Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-30
"rhe Greatest Good to ,he Greatest Number"

HEhe Greatest Coca 10 the 6fehtest Nu"pof''
This has boon f,vorite dogma with many politicians
It had It's origin with the great founder OF Unitarian
philosophy (Bentbam) At first blu'h it looks like
truism-to which possible exception coald be TAKEN
The Government which ooners the greatest good on the
greatest number must be the model Of good Government
Human wit can accomplish no more Perhaps this was
the sense, in which ia author understood it. But u
scru.nized il will DO found to imply that the majority
Of community is absolute aud supreme, and that the
minority has no rights This has been the practical re.
suit of the dogma In this country Under is operation,
stimulated by party have entire minorities in
different States making nearly one-haf Of the whole
popuation-deliberstey excluded from all representa-
ton in the old Congress. The majority must goUsr''-
that is the broad pucple which it rests and which
seems to justify and demand rule Of political
ton. OF hundred men, ftty-oue must govern the
is essential to the idea of pure Demo-
cratic Government. To the proposition and say
tho minority should govern the msority would be Pre-
posterous and monstrous. The majority must govern
With this high and apparently indispensable principle OF
free Government he creates. good to the greatest num-
Der" follows legitimate sequence. When the passions
Of men are inAimed by party contests, the majority he
greatest number think nothing but right and proper,
that they should reap the greatest good which they e
feet by expressing and stripping the minority Of all its
rights This too ia legitimate deduction from the pre-
MISE though to all fair and generous minds it Is unjust
and revolving.
There s lurking faacy in the great axiom ofree Gov
eminent itse-thst the me- ority should governor at
least it must be epted with qualifications and restrc
tons In every free and just system Of Government each
citizen is entitled to the same rights and privileges
that any other is Ninetynine have no just power
to depoi and Cypress the huudrsdih. Their numerical
superiority invests them with no such prcrogaves But
that they have power to do it, under the demo-
cratic principle, is undeniable and that under certain
circumstances they may be- and are, tempted to
else that poser, is equally certain This is the great
vice of the purely democratic system Of Government
Party organic atoms deveops sjorities and minortes
the majority, feeling power and forgetting right yran
mixes of the minority and is in turn speedily superseded
by the dospotism Of One Man.
The remedy is to have checks upon the msjority-
Govern 1t may and mus but 1t must govern under
tain defined restrictions and limitations and with such
distribution OF powers to render it impossible for il to
play the tyrant the minority. This will ensure the
greatest good not to the greatest number bu. to all
which We take to be tho true object Of good Govern
ment. This was the policy Of the great and wise mep,
who founded our Republic. They sought 10 snater pow
er among many agents. that the abuse Of il by an
one would not be fatal and they especially provided
against that great ev-s popular election of Presidsn,
which would array parties and designate the minority
TO the vengeance Of the mPi ority We all know how
their work has been rendered null and void by the del
use OF Northern Democracy which has swept over the
LAID.
We Of the Southern Confsderacy arc engaged in lay
ing the foundations of another, and, hope,
better Republic. No parties exist among US when they
arise, none Of can tell which Of will be in the mi
nory. Nov, therefore, is the appropriate time to guard
against the dospolism Of the majority. TO the
rights OF allthe leas. well the greatest-and es
tAbish the guarantees for equal jus. and lasting free
dom