The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-04-30

people, that all shall be governed b,
certain laws for the common good. i
is the duty of the people, therefore. il
framing constitution of government
to provide for an equitable mode o
making laws, as well as for all impair
tlai Interpretation and faithful execu
tlon OF them. that every man may al
all times find his security in them.
I'VE, therefore. the peoplp Of aassa
chusetts, acknowledging with grateful
hearts the goodness II tue great Lesis.
'ator of the Univrse i'll afurding us in
the course of His Providence an oppor,
tunity, deliberately and peacenbly
without fraud, violence or surprise, OF
entering into an original, explicit and
solema compact with each other and
of forming new constitution of civil
government for ourselves and posteri.
ty; and devoutly imploring his direc-
ton III SD interesting il design, do
agree upon, 0rdain ana establish the
the following declaration of rights, and
frame of government lis tho cnnstitu.
ton of the Commonwealth OF Massa-
chusetts.
1.-THE people alone have an incon-
testible, inalieuable and iudcfeasib,.
right tO.institute government, and tn
reform, alter or totally change the
Same when their protection, safety,
prosperity and happiness require it.
"Ihe people of this commonwealth
are not controllable by any other laws
than those to which their coustltu
t'onal representative body have given
their consen."
Turning thence to the original con
stitutiOn of New York, we read
''ThIs Convention, in the name ard
by the authority of the good people OF
this State doth ordain, determine and
declare that no authority shall, Oh any
pretense whatever, be exercised over
the people or members of this State,
bat shall be derived from and granted
by them"
Turning thence to the original con-
situations of Pennsylvania aud Other
old States, we find in all Of them sin,
liar declarations, each State claiming
for itself that NO authority could he OF
ought to be exercised over their citi
Gems, "except snch as is or shall be de-
rived from and granted by them," I'M.
der "any pretext whatsoever"
These declarations, retained in the
modern constitutions of many Of the
older States, have lost none of their
deep significance. They teach Us how
to estimate the value of State indie
pendence and State sovereignty as the
strong fortress of political liberty, and
at the came time the ouly sure guar
antee of a stable union OF our States.
These ancestral assertions will never
be without their good effect whenever
and wherever the free people of free
State are assembled to frame o gov
eminent.
These utterances were made by men
who knew what liberty had cost to
win, and how vitality important it was
to guard a treasure SD sacred and
glorious" They felt that it was nee-
essary to remember at all times shat
the power Of enactment and that OF
repeal are commensurate" They be-
lieved, with Samuel Adams, that "the
sovereign authority belonging to the
several States is tile palladium of the
private and personal rights of the citi
Ems" They believed with james
Wilson, Pennsylvania venerated
statesman, that "the supreme, abso.
Int and uncomfortable power is in
the people before they make consti.
tuition, and remains in them after it is
made"
We heat it sail that this Convention
will be the graveyard of political asri-
rants. | regard this as II bug-bear
which could have terrors only Tor those
who watch tho changes IN popular ia
vor and caprice. For inst and honor
able pcn, who net here for their fair
minded and intelligent neiyhbnrs, it
has no more Significance or alarm than
y hobgnblin of the nursery. AS Just
men ana lovers of Justice, you come
here t" prom tie and establish it Ivy the
best means AMI methods that your
joint wisdom, experience and labor
eau find out and put in practice; and
when y"n have done this, all just men
among your sovereign constituents will
render thanks to you for your good
and faithful service. As gentlemen
and lovers of honor, you come here to
act out the behests of that noble virtue
by honorable dealing with all who may
be affected by your new constitution,
and By maintaining the honor and fair
fame of our cherished State; and for
this, too, your neighbors will applaud
you. You are sent here by free men
who love liberty and revere the insti-
tutions by which it is maintained; who
trust in your own affection for that
great boon, and who believe that you
will fortify it's possession by every
practicable means that you can devise.
If you thus fulfill the desires of those
who have clothed you with delegated
powers and put in practice your well
known principles, the free citizens
whom you represent must indorse and
approve your course. For men who
thus come in the name of liberty, hon
or and justice, with clean hands and
true hearts, to build up the fabric Of
State Government for themselves no
less than for the citizens who sent
them, there can surely be nothing to
apprehend. Public opinion has no
terrors for men who are wise enough
to know what is right and brave
enough to do it. If the work we have
to do is OPEN to the criticism of our
constituents, it is also open to the ap.
prevail and commentator of all the
statesmen of the Republic. When we
have made for Louisiana the best con
stituti0u in our power to devise, We
may safely wait for time to render a
just Judgment npon our action. Let
US therefore "be just and fear not"