Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-28
Popular Sovereignty.

The Washington Union raises its warning
voice against this popular heresy. ltsays,
s.the most admirable and Distinguishing fea-
tu-e in our American system of government
The ,prittea C6nsfit,aion- devised with the
view of "restraining the excuses OF the pop
ulace" 1t says that
at NAV be said without exaggeration that
the express OF iect Of our written ConstItu-
ton was to repudiate the pet dogma ot moi
ern times which il usually expressed by the
phrase popular sovereignty by which IL IS
meant TO assert the license of majoritles to
trampic laws and Constitutions under foot
the right of the people in mass to commit
any wrong upon individuals or minoritles-
and to invoke in their Justification, against
all constitutional and legal restraints which
may stand in their way. the 'higher law" OF
Gods will or the peoples will. as the cor ia
or rOr pQpHh may hest suit their argument"
Further, says the Union:
s.The tendency of all republics has been to
the gradual accumulation of arbitrary power
in the hands of the populaee at the expense
of the constitutional rights OF individuals
and minorties. History teaches that when
Ri all barriers against this arbitrary power of
the pOpulace have disappeared, the change
from he tickle depotism of the many TO the
more 1T ady aud consistent desPotsm OF
single dictator, has succeeded as a natural
result, and been accepted Ivy the governed as
relief and blessing. Popular government
has arrived at the brink Of destruction when
the laws are repudiated, constitutions are
spit upon. and the arbitrary sovereignty OF
the populace inaugurated for the next step
from popular license, in the historical pro-
gress of government, is TO the dictatorship OF
single popular favorite or master oil men
Much is said Of legislative usurpatlon and OF
judicial usurpation; but more dangerous than
all to free government is popular usurpatlon;
for when once the despotisn Of the populace
is established by the overthrow of laws and
constitutions, il il but question OF time no"
long before the people will seek escape from
the intolerabie dcspotism Of the multitude /"
that of a single tyrant, whose neck at least
is responsible for outrageous mIsieasancc."
Elsewhere in the same article, the central
organ of the Democracy tells US, that 1.-THE
written Constitution was designed as CHECK
and rule limiting and restraining, not only
the Legislature. the Executive and the Judi
ciarv in the exercise of their functions 10y its
express mandates aud inhibitions, but putting
BIT and rem upon the people also"
Most extraordinary language, indeed, for
a Democratic mouth to utter, and that mouth
the official organ of the present Demo-
cratic Administration Popular sovereignty
to mean nothing more than - the license of
majOrites TO trample laws and constitutions
under foot!" " The tendency Of all Rcpub-
les has been to the gradual accumulation of
arbitrary power in the hands Of the pQPuLdce
at the expense OF the constitutional rights of
individuals and minorities - Popular gov
L., IL . thn hripL of HnGtruc-
tion," "whcn the drJh1ry soUretgnty OF the
people is inauguratedl" How, the stomach
Of this sham Democrat heaves at a dose of
real, genuine Democracy For, that which
Mr. BCCHANAN's official organ here cries aloud
against, is Democracy, pure, unadulterated
Democracy-which is the unrcstraned and
absolute government o" a majority of the
people-such as existed at Athens and in
other ancient States. All the excuses of
popular passion here so vehemently deprecat
ed and denounced by the Union are ins"para-
BILE incidents aud invariablc characters of true
Democracy. The devotees of popular sove-
reignty," IA the JnioH Understands the phrase,
are only carrying out the true Democratic
idea!
Here then, we have an open declaration of
war by the sham Democracy, through their
organ, the Washington Union, against real De-
mocracy. What is the meaning of this?
Why nothing more than that the advocates of
real Democracy are taking wind out of the
sails of the &hdms. The shdms have no decent |
prctensous to the name, and just now. !
through their central organ at Washington. /
are most fiercely engaged in denouncug the /
principles of genuine Democracy. In this fight /
we have neither lot nor part. Between the /
shams aud geH,nnos the strife, Of necessity, |
must be Incorporating and internecine.
The more of each party that are slain lin a
political point of view We mcan) the better /
for the country.