The Indiana State sentinel., 1879-12-03

alton. Iney OetcrlDeQ what properly buOutQ
be taxed, how 1t should be taxed, what amount
should be levied They appointed or elected
officers to co.lec the taxes. 1t was wholly
and it was never allowed or suffered that the
British Parliament or any other power should
Interfere with the que stion of taxes in the col
onies Each Colony had also an election sys-
tenn, separate and independent, wholly fnde-
pendent rom royal Intervention, which pre-
Colonies there were at first property qualinca-
tions. The best a. gument ever made against
min Fran kiln against the Colonial legislation
of Pennsylvanta upon that question. Tne
Co onial legislature OF PennsyivssniS sins nad len en-
should have property to the amount OF 80
franklin put.the case: When a mSh had
donkey worth $50 the night before the elec-
fion, and the donkey died, which, said he,
held the vote, the man or the donkey? How
the Colonies. Universal suffrage was the gen
eral rule, but some Of the Colonies had reii-
gions test for noIdIng office. the nssro ssa
the same as = white man. These Colonial Leg
respect to the regulation of domestic affairs.
They were composed of the able st men whom
fLen Henry and the Lees were in the Coioris Leg
IsIature of Virginia; New York had Livingston
and Jay; Massachusetts had Adams and Han
cock, and so with respect 10 every Colony. The
Colonia Al Legislature or Assembly was com
posed of It's pest wisest and purest men This
onies existed under a long line of princes or
Iulers of the English crown. Many kings.
Tndors. ny two Of the Georges; and not one Of
then, ventured to interfere with these local
regulations and laws of the Colonies. There
was one ruler, too. in that time who was not a
king. lou know he was only Oliver Crom-
well. He ruled, but he never reigned
was wa nat' not the ' friend of liberty, but he
did not venture to interfere with the
the upoa paa sSs aSs sSS
jects which 1 have named AT
About his right 10 enforce that prerosative
upoiI and against the people of the Colonies,
and to take away from them this right of local
legislation and these franchises of dome ic
liberty and freedom, which they had for
centuries enjoyed, He said that his Pariia-
ment had a right to tax these people without
representation. If YOU look into the Dsciara :
ton OF Independence published the 4th day of
July, l776, you will fina there the measure oil
Colonial rights, rs we'll as the accusation of
royal tyrrany. You will find there that the
Colonies had epjoyed free elections OF all local
regulated and controlled these elections. each
for itself. You viii find there that each of the
Colonies had legislative body and military
Colonies Colon toge,her denied the right
OF the king of Great Britain the national
Government in ter case TO interfere with
any of these regulations. They denied the
right of the king TO quarter his soldiers among
the people Without the consent OF the local
Colonial Legis azure. They said the king had
abused the sovereign power 10 surrounding
the Legislature with troops, ana competing
them, dragooning them, into concession of the
rights of the people to the military power OF
the crown. Tbey said that King George Ill.
had sent his officers there, ana had affected to
make the military superior TO and ludepend-
ent of the civil power. They said that these
powers OF the legislature these rights of local
freedom which they so long enjoyed, were in .
alienable-they were the b rthr'ghts of free
men only. such was the Declaratlon Of Inde-
pendence. When the Colonies found that the
king still persisted in pressing the notion of
the national interference and armed inter
Iear taa
issue. They deciaf ed that Tor these abuses and
outrages the king had forfeited any authority
which ne spa ana his
history will tell you the story. He lost both
prerogative and the Colonies. The people
gathered in convention by their delegates
and declared that those Colonies were, and
from that time ought to De, free and indie
pendent States That is the first time that the
! word States is used in the official history OF
| the country. These states met aud they de-
ciared hat they would hold the British people
enemies in war, in peace friends, as they
/ would the balance OF msnk Id and that they
had the power to levy war: contract alliance,
belonging to a free and independent people
Where were then the powers of The general
claimed 10 be the jurisdiction of Federal
authority? They were in the States and peo
| pie. For IL years The States existed free and
independent, and IN that way they went
through the revolutionary war and conducted
| 1t to successful conclusion, and fcul
foundation of the present Government, and
! for that purpose they did form tne present
| constitution. For what purpose? To reps
| foreigp Invasion? 1t was said by the states
| men of Europe of that time, and has been said
/ ever since, that the Declaration OF Independ
/ ence was the most sublime political document
| ever Published to the world. And 1t was said
| by the statesmen of that period, and no one
has since con1radicted them, that the consti
| tution of the United States was the most per
\ feet model anu pattern of human government
i ever submitted to a people for their approval
| A pattern an. model for all m an kind in the
| establishment of political institutions. What
then. was the object of that Government
/ this sGoyernmcnt-our Government so estab
lishedf Was 1t to repel foreign invasion? AL
| Governments have that power. Is that Ihs
| thing which made II a model and paren
| for posterity? Switzerland repelleu tn,
| Anstrians centuries ago The House of Haps
berg has never set his foot on the m unfair
vasion and destroyed the armada. Russia re
Gsled ns @ Napoleon form ,ba paere has rs
hadsthe power and the the right to repel In
yasion. That certainly was not the object O
forming this pattern and model OF politlca
j Institutions. Was it to suppress insurrection'
Il That is power which a SO belongs to all Gov
I ernrnents under every form China, even
| not many years ago, suppressed an insurrec
ton at a greater cost of b.oodshed than ever
ours; f fgland, in India, suppressed an in
surIect1on. W e suppressed au ipsurrecti on
country; we had the right to do 1t; we hat
the power to do 1t. The Govern yneDt exer
the formati. N of this Government? Does al,
/ one suppose that the Cover nment was formed
for the purpose of carrying the mails, col
lecting the duties foreign imports o
the sale OF public lands? Look into the con
stitnt.on itself and read its preamble. Ina
will disclose its purpose. The great and prin
cfpal object of the formation OF this Govern
ment was not for these things, although the,
are necessary powers in all Govern. ments. tn
principal object was to perpetuate the blessin
of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity
1t was to insure to the States and people thos
rights which centuries before the revolution
the people had enjoyed. The war whic
! closed In le65 was that war waged merely 10
tue rake of war. Did any man go to 1t 10
such purpose? Did anyone pay taxes Il
support of the Government for such q pul
, ! pose? 1t was because there was somethin
better higher holier than war itself, or than u
military success in it; that was the preserva
ton of the rights ana liberties of the peOpI
under the constitution Of the United State.
The states made the Government. The State
I saved the Government. They made an
saved 1t, because In the Union under the Gov
srament the lights OF the people would b
safer, "a they thou. hit, aud more se cure tha
without ~. 1t II manifest + ON the very text
: the constitution itself that whatever the pul
pose of the revolution against G eat Brftai
[ was, IL was not for the purpose of destroyin
! the rights of the people. Those very righ
IL On ieh had haQn nra mi