Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-04
IEsSON

|. 4 well defined belief in Creator
aud Supreme Ruler OF the Universe, i'm
parts true dignity to man.
2. The Ideas and principles main.
tanned by our Order on the lbject of
government, are identical with those
taught aud defended by the founders Of
American liberty in the original thirteen
States Of North America.
5. The liberties of those States are
assailed by despotie power which aimed
at their conquest and subiugation; hence
they made common cause for their mu-
tual defense, and established friendly re-
lations with each other, in the compact
entitled Articles of Confederation and
Perpetual Union between the States.
4 When those States had maintained
their freedom aud independence, they
severally entered into compact entitled
the Constitution Of the United States Of
America, for the ends and purposes
therein distinctly declared and specified
and the government thereby created was
inirusted by the States acting in their
several capacities OF Free and Indepen-
dent States, With powers sufficient to the
accomplishment Of those ends and pur-
poses, and no other, and no other powers
not delegated to that government, being
by the express letter Of the compact,
reserved to the States or to the people
respectively"
>. Sovereignty resides in aud with the
people Of the States respectively, which
are parties 10 the Constitution Of the
United States. II can not be alienated.
neither can IL be delegated. Some Of it's
powers may be exercised by delegated
authority, while others cannot be so ex-
ercised, except at the sacrifice on the
part Of the constituent, OF all that lends
dignity 70 mans relation TO government.
6. The Government designated the
United States Of America has no SOW
eighty, because that is an attribute be-
longing to the people in their respective
State organizations, and with which they
have not endowed that government IS
their common agent IL was bY the
terms Of this compact, constituted By the
States, through the express will Of the
people thereof sevsrally, such common
agent TO use aud exercise certain speci-
fed and limited powers II was author
ized so far as regards its status and rela-
tions, as common agent in the exercise
of the powers carefully and jealousy
delegated to il, to call itself supreme"
but not sovereign" Supremacy, as
plainly intended BY the tenor and spirit
Of Article VI. Of the Constitution, was
created, defined and limited by the SOW
ereiguties themselves
Z. In accordance with these princi-
Piles, the Federal Government can ever
else only delegated power; hence il those
who shall have been chosen to admins
ter that government, shall assume 70 ex-
ercise power not delegated, they should
be regarded and dealt with as usurpers
8. The claim Of "inherent power" or
awar power" as also Estate necessity"
or military necessity, on the part Of
t5e funetionaries Of constitutional Gov
ernment for sanction Of any arbitrary
exercise Of power, We utterly reject and
repudiate.
9. All power resides in the people,
and is delegated, always to be exercised
for the advancement Of the common
veal
10. Whenever the officials, to whom
the people have entrusted the powers Of
the Government, shall refuse to admins
ter II in strict accordance with its Con-
stitution, and shall assume and exercise
powe- or authority not delegated, it is
the inherent right and imperative duty
OF the people TO resist such officials, and,
if need be, expel them by force Of arms.
Such resistance is not revolution, but is
solely the assertion Of right
IL. Il is incompatible with the history
and nature Of our Government that fed
eral authority should coerce, by arms, a
sovereign State and all limitations
Of such power or right were expressly
withheld in the Constitution, which con
ferred upon the Federal Government all
its authority.
II. Upon the preservation Of the SOW
ereignty Of the States depends the pres
ervation Of civil personal liberty.
I3. In q convention Of delegates.
elected by the people Of a State, is rec
o0nized the impsrsonation Of the sover-
eighty of that State. The declaration
Of such convention upon the subject
matter for which it was assembled, is the
ultimate expression Of that sovereignty.
Sach convention may refer its action
back 10 its constituents, or the people
may reverse the action Of one eonveu-
tion BY the voice Of another. Thus sov-
ereignty resides in the people of each
State, and speaks alone through their
conventions. s. L, what sayest tho1 to
this lessonS Do its teachings command
thy unqualified assent2
S. L-They do.
A B.-Present thyself, then, in the
attitude in which thou didst plight thy
solemn vows in the V, holding in thy
right hand the sacred emblem of our
Order.