Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1855-04-26
N(Istel|oncons 3|rooing,
DEIFICATIoN OF THE PEOPLE.

D6lrlCATlON OF The PEOPLE.
An Ectroct from tie ,S,rmon ,t't1~ H~r. Dir.
Ti"rnr~, prcorhcI dy nppointH|nf ot'Me
Lcgj|"'"r", IN the MU ct' the Ilon&c Of
Representatives,, on Sot4nloy, Dec. GA,
1854:
:. Bear with me in briefly stating what seems
to me to be Il species of idolatry which cannot
i;,il to bring down upon Us, sooner or later, the
righteous judgments Of God aludc to what
may BE- called the dcifcatiDn Of the people.
They are Frequently represented as the source
IF all political power and RI @hts: the very foun-
tain-head Of sovereignty. 1t is their will which
makes law it is their will which unmakes it.
\ supremacy is ascribcd to that will which he
who reads the Bible and recognizes God that
has dominion over the children OF men. must
feel to be shocking They are really treated
as a species Of Deity upon the earth. Now
this whole representation is not only ncOnsis-
tent with religion, it is equally inconsistent
with the philosophy upon which our popular
institutions are founded. The yorcrument Of
this country does not proceed upon the maNlm |
that the will of the people is the will ot God
and its arrangements have not been made with
q reference to the end, that their will may be
simply a>ccrtained. This Legislature Is not
congregation Of deputies, or ministerial agents
and YOU have aud know that you have, higher
functions to perform than merely To inquire
what do the people think. [ do not underratc
their opinions they must always enter as all
element in sober aid wise delibcrauon but
what I maintain is, that the true and lcgltl-
mate end Of government Is not to accomplish
their will but to do and enforce what reason,
conscience and truth pronounce to be rSht'
10 the eternal law of ight reason, which l.
rhe law of God, all are equally SUBJECT ana
inrn,S of government are omlt devices and cN-
rcdicnt, to reach the dictates of that law ana
9nrlv il to the countless eXigencies OF social
and individual life The State Is Divine
ordinance, : social institute, founded on the
rrlnciple Of Justice, and it has Great moral puF-
n,ses +, >obscrye. in relation to which the con-
@titution OF its government may he pronounced
Good or bad The will of thepeople should he
done only when the people will what Is right
aud then primarily not because they will IT.
but because it is night Great Difference
should be paid 10 their opinions, because gen,
eral consent i. presumption Of reason III"
truth
The popularity Of Il representative system
!, ttd it governs through Iclihcratlvc :>Sem-
bHes. Their excellence is III the circumstance
that they are dcliberativc, Which affords rea-
sonahlc security that truth and justice may
prevail So far from being mere cXponcntS OF
nopular sentiment. their highest merit Is that
they are check upon popular power-a bar
ricr reared against the tide of passion, to beat
back its waves, until reason can be fairly
heard. There is no imi>apprehenSion more
DANGEROUS than that which coniuundS repre-
sentative government with the essential prlncl-
pie Of pure democracy. 1t Is not contri-
vance to adapt the exercise OF supreme power
ON the part of the people to extensive territory
or abundant population, to meet the phySlcal
impedimentS which, i'll large States, must OBJ
yiously exist to the collection of their citizens
in one vast assembly 1t is not because the
pcople cannot meet, but because they ought
not to meet, that the representative council IN
modern times is preferred to the ancient con-
vacations in the forum or market place. 1t Is
IN he prized, because it affords facilities and
removes hinderances in the discovery OF truth
but the supreme power is truth and not man
God, not the creature.
@ Now whatever representations diminish
the authority ofthc Divine law as the supreme
rule, and make the State the creature ana or
can of popular will, as ifan absolute sovereign
ty were vested in that, are equally repusnan'
TO religion aud the true conception OF our gov
ernment. An absolute democracy is the worst
Of all governments, because it is judlcally cur
sed as treason against God, and is given ovei
to the blindness of impulse and passion.
am afraid that in this matter We have troddcl
,upon the verge of error-wc have forgotten
that the State is ordained Of God, ana tha
our relations to each othe: are those OF mu'ua
consultation and advice, while all are absolute
Iy subject to Him.
"In proportion as we lose the true ccncep
ton of the State, We fall short of realizing II
ourselves that perfection of development an'
happincss which it was instituted to achieve
Hence, it is not unusual that as extremes meet
those who in theory clothe the people with th'
prcrogatiyes of God practically degrade then
below the level Of intellectual existence