The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-07-08
p1- The theory of a perfect constitu.

ton for Republic Is to permit the widest
range offreedom andmore self control, that is
compatible with the public peace and safety,
TO every individual citizen; and, next, to
leave to the municipal organizations as wide
q control of affairs as a regard for the gener-
al rights of the State will permit.
The fundamental idea of civic liberty is
to allow every citizen the largest sphere OF
self government that his intelligence and
morality render safe for the Statet to grant
The broadest depository of civic power should
be in the municipal organizations, in order
that every community or association of
men, should b, asia as possible, unrestrained
inthepeculiar developmentso of their particular
interests and character; and to give the
freest scope in the pursuit of happiness, the
grant Of self-goverument should be as ex-
tensive as the good order and rights Of other
portions of the State will allow. Each
grade of municipal authorities should be
clothed successfully with all the powers it
can be safely entrusted with; the lower and
broader the foundations of government are
fixed in the sovereignty of the people-and
shorter the column and narrower the apex
and lighter the capitalize more solid and
durable the structure. Educate the individ-
ual citizen asfar as practicable for self-gov-
eminent next give as much the power of
self control to the primary civil organiza-
tons as their authority extends, the powers
and the objects for its exercise ongnt to be
more general in their nature and fewer in
number.
The excellence of constitution depends
upon the wisdom and correctness with
which it distributes the particular and gen.
eral powers of government TO the various
departments and successive civil organiza-
tions.
De Tocqueville traces the energy of Amer
lean Democracy and its capacity for self
government to the influence of the primary
meetings of the people; and their ability in
the management of State and national affairs
to the education they gain in conducting the
affairs of the townships and villages. He
says municipal institutions are to liberty
what primary schools are to scienee-they
teach men how to use and enjoy it. A ma
ton may establish system of free govern
ment, but without development Of the To-
cal character Of the people, and careful re-
gard for the spirit of municipal institutions,
it cannot have the spirit of liberty" "The
chance of circumstances may have created
the external forms Of freedom, but the des-
potism that centralizes its authority, by the
imposition of general, uniform laws over a
whole people, regardless Of local differences,
soon brushes out the spirit of liberty IN the
people Municipal independence is a nat
ural consequence of personal independence
and the sovereignty of the people =
Townships should be made independent in
everything that concerns themselves they
should be subordinate to the State only in
those general social interests that, independ-
emit of local circumstances and wants are
common to the whole State" "When the
power that directs the general interests of
the State usurps the direction OF local and
particular affairs, it centralizes all power and
soon assumes the form of despotism
Our State Constitution violates all these
maIims of democracy, and proclaims des-
potic uniformity over 4 large State in its
municipal and local regulations. Regard
less of local circumstances, peculiar condi-
tons, and differences in habits, tastes, edu-
cation and wants, no one community can
have better or more schools, different regu.
lations for checking vice and immoral
ity, and the promotion of local Interests
than is established for all others. All are
condemned to the level of the lowest; ans
the progressive must drag along in the slow
pace of the dullest; the moral and refined
are made yoke-fellows Of the ignorant anC
debased, in order to establish that degraded
uniformity of political and social condition:
which despotism, either under the rule o
monarch, or demagogues, delights to en-
torce
Equality and uniformity Of mind, wants
or conditions are not the characteristics o
liberty or of democracy; the free spirit o
both is the creator of diversity and Unequal
ity in the wants aud circumstances of mer
and communities. Freedom develops tn,
man, frees his energies from shackles Il
yoke-fellows and master, and gives hin
power TO shape his own course, and form hi
own condition. The same principle is ap
plicable to communities One of the mos
cogent reasons for change in our STATE
Constitution is the necessity of relieving tn
municipalities from the tyranny of uniform
ity in all their local institutions imposed OF
them by the present Constitution, under tn
construction Of the Supreme Court. Th
most enlightened aud moral mustlive unde
the rule established for the most ignoran
aud immoral.