The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-03-21
nnAT rs GOvERNMENrI


this fact not from desire to reflect OF up
braid, but rather to bring many Of cur read.
ers to the consideration Of this imp Ftant
and hitherto neglected question.
Let us look at the past and trace il step
by step to the present. Take the con lition
of the wOrkingmen of the early days Ct the
Republic and compare it under oil citOum-
stances, with that Of to-day. Mar; the
difference! Can be procure for the same
amoun. of money the same convenient q and
accommodations of life 2 Most sss ureily
not. What then has brought AuOrt this
changef We answer his ignorance feov-
eminent and its obligations.
But, before proceeding further, Les as I'M
derstand what IS meant by this term. Gov
eminent is the establishment OF certa lava
which the people compact among thei lselves
to obey and respee.. THIS is govern ment in
lts simplest form; and IN the early age OF
the world it was conducted on this principle.
But as time progressed and the weakr ess OF
human nature developed itself it beca ne ne
eessary to have persona to administe. those
laws, and to create others to suit the various
interests Of the people. It's origin, However,
is very much Obscured, though its object is
plain, viz the protection of life ami proper
ty, which is the reward Of labor We are
tod BY Demosthenes that the
Designs and objects Of laws are I. ascertain
what is just, honorable and e1pedient and when
that is discovered, it is proclaimed as general
ordinance, EouAL AND IMPARTIAL 70 ALI. This is
the origin of law, which, Tor VARIOUS reasons, all
are under obligations to obey, but espe-
ciany because all law Is the invent ion
and gift Of Heaven, the resolution OF wise men,
the correction OF evsry offence and he general
compact Of the state to live in con ormity With
which is the duty Of every indiTid Ial in soci.
ety.
Judge Blackstone says:
Every man when he enters int society gives
up part Of bis natural liberty, a. the price Of
SO valuable purchase and ia e pnsideration OF
receiving the advantages Of mutual commerce,
obiges himself to conform to those laws which
the community has thought proper to establish,
~ ,his species of legal obedience and coufor-
y is infinitely more desirable Il an that wild
I'd savage liberty which is sacrih ed to obtain
it. For no man, that considers a n oment would
wish to retain the absolute and uncontrolled
power Of doing Ehetever be plea es the con-
sequence Of which is that eyey other man
would also have the same power md then there
would be no security to individu ,ls in any Of
the enjoyments Of life. Pol tical, there
fore, or civil liberty, which is tina of a member
Of society, is no other than that of natural
liberty, so far restrained BY human laws
land no fdrther1 as is necessary and expedent
for the general advantage Of the public Hence
we may collect that all law, which constrains .
man from doing mischief to his fellow citizens
though it diminishes the natural, increases the
civil liberty Of mankind and Locke has we'll
remarked, where there is no Law there is no
..s.sc,sdem.'7
Since we have proven that law is govern
Inent bow essential is it that every citizen
should intelligably understand the general
laws by which be is governed. In a free
country, like eur own, there are no greater
responsibility resting on the people than the
one to which we have just referred, az there
is certainly no one to which less attention j.
paid. That eminent jurist, Justice Storey.
in speaking of the constitution Of the gov
eminent, says:
'It must perish, if there is not that vital spirit
III the people which alone must nourish, sustain
aud direct all its movements. II IA in vain that
Statesmen shall form plans Of government, in
which the beauty and harmony Of q republic
shall be embodied ia visible order, shall be built
up on solid slbstructions, and adorned By every
useful ornament, il the inhabitants suffer the
silent power OF time 70 diiapidate its walls, or
crumble its massy supporters into dust; if the
assaults from without are NV, resisted, and
the rotteaneSs and mining from. Wlsnin are never
guarded against Wac can preserve the rights
and Liberties OF tie people, when they shall be
abandoned by themselves? Who shall keep
watch at the temple when the ratchmen sIeer
at their posts Who shall call upon the people
to redeem their possessions, and revive the re.
public, when their own hands have deliberately
and corruptly surrendered them to the Oppres-
sors and built the prisons or dug the graves oil
4 their own iriendsi This dark picture, IL is to |
be hoped will never be applicable 70 the Repub-
I lie of America. And yet it AFFORDS q warning
which, like all the lessons Of past experience.
We are not permitted TO disregard. America.
free, happy, and enlightened as she is, must rest
the preservation Of her rights and liberties upon
the virtue, independence, justice and sagacity
Of the people. If either fail the republic Is
gene. Its shadow may remain with all the pomp
and circumstances and triekery of government,
but its vital power will have departed. In
America the demagcgue may arise well as
elsewhere. He is the natural, though spurious
growth Of republics; and like the courtier he
may, By his Establishments, delude the ears and
blind the eyes Of the people to their own des-
\ truciiOn. Ii ever the day shall arrive in which
the best talents and the best virtues shall be
driven from Office by intrigue and corruption,
by the ostracism Of the press, or the still more
unrelenting persecution Of party, legislation will
cease TO be national 1t viii be wire BY acct
dent and bad By system"
Fellow citizens, need we say more to point
you 10 the necessity Of every man intelli-
gently comprebending the laws by which be
is governed9 Cicero tells US that ia ancipat
Rome the boys we're obliged to learn the
Twelve Tables "a celebrated body of Roman
laws) BY heart, to inprans on their Youthful
minds an early knowledge Of the laws and
condition Of their country while ~ means
Of preserving British liberty, 1t was ozdaia-
ed that the NJ sgna Charta should be author
atasiveiy read TO the people VIII the work.
ingmsn Of America be Iess wary ab0st their
lights and liberties than were their Saxon
ieighbors 2 This SHARK picture" painted By
master hand ID now applicable 70 tie BE-
,aDlio Of America. Its every shade and
linsament may be seen from Maine 10 Cali
fornia, and ms silent sadness 10 sdmonisking
you Of your imminent danger. Take wsrns
ing then and Be wise IN time. Remember
that in every hnmsa soai ~, - N sminsni
writer says: ss7Asvs % az sIfeps conaiamallv