, 1876-10-30
The First Radical. Club Meeting Of the
Geason... Emerson Feels Too
Old to Come.
One Of Emerson's Heroes Reads the Es.
say.--Wlat Hc Thinks Of Goycrn-
ment and Politics.
Fred Douglass aud Frank Sanborn Find
Pault--Douglass Loses His
Temper
Special corrtspondxnee " 7as tribune.

Sargent parIors, fright In tic heart uf the
tlorn!ng." us Usual. Tho weather, which was
one VI l]oston's nasty days, ot fog and easterly
l1rlzzlc, and the Centennial Departures limited
the attendance somewhat. But notwithstanding
there was pleasant company gathered to listen
to tho essayist, Mr.. David WasaoIt, on "Thc
Republican Idea OF soveFclgnty." Mr.. Sargent,
the host, introduced Sfr. Wasson with aucl, fc.
1icfty that special mention should he made of
It. The parlors wcro ehartniugly deco
rated with autumn leaves. which, light
I'd TIP by the flames from tic
blnzfng logs upon the hearth, presented a very
cheerful uppcurnrec. Mr. Sargent, IN welcoming
the Club, regretted that any faces should he
missed. mud specialized Emerson, who he was
sorry to say considered himself too much In the
scrc aud yellow leaf 10 br any longer an aa-
dtton to ssich Eathcrluga; "but, !" said tie host,
pointing 10 the uutuinn leaves, he ought 10 be
here much rs they, 10 toll us OF The vlgor mud
strength Uf tie root and branch from which suct,
as these CONC, and without which they could
not hive rlpened m they Ind. E!nerson's
presence was always d benedietlon.n Then,
turning to Mr.. Wasson, he introduced hin as
after Emerson. Mr.. Wasson Is really
ONE or EMEnsoNs +tAnM1nATIoNs,n
sage Is toi Inc satnr opinion st.ii," rs there
has been no reason 70 chlngo this 0plniUn, Mr.
Waeson's lll.hcaltli alone 1nakinR lin only less
productiye,, his brain bcIng as clear anil acttve
the man Of whom Emerson some years ago sAId
TINT he expected more than Of any other man in
TUG country, 90 great was his cstcom md nd
continued aud Increasing il.hcalti, this expcc-
tation wolllu have been fulfilled. Certainly II
is much TO say, that, at this time, spite Of all
drawbacks, ar: Wasson preserves an equipoffe
ot mental ability and reasoning and reasoa-
able power OF looking at tl!nge, q balance
Ut mind which few of tho thinkers who arc in
the Radical ranks can b0ast. Els Is not emo
uuna!, he daes not s!op over" III short, as
some Of The Radteats do, III their pursuit after
l!e does mt put Ills own personality into every
thing, but Is nble to use his judgment and rea
sou independently. But TO the essay 0f tho
Club: All those 'sho know Mr.. Wasson at NIL,
know thnt
lie DOES not RELIEVE IN UNryERsAL
suffrage, but III educational suffrage. This
gives certain keynote nlWuys to his views ON
government. And In Ills paper on Republican.
was thu ,,a!ye persuasion of those earliest socte-
ties. by which the lnnp of civilization WIS light
Cd TINT ai lust authority or right Of rile among
men COMES frntEi ubnSe; TINT fe, not frutn
saprr!or 'nan or class merely, hut from u
itiye scntiment knew notllsnE Of law.lnakcre,
but nn}y Of 1aw.giyrrs, who transmitted code
OF laws Without pretending u personal snrcF-
eighty. Now, tllat nlnuucr Of feeling and be-
liev!ng spAmed quite appropriate to the one
cherished BY modern democracy. We hear
daily, At present, that authority should 70 up
from tho will of tho people, tnssead Of coming
down to II. Ascent from below il the required
direction, not descent from nboyc In nll demo.
cratsc circles, the sovereignty Of the people Is
the t1rst and llallowel axiom, a,ll this Is appa-
retly in flat con, ndcttnn Of the primitive ru,-
ceptton. It may he, however, thnt tho contra-
uictton, II IN a measure real, Is nevertheless
enn1nIrhn} than reH1- Epr jf a. In
inquired why the people hre sovereign, there ars
soinu to answer
'"vox roruLt, vox pE1n:
e pss are ose yHs a
upoM man BY hs Maker. Even in Rousseau the
like "a to be found. shaekled by thu customs
OF time, fcttcrcd by moral skcpiicisn, llc could
na ,v Ho pettsr , name Az ior 7 tnan ; "Tc Gen.
being tho satMc with the actual will Of nlajori-
ty, Or even wfth.the unanimous consent VI ull
men, Tho general will, he said, y a'wnys right,
aId cannot bu otherwisc, while the nctunl will
%nrld 1s inny ~ IL wrong. ID short, lis general
will I" is but bad natnr for real and rational
obligation which In truth does not eout of will
at all. lie tried to say, SO far as the tether OF
lIs tlTic w0nd lit him. that oil true sovereignty
| Ind Ill ethical root, that
| HEAL CULTIVATION LlEa in FACTS AND PRINCE
TIES,
which no Will Of the peuplc llas either privl..
| Df EUlnI)GtGnEG ILLukG Ut E1lHtukE, ullll
t]t III thu rulectiyc peoplc, ns elsewhere, o,,ly
a wili drst Of nl submitted 10 public duty lluti
any tltle to tublit powur. Even democracy
Therefore, BY It's butter voices, coafesses thst
| all governing powcr of the pvup1a IL mediate, as
rcnrutenttue obligations Which thu nation Is
bound to rrcognxc, institute, and obey Ihat
only is right law which ns rcason before II was
| law Ytllr democracy asserts divine right oi
| tile collective puopl1 to soveregn power,
md Carries tic conception out tu III
logical results, BY asserting in every
n,iuIt citizen tic snrYl;; ,,ncoulii1ncd right IL
| llis equal pryate Rls.re OF tho said soyereenty;
n ,i6ty is nncxci, but tho rirht nrrcrues il MD
is illlepcnllrnt Of IT, Wholly tllircreut ground
In taken by The ethical or REPUBLICAN, doctrine ii
Sovereignty. NE say TINT ali right OF rule wi,ut.
ever is |;lt]retl 4 right only when upon mora
| conditions, When the ucoplu purt,oso tntc,t
| Itnntly Inst law then and for tIlut reAspu they
| Hnye fiunt 10 DECLARE law and nnuex tts sunc
| Huns. When, with sincere Intentions and Will
lus understanding, they embrace tle ,awfu
| tndg Df nlbllc rule they 9roulre q right Of rule
In short. d Legitimate political purpose ia tic
mpra{ romlit,ou 10 any nnl every r,ght Of III,
iitiraj pvwcr,
TifR PEOPLE or TIE UNITED STATES
Ind a richt To- estaU!Isj, Goycrnmers hecaust
! they did Il for lie ,cnNs declared In tho prc
nuIi,le m fhr t,unstitt1tI,n- Justice