Le Louisianais. [volume] (Convent, La.) 1865-1883, 1868-09-05
ITS PROPER
FUNCTIONS.

- a
The necessity Of Government for erycose
li,ion Of human existence is All axiom uni.
v~ersally received ; and, on consideration Of
The origin, nature, and object, Of Society, i,
may no, be, deRied, ,ha, it il, likewise, the
of all social necessities. But all human
experience uni,cs with mans natural reason,
in demonstrating that. the best and most saln-
tary Government, is no, that which c%oncen.
trates in The hands Of The Rulers all purely
civil, and individual, as well as political lo"c'
tons, but rather that which leaves domestic
and corporate affairs 10 be managed ey the
authorities TO which, by natural right, they I've.
long. Whence the most eminent Christian
Publicisis have miuimized the proper a'tri.
bu,es Of Government TO the two functions oi
Judging and combating aud have added, thai
as u multiplicity Of laws serve only t" cor.
RIP, the Republic-in Republica corruptissima
plurimc leges- SO also, a Government, emIar-
raised with a multiplicity OF %sipt'es, must, ne
cessa.i'y, either leave many Of them n"lnld'led,
., dispose tt them with a coup de pioa, to the
lasting delriMe ni of the common veal.
"To jpdge ard to comdat". If these be the
sole attributes q! legitimate Government, (and
we snail prove 'lat they are) see what 4
simple affair Government is And When we
shalt have siewn dis, it Will be readily seen,
tina, the muine>s of Capitalization, with us
concomi.am ,yraunical enaclmcn,s, aud dcspo'.
ism Of social inle,ferelce, is the very corrnp-
lion of Goyernmenl: and we trust, it will be
equally clear 10 our leaders. that the hnge
volumes Of tho "philosorherS7, with 'lcir com,
plicaieh ard ah>ir'se tflroIies on "Tne art OF
governing States, serve only to contonnd
what, when examined from The stand pom, Of
Christian p.iilas,eis !=-r-t&-A-A simple -malter
indeed.
II is admitted that Governneu, is the frs,
Of social necessities. This no one deoies, nor
can DENY. 1t Is equally nndeliabIe that Govern.
menis exist only thai Justice may he rendered
to every memhef Of The body Pc i'ir-,o every
inhabilaul OF HE State and, 50 that public
order may he preserved AT home, and national
independence maintained abroad-ln relation
TO olhef States. -by ne Pouer dtriu,d from Le
people.
These are b,itlly the duties Of a legitimate
Government; and they are embraced in the
two.foId junction Of 'Ju4gins AMI cpntdattns''
-']udging", that Is, SO as 10 terminate iAe
qnarreIs that arse between individuals, and
between families, and SO as 10 award punish.
ment to all those that iljnre or threaten the
life, honor, or property Of others; aud "com
batting the unruIy human passions that breed
internal disorder in the State, as well as the
enemies that threaten or dislulb lis peace an,
honor from without.
States or Nations are bu, an aggregation o
families aud as The fathers possess by nalura
right, or Divine right. (Which: indeed, is th'
same ,hine) The supreme authority in The
3 family, j, can be postulaled that the fathers o
; families arc, and have always been The true
A founders Of nations. History i full Of ex
, amples, demonstrating tina, every attempt {,
found a nation without the common consent O
the parties directly interested, has bnt pro
duced an abortion-,he prolific source of popu
lar misery, dsspo'ism, and anarchy.
The fathers of families, who alone have al
ways possessed the natural rich, to ~consli,u,
e public society, by uniting with other familie:
have, by The same social necessity which pre-
dictates a Government al all, been consiraine
to confer the governing power on some indiv
dual or individuals ); bn', in doing this,
could never have been their intention 10 han
/. over discretionary poper TO the rulers; for ,ha
would be 10 abdicate in their favor, the pate
nal authority held by the law Of nature; I
abandon their natural rights in relation to III
household 10 abandon their consciences, the
property, their persons, and the honor Of the
families. II is evident tina, a sentiment S
hagrantly in opposition 10 mans inherent Low
of liberty and independence - so great a
outrage on human digni,y-couId never TAX
hold of the human mind.
Government being a necessity for the pr
s~efva,ion Of Society, end beins HE creation
the families who, by uniting, Corm Societ,
could, by no means, be created TO destroy Il
nor 10 absorb ,hem in its special function!
because The governing power could be col
ferred only for the express purpose of doin
those things which neither the individual j
his relation to Society, nor the community &
large, in view Of conflicting interests, coul
do-,hat is,-satisfy the social necessities
legislate in justice and reason for the pnbl
good ; and sustain the subordinate aulhori,i
of The Stale. se' 2t'5Z@
II is the indefeasable right Of every soci
body TO govern itse'f. But since dtfferenc
frequently arise between individuals and b
tween families, who can not, Of lhemselv
settle them j~ndicially las no one can be a jud
in his own %csusel; since the strong may ma
and do make agressions on the rights and
~terests of the weak,-to guarantee individr
liberty therefore, and to maintain the rights
minorilies, are manifes,ly the primary motis
in determining a social community 10 dg1eg'
Sovereign Authority 10 an individual or
several individuaIs,-lo a King, Emperor, S
;, tan, Khan, Parliament or Congress.