New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-14

authority does any man or any article o
property derive these rights which a ma
jority of the people can not control? W.
have known this question put to thos'
who believed in the existence of rights sa
cred from the control of the majority. w,
have known the defenders of this dogms
driven to contend that the rights of
State descended upon the State as q result
OF the British recognition of separate
State independence. However unsatis
factory this last theory may appear to 8
Republican reasoner, it is really the only
alternative between derivation of RICH,
from the people OF from hereditary
monarchy endowed with all power owe,
"his people" and anointed with the sacred
chrism of divine appointment by the hand
of Gods vicegerent on earth.
Suppose We give the Republican and
Democratic theory for the derivation OF
power, with the gift and guarantee of per-
sonal right.
Republicans of all ages have asserted
that the people was the source Of all poll
teal power. For this doctrine, written
and not published, Algernon Sidney was
tried, convicted and executed by Judge
Jeffries, the brutal hangman of the Stuart
who derived his right to thus punish this
freedom of thought and heresy of opinion
from God himself.
Jefferson translated that principle into
the phrase, ''all men are created equal"
Algernon Sidney said the cutting off the
divine right Of succession and the head of
him who represented it, was 1.-THE justest
and bravest action ever done in England
or anywhere else" He was republican
SO stern that he opposed the protectorate
OF Cromwell because it was not derived
from the formal grant of the people. He
died for the rights of the people.
If the people be the sole source of
power, they alone can define the nature Of
right. A million Of people who have re-
nounced the claim of others to rule them
are their own governors. There is no
majority, no minority, no property, no
authority over them. All political and
physical power has resulted to, and abides
in, these equal political integers. They
proceed to organize new government,
or confirm such provisional govern
ment as may exist. This organization
and confirmation demonstrates the possess
sion Of an adequate and exclusive power
in the majority of the million. Privi-
lodged orders stand mute, property
trembles in its titles, the divine
to tythe pigs and po-
tatoes awaits with apprehension the
4 ecision Of the majority. That decision
came in America in these words, "No
title Of nobility shall be granted by the
United States. Congress shall make no
aw respecting an establishment of reli-
5ion or prohibiting the free exercise there
of. It shall make no law abridging the
'reedom of speech, of the press, or the
lights Of popular assemblage or petition. |
Now if these were original and inalienable
lights, why should it have been necessary
or the people of the United States to |
AVE recognized and confirmed them? If |
he government was government of the
states alone, why was the same recogni-
ion any more necessary? The same pro-
isions are embodied in all the State con.
titutions themselves by the majority of
he people who inhabit and constitute
hose States. We have thus proven that
be popular majority has given and guar
n4eed all the rights that minority in
umbers possesses. This majority has
AIKEN away rights which were regarded as
hallenable in the minority. Isan example
equired? 1t is found in the repeal of the
w of primogeniture, and Of religious
by the people of one of the
tates. Is another example needed? It
i'll be found in the power of the ma
'rity to give and repeal the right of
roperty in three or four millions of |
ayes. If there are outside and inalien-
BILE rights abiding in minority which
be majority can not repeal, then the
ght to be reinstated in this title, or to
compensated for its repeal, still ex-
is and can not be annulled or avoided
the people. Mankind has given both
stems q fair trial. The minority of
ngs, mobiles and priests governed for
INJURIES the majority Of the people. Is ,
ere an American who will say over his
m signature that this was we'll or wisely
ne?
The majority Of the people who have
me to inhabit the United States have i,
termined to reverse this principle. Is
ere any American who will say, with =
csc centennial proofs around him, that =
would return to the rule of the mi
rity? If so, he must emigrate
attain his object. Hese at this day, :,
len the wise nations Of the East have =
lowed the guiding star of human lib -
y and happiness until it has rested =
owe the cradle of its political savior, in =
> Bethlehem of the nations, is neither
time nor the locality to preach the :,
perior virtue and excellence of those .
rods 'sent forth" to STAY the whole =.
ogeny Of freedom. The popular ma =
ity then has given and can take away
political or legal rights, since the peo- :,