Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-03-23

men are rlgnt 10 prlnclplo III uenyiuB tue aOSViue
: supremacy Of the majority. MsjOrities possess n
! legitimate authority to do wrong. There can b
20 legitimate authority to do a moral wrong, b
| cause right is immutable, and e,ernally and .ur
conditionally obligatory. Right is The unehdngin
decree of the Supreme Being.
If majority enacts and enforces q mora
wrong, II is nothing less nor more than tyranny
and no tyrannies are so irresponsible aud Unoor
trollable as those Of majority; and no politicu
thraldom is so degrading as that which is sell
imposed.
1t is plain, therefore, that sovereignty cease
with the trausgressiOn of natural justice. The
The sovereign, whether monarch or tyrannica
majority, becomes himse!f the culprit, and justl
. subject to any righteous power that may restrain
him. Justice" says Milton, "is the s,oord o
God superior to all mortal things, in iohose hand 50
eUey, by apparent signs, his testified sOM is 10 pu
= IT,"
But this popular supremacy, of course, involve
also popular responsibility. Government is not
mere selfish interest, but high and sacred trust
The legitimate end of government is to prevent in
Justice. The sovereign people are therefore tb
responsible guardians Of civil justice and human
rights This responsibility, in any given case, il
measured by physical power. Human enactment
being the creatures acts Of the people, ar,
not, of course, the true Of their respond
bility. The sovereign people have no more righ
to suffer injustice, than to do it. Ii is betrayal
or neglect of their trust. They arc the divinely
constituted and logitmately authorized guardians
of human rights over such territory as they may
actually occupy; and for the faithful discharge ol
Ifba 60 of ioal GOd nd hu.
manity will hold them responsible.
OF no principle of political philosophy is histo-
ry more repleEe with beautiful and glorious ezam-
pies, than this of popular supremacy. The
gloomy annals of human thraldom are relieved
aud gaddened by innumerable instances ofits he
roic exercise.
| II was the presiding genius Of Roman destiny
in all the brilliant progress Of that wonderful peo-
pie from on iron monarchy to the achievement Of
a system Of republican freedom, which has been
the pride, stimuant and model Of the race ever
since. The same principle, also, has ever presi-
ded over the developement Of that palladium Of
human freedom, the British Constitution. And
to-day, in both hemispheres It is the almighty an
gel Of Liberty, commissioned Of God, and moving
about among the nations, demolishing thrones,
changing dynasties, crushing despotisms, and
everywhere demanding the Inauguration of the
reign of justice and equal right.
Thus it appears that supreme political power
nheres in the people of any given territory, that
they have the right to do politically whatever is
no. in its nature unjust. They may form, modify,
or abolish their government as shall seem best to
their own Judgment, restricted of course by jus
tice," which, as Milton says, sis the only true 500
ereign and supreme majesty upon earth"
IL is, simply, the great natural right Of self-gor-
ernment.
From this fundamental truth Of political philos-
Iopby, infer the right Of South Carolina. or any
other State of the American CoEfederacy, to Sc
cede from the Union, at their oon option.
This corollary from the principle Of popular su-
premacy propose further to illustrate. sanction,
and enforce, by such considerations as are sugges
ted by the present national eAigency.
TEE CONSENT OF Tue GOVERNED ESSENTIAL.
Our government, as is well known, owes its ofi
gin to the declaration that governments derive
their just powers from the consent of the govern
ed" If, therefore, South Carolina with
draws her consent from the United States
Government, where is your just power to
i
swer to tina. question before advance another
step in my argument. II seems indisputably eyi-
dent to my mind, that oil your just power or au-
thority to govern her is nulfed by such withhold
ing of consent. Not only the American Union,
but any and all other legitimate governments sse
destroyed by the withdrawal Of the popular con-
sent This, according to the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence, is all that is necessary to effect the
proper dissolution Of any government.
What is the object Of government Simply
the protection Of the people. Blu. il the people do
not consent to receive such protection as any pow
er affords, what reason is there in enforcing il up
on thomf If political authority is exercised over
a people, by taxation, direc. indirect either by
a revenue officer or common publican, or in any
other way, without their consent, is is only usur-
patton, and not legitimate authority. Your ad-
ministration may not be tyrannicel or oppressive
it may even be fatally lax snd induigent to
crime; but without the consent Of the governed, il
is usurpation, and unwarrantable either on the
principles of our own government or any sound
principles Of political philcsOphy,-even though
il be beneJfcent in It's aims But on this point let
me quote again from an authority Of whom an ap-
preciative world will neyor tire. Milton says i:
"They that shall boast, as We do, to be Tree na-
tion, and not have in Themselves the poaoer to re-
move or to abolish any governor, supreme or sub
ordinate, with the government aseD upon urgent
causes, may please their fancy with ridieulOus
and painted freedom, fit to coEen babies, but are
Indeed under tyranny and servitude, as wanting
that power, which is the root and source Of all lib
a erty, to dispose and economist in the land which
: God hath given them.as masters Of family in their
4 own house and free Inheritance, without which,
4 natural and essential power Of free nation
. though bearing high their heads, they can m due
!, esteem be thought no better than slaves and vas
sails born, in the tenure and occupation Of anothe
4 inheriting lord. whose government though not ae
gal or iatOlerable, hangs over them as lordl
seowge, not as a free government, and therefore
a be aOrOgated.''