Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-03-25
ORIGINAL PAPERS.
Letter to a Senator
For ths Shirt Of The Arn

Letter TO Senator.
Hon. SIR: In our country, it is no pre-
sumption in constituent to address his
representative as au equal and it is pre-
sumable that one who preteuds to represent
his people, one who is supposed to act as
the will Of his constituents may dictate, will
listen to the voice of the different members
OF that body, for which he legisates. On
this, (to is reasonable presumption,) we
assume the right to speak decidedly and
plainly to you IL is impossible for leg.
lslator to give universal satisfaction, in any
case and since he cannot do so, he should
have some rule to govern his conduct, SO
as TO decide aud vote not as passion, party,
prejudice, or impulse may dictate, but
with uniformity aud consistency If he
make any rule, there is but one, which we
shall demonstrate without fear of refuta-
ton, to be the true rule of legislative con-
duct, that will prove practically successful
The people govern themselves is the char
acter OF our government; and therefore
the will of his constituents should be the
rule of his conduct. If he could always
know the exact will of those he represents.
of a majority of them, we mean, he could
decide with accuracy but this is impossi.
Bile; aud the oul y means he can adopt is
to decide in accordance with what he pre-
sumes 20 be their desire. This he must
do, if he intends honestly to be governed
by republican principles. Hence, when
the senators from Eastern Carolina vote
against any measure, it is said the Eastern
part of the state is opposed to it.; they be-
ing the representatives of that portion of
our state, are supposed u. express the will
sss 80 Hasizeny Who'd SSsv iepresont;aE EIos
f4et We jndgesOf the character of state
from he sound1ess of its constitution and
laws Nov we do not suppose that any
portion Of our state is so dark, so envelop-
ed in Intellectual and moral mist, as to de-
siBs any thing but the good of the whole
commonwealth. We suppose that ma
jority of the citizens are willing to be gov
erned by any law which does the greatest
good to the greatest part Of the community ;
for this is the only true republican prin-
ciple, and not only consistent with our con-
stitution, but with the first principles of
the law of nature and Of civilized society !;
and from this it follows, that the true rule
Of legislative conduct, which should direct
the decision and vote of every senator is,
''ttdt course Is right aohich looks TO the
greatest good If ME common-1oealh. y
Whenever legislator varies from this rule,
he is wrong condemned by the laws OF
nature, religion and republcanism.
Having arrived, legitimately, we fatter
ourselves, with logical precision to this
conclusion, and given the only true rule fo1
the government Of your conduct, we pro-
eogd to lay down other principles in con-
nection with this, which will lead us on tc
our final conclusion. In matters, such as
questions Of internal improvements, &c,
il may be matter of debate and various
extriusic circumstances may influence in
the decision made; but in matters of a
moral intellectual bearing, there can be nc
misappllcatiou of this rule, unless done
wautonly fromimpure motives That which
is Of such bearing will be presented tc
you hereafter.
Whatever practice, condemned by the
law of natural and civil liberty, exists in
society, is injurious to the whole and the
prohibition of such a practice would tend
to the benefit OF that commonwealth. We
might reverse this proposition and it would
be equally true, that what ever Injuries So
ciety is contrary to the law of natural and
civil liberty. La word, it is the duty OF
the legislator to prohibit any practice, any
employment, contrary to such liberty
These we lay down as a kind of first prin-
clples, aud before we go further sum them
up thus Republicanlsm and the laws OF
natural and civil liberty being one and
identical, whatever is condemned by these
laws, is condemned by rcpublicaEism, and
we being a republican people, should pro-
hiblt any practice or employment, inimi-
cal to these, condemned by them so that
our first conclusion is brought down to and
intimately connected with our second, the
legislator should prohibit whatever the laws
OF natural or civil liberty condemn.
The question presented to your conslde-
ration, Hon. sir, is this did those sena.
tors and commoners do right, discharge
their duty, who refused to prohibit the sale
or traffic in ardent spirits More concise.
ly stated: Is it right that such a law should
be enacted? We dare assume, in the face
OF the North Carolina Legislature, that il
is right, and we will endeavor to make good
our position, asking forgiveness for opeRipe
our argument with quotation from Shak
speare.
IDEs,-But thou wilt brave mo in these sane
terms. "U0.
CApE.--BrayO thee aye, by the best blood n.
ever was broaehed, and beard the too 'H'
Natural Liberty, as defined bv Bur,o
maqui, els the right which nature o;ves ;
all mankind Of disposing of their Z person