
The power to legislato is not of
the nature OF an absolute prerogativc,
for the reason that the original
10 gilt resides i'll the people as the
& ource of that power. All popular
representation is ba ied OH the very
natural idea, that the peopie are the
depo STORIES of uU power, and that
bhey have delegated this power, by
constituting for themselves, Il rep
}resentativc agent or agents, from OBJ
Fious and paramount considerations of
/ interest, necessity, or convenience.
I'VE will briefly illustrate this
idea. Should the whole people at
tempt to do any political act, or to
legislate for themselves, by assembling
periodically, and resolving themselves
into vast parliamentary, or c"nvcn-
tional body, it would obviously pre-
sent the spectacle Of political ma.
Fchinery, both ANONYMOUSLY and un-
Wieldly. 1t will therefore be readily
perceived, by rcvcrting to original
principles, that the object OF rep
Presentation or agency, such as our
government contcmplatcs, is simply to
superccde the necessity Of TIC pco-
pies assembling periodically, TO leg
.isiato or to perform any political
act for themselves, and it is ON this
Very simple and obvious conception
that are founded our notions Of the
responsibility which the representative
or agent owes to the constituent or
principal. It by consequence fol
lows, as a very P1ain 'ueduction OF.
common sense and common reason
ing, from acknowledged principles,
that the former is in duty and in hon
or bound to obey implicitly, the
asccrtaincd will Of majority of
the latter.
So much for the theory of popular
rights and popular representation in
their true republican conception.
What, then are the practical con
clusions we derive from such 4
theory-thc only theory, in truth, at
all consistent with the idea Of popu-
lar sovereignty!
Il is not necessary to our purpose to
state all of these; 4 general one is
all that is material, and that is, that
the people have the mdcniahlc
rlght.to revoke the grant whatsoever
they please. For example: the time
was when the Legislature elected all Of
our District officers, including Clerks,
Sheriffs, Ordinarics. and Tax Collect
nrs. The people had conferred the
right to choose these officers upon
their Representatives in the Lcgi>-
lature. They have seen fit to re-
woke this grant, and they now cx-
ercise the powers it conveyed, i'm
medintely themselves. Who Will, for
a. single moment. deny or dispute
their perfect right to do 50?
In the same manner, they have an
equal right to claim for themselves the
election of other officers and agents;
the right to elect which, from con
siderations of interest or convenience
perhaps the latter-thcy have vest
cd in the Legislature No man,
who truly recognizes the sovereignty
of the people, will have the tcmerity to
contest this point. 1t would be
absolute madness to do SO. That
the people have not claimed all these
elections to themselves, is merely
because they have not deemed it
expcdient to do it.
Bat, there is one clcction-onc
power exercised by the Legislature, to
the consideration of which our pro.
positions now bring us. We refer to
that of Electors of President and
Vice President of the United States.
Here it is that tho Legislature cx-
ercise one of the most important
powers that people can confer
We mean important, as involving one
of the highest attributes ofsovcrcignty,
the right of a people to elect, i'm.
mediatcly, their own rulers, and
likewise important in view Of the
extreme facility with which the
trust might be abused or perverted.
There are many reasons why the
people should exercise this power i'm
mediately themselves; there is not
a:single reason why they should not.
The merits Of Presidential candidates
are never considered or discussed in
connections with our popular elections.
Candidates for the Legislature are
rarely, if ever intcrrogatcd as TO their
preferences, and their reasons for
them. They arc chosen in reference
to other considerations, and often of