Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-04-27
nuESTI0Ns 0F THE DAY.

tween citizens or subjects in their re- lations to Government and in the cor responding relations of Government to them. Rights are primarily vested in the people. They arc God-given, and, to some extent, they are inaliena- ble-that is to say, there are some rights bestowed on man by God which man has no right to give away. God gave such rights 10 be enjoyed by man, but not to be given up to another per son or to another power--not even to Government itself.
 Now, as man existed before political l Governments were instituted, and as the institution of Government was for the benefit of mankind, and was insti- tuted by man for the better security of his person and tbe better enjoyment of his rights, itfoilows that as between mankind and Governments the rela- ton of the latter to man is that of duty to rights. sds aGa WeT k
 Man, not Governments, has rights. Government is instituted to perform duties, not to exercise rights, for some rights arc inalienable, and therefore cannot be given up, but nothing which | Governments have belong to them oi right; but on the contrary all that Gov ernments have of property or of au- thority belong primarily to the people who can whenever they please secure ! the possession of whatever they may have given to the Government. oo But Governments as sometimes ad- ministered, act upon a very different principle to this. Take our Govern ment of the United States as an in- stance, as also the Government of sew eral of the respective States. a., l These Governments act as if their authority came directly and immedi- ately from God, instead of coming from God through the people to be governed. They set themselves up above the people, not as their mere agents executing their will and per forming the dut.es prescribed to them by the people, but, on the contrary, l they act as if they were exercising rights which exercise of authority it was only the duty of the people to obey. 8 f@H3a
 Now, the conformity of the people to the exercise of power by the Gov ernment is not, properly, obedience. There can be no such relation between citizens of free Government and that
 
 obedience implies the absolute right to govern, which political Governments 1 do not possess. As we'll might it be said that when two persons enter into a contract to do a certain thing, the performance of the contract is obe- dience on the part of one of the con- ] tracing parties, as to say that con i formity to the legitimate exercise of tA...r leH a,,t. off " ernment is obedience.
 It is a right of man to establish such a system and form of political Govern ment as he iisf exercise of Judgment thinks will best promote his interests, or us he in the enjoyment of his ease 0: in his indifference to his rights is willicg should be imposed upon him. That form or system of Government which is instituted by the intelligent judgment of man is called free or con- stitutional, because l. is the result of the free, untrammsled will of the per sons to be governed, and because 1t is so constituted as rather iG perform prescribed duties than to assnne to exercise rights.
 The other forms which men submit to without having had any will or the exercise of judgment in their forma- ton, are distinguished by such terms as absolute and despotic, as they may assume to be in their relations to the governed. But even these forms of government have no vested rights. They are mere usurpcrs of power. and of prerogativcs which God never be- stes.ed, and " hich he never ecnferred upon mankind to be given away.
 Although man may submit himself to any form of political Government for the time being, he has no more right to divest himself of the inaiiena- ble attributes with which he is vested by the Divinity than he has to destroy or permit the destruction of the life of his body.
 He cannot give away what does not belong to him, and which was given him to be used by himself, and not either by any one else or by Govern ment.
 In his relation to the Creator man owes obedience, and in compl lying with the commandments of God, man per- forms duty, because it is the right of the Creator to impose conditions upon man for the enjoyment of life and it's concomitants. but in his relations to Government man takes the plan of the Creator, instituting Government for his own purposes, imposing upon it duties, exercising towards it rights, making it the instrument of his will, the avenger of hiswrongs, the e'protect- or of his person, the security of his property, the guardian of his house. hold in word a doer of all such du- ties as man individually could not per form without inconvenience and dis comfort.-[St. Louis Times. m
 JUDGE BYERs.--This gentleman came here stranger, as Superintendent of the Western Snpcrintendency. We found him gentleman, wholly devot- ed to the duties of his office, and in all of his intercourse with the Indians, and those having business in that depart ment, he has given entire satisfaction, and has gained name as an upright and honest officer of the government, and gentleman. It appears that he