National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-02-22

Editor National Republican:
What | said In my last was applicable only
to the United States Government aud modes
of administration. The same is true of all
State governments The mOnstrOsity aud des-
potsm of irresponsible sovereignty dominates
the whole fabric of our pretended individual
sovereignty, limited only by the rights of
others. The Lawmakers are especially ex-
empted from the action OF the general laws for
the protection of society, thus placing the SOW
creignty of the whole people above that of the
individual, exactly the converse of our Mogao-
CLdrfa theory Unnatural rights The plea for this
exemption is that the public business must
not be interrupted in the interest of private
Justice or public and common morality. 1t is
the old sOphism, Better that one should suffer
than that the whole nation perish" The
exact opposite of this is the true truism. Bet
ter that the whole nation perish than that thu
humblcst individual shall be compelled to suf-
fer injustice by the established modes of So
ciety, because society itself can only exist by
maintaining individual rights intact. OF
course accidents and common obligations and
necessities must be excepted.
protection and allegiance are the reciprocal
bonds between the individual sovereign and
the sovereignty of all the individuals expressed
D
or rights are infracted the obligations of allie.
! glance are Cancelled. When the laws are 50
constituted that individual rights cannot b.
enforced as against the lawmakers or the ad.
ambassadors of laws then the greatest and
most important objects Of organized society
are defeated, and such governments are not
only fit for destruction, but certainly doomed
sooner or later, to come down with crash
| Strange as it may seem to those who have moi
| in ed less 4
| laudcd this as the best government ON earth
1t is nevertheless wholly without adequate
means Of complying with its own promises oil
| for the enforcement OF its own theories o.
natural rights and civil justice.
The disregard Of these rights and equities
since the war has gradually undermined tn,
| faith Of the people in the Government AS nov
administered, until patriotic appeals woult
not be available as formerly. Tens of thou
| sands of war-wOrn and battle-SCurred herOei
now swear that they would not again respoul
to their country's cali. Just think Of it Eight,
| thousand pension claimants asking bread ant
receiving stones. Since my last | saw an in
mate of the pOor-hOuse, whose all of legal ties
timOny fell on the battlefield and now, afte
thirteen years Of waiting, his only hope is II
Congress, and here it goes over from session t,
session, while he waits and starves.
Another form Of public robbery is the con
Ccament aud Withholding of the testimony il
the possession OF the Government to proven
| the payment of honest debts There are mil
lions now due and withheld, unjustly, by tn,
Government on the plea that the Goyernmen
is not bound to furnish the proof OF its indebt
edness. Only this morning | heard this ple
from chief clerk in one Of the departments
Is II any wonder that clerical morality |
loose, when the Government eduoates itselerk
into lying and dishonestyR Now, public jus
tice demands that the Government should
find tho owners OF these millions, instead o
locking up the proof to cover the theft. Tn
honest man does not wait for thSdsmsrd O