The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-05-05

may be seen In the political arena, cuttlnI
! Fantastic capera before high heaven juggler
! are found on every street transferring thing
by some hooHs pocie from the pockets o
0them TO their own Dancing, dashinl
|, Hebes and sangulnary Indian chiefs may b
seen every day; and he has only TO Tool
around, and find those who, like the melan
choly clown, make pleasure business
Who like the horses, make business the tasl
J OF their lives, and those who, like the door
keeper receiving tho dimes, make business
pleasure All OF them are actors, some have
miserable parts, some play the best part
miserably, and each thinks that II he ha,
the others part ho could play II better thar
lie. Aud unfortunately even now there Is
TOO, an ignorant, inexperienced crowd o
spectators, who wonder and laugh ant
shout, and think ii Is all real and great.
Having now taken cursory view Of thu
progress OF society, there are certain grea
lessons IN government taught us by histor,
TO which would call your attention.
The past Of the people has been no horrit
deiiriun. The changes which have takef
place have not been parts of an Intangible
and iieeting phantasmagoria. The past II
rs o book unsealed and open before MS IL
IN which We arc to read great moral laws o
nature, and how the violation of them hai
''yuSn. ,ss cortsih puhisnnenu'
| ~ eeacnes us that the hrst greaG pIihclp';
r, human n nature overpowering Iusuoe an !.
saisshn au n n soouncss auu ~, A. !.
s ~ same pIlncipie wnion loa !,
.no iapolcs 70 10 us lttie worK ior 10 I I;..,.
masos, anu 'ne caPltalist 70 g v;n 70 .Ia,
UnoS ~. as hucn apor az poss,o1vs' , .iI,
,'a ino,po which snows issom W" ~.
a'd ,, =, iIss snecnsity ~ slnios. wi ~.
anu .nougnt Oh man from infancy 70 oIu 1se'
wn .;n, makes unchecked, universal III i ii,'
paItiai suffrage tne most certain OF M US w
as!rous iailuresi winch Ii implanted as .he
pihoiple OF decay as well OF enteip.,sc,
~ every form OF government-whe.
tne governing power DO tile VIII OF mayor,
" u cne people, or OF one,or NUMBER "
non, VINO ny their power represent tne ma
Joiiy'
II teaches us, too, that as riches and ease
increase, every people is inclined to abandon
the cares of government to the will of those
whose wealth, or ambitious projects, may be
immediately promoted BY the government.
and that even as the troubles and perplexi
ties of the government increase, every man
IS inclined to look out for his own selfish in
terests, in total disregard of the public veal.
we mad Governments founded IN the ma
lure OF men, and wrought out by this bitter
experience OF ages. 1t was an association OF
soverelgns, but under a wise Constitution
which established the form OF government,
and limited the power of the majority
A majority needs no protection it pro-
tects itself, and, unless it be firmly checked,
actnated by its seiiishness, it has always
been, and always will be, the most horrible
OF tyrants. king may. through weakness
or through good principle, be mild COVER
nor--but a$naJori.y is never weak, and has
no conscience. A small aggregate corpora
tion will cheat, and lie, and Cypress, and do
what no one OF its individual members
would dare do alone Much worse is 1t with
the majority OF o nation. The Constitution
was intended to limit its power, and to pro-
tect the minority
AS the first duty of man, considered as q
creature, is toward his Creator, so his first
duty, considered as citizen, is to the Con-
stitntion, the Supreme Law, which creates
and organizes the society of which he is q
member. This is the higher power to
which he is to be subject-which he must
understand and support. III against those
who would do violence to this Supreme Law
that the anathemas of the Apostle, SO often
quoted, are directed, and not against those
who, to support this government de- jurc,
would repel, by force, the aggressiops of a
government dc .facto-a majority. The MAJ
jority has the right to exercise with discre-
ton all the powers granted by the Constitu-
ton but SO soon as 1t attempts to legislate
without. or against the Constitution, it il
an usurper, Every citizen is called upon
to support the Constitution, by his
voice, and by making judicious
choice of wise and honored repre-
sentatives, and, If necessary, he must not
hesitate to take up the sword and to stay
with II, or die by it, in its defence. This is
the teaching of the moral law ofDature, and
of revealed religion. Mans selflOve, his
duty to his family, his duty and hopes for
his country, bid him do this, and if he hest
tate through fear, or be wheedled by cant
phrases, heis false to his duty, and no good
CITIZEN.
we were oDeylng precisely this principle,
and were actuated by exactly these motives,
when we commenced and carried on to its
disastrous end, the attempt at secession in
which we were so recently engaged. Let it
be borne in mind, when we reflect upon our
present condition, or are questioned as to
our past acts, that we never contemplated
resistance to the Supreme Law When we
attempted to 60 ont, we took with us the
charter # our liberties, to save it from what
we thought, and what proved, impending
destruction and we re-enacted it, with adj
ditional safeguards and solemity. 1t was
precious to MS, and we, therefore, offered our
lives and all we had in its defence. 1t is
but the perversty of folly to say that we
have ever admitted the right Of majority
to do what it pleases, or have ever admitted
that the doctrine of States Rights was
wrong in principle, or that any of the re-
strictions of the Constitution are not bind
ing still. When we surrendered, it was to
brute, not to moral force we were con-
WINGED of nothing, and we admitted nothing
but that the enemies to the Supreme Law
were stronger than we
They are the stronger: and what are we
to do2 To comply with what we know to
be wrong in principle, and contrar, to JUS
tice and express compact, seems to be trea-
son to the only human power to which we