The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-08-28
NATION.

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there is great danger that the crect
will become corrupt In the course o
time enormous heresies Will creep in
and the articles of faith that ar,
taught to the children are so different
from what the fathers believed, that
either one being for the time recog
nized as orthodox, the holders and
teachers of the other might be burnt
ut the stake for the viIest heretics.
1t is no less true of politics, or the
science of government. The average
Fourth of July orator of the day pirates
glibly about the patriot fathers-thc
sires of '7G--and the glorious form Of
government established 10y them, and
the priceless heritage of liberty be-
queathed by them to pOsterity; and
he understands about as much con-
corning the principles, and the nature
and genius Of government, as Il
Hindoo baby does of the system of the.
o'ogy taught by the Apostle Paul.
In fact, one OF the most dang
and discouraging signs Of the times is
the tendency of our people, and poll
ticians, especially in the North, to drift
away from, and lose sight of, the great
fundamental principles that underly
the framework and fabric OF our sys-
tenn OF governments. ....
Added to this admitted tendency of
the times is the widespread inditler-
cnce and carelcssncss that prevails
among the masses; and this enhances
the actual danger that now menaces
our free institutions. and renders the
outlook all the more gloomy. There
is too much of willingness among
the people to remit everything to the
politicians. They are left to teach po-
litical ethics, shape the policy Foreign
and domestic) of the country, monopo-
| lie the offices and levy the taxes,
while the people are left to furnish the
revenue, and bear the burdens of the
government.
AS one of the worst results of Re
publican rule in the country, may be
pointed out the DOdclW SchOOi Of pOl-
Hcidns, whose political creed is sum-
med up and briefly expressed in the
one wold that heads this article " Ma
ton"
That word, and the form of govern
ment expressed 10y it, according to the
teachings of this modern school, is as
different from the government framed
by our fathers as night is from day.
The word Nation, when used in this
connection, is defined by Mr.. Webster
rs follows: "thc body of inhabitants
of country, mited ntler the same
governments" This is not the name
given to the government framed by
our fathers. 1t is to be presumed they
knew preci.ely what sort of govern
ment they intended to form; and that
they gave it name which expressed
the true idea. They did not call it a
''R0tiOa' buta "conJet'crdtiOn." CAR
ticles Of confederation and perpetual
union, between the States of New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Bay, Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations"
and so on, embracing the original thir-
teen States. This was the preamble
to the articles Of confederation. In
order to ascertain more clearly the eX-
act idea that was expressed. let us eN-
ticles II. Each State retains its sOr-
crci9nty, Jrced0m and independence,
and every power, jurisdiction and
right, which is not by this cOnfedera-
ton expressly delegated to the United
States, in Congress assembled" And
in Article " we have this language:
"The better to secure and perpetuate
mutual friendship and intercourse
among the people of the difcrent
states of this Union, the inhabitants
Of each of these States, shall
be entitled to all the privileges and
immunities of free citizens in the sew
eral States and the people of each
State shall have free ngrcss and egress
to and from any other State, and shall |
enjoy therein all the privileges of trade
and commerce." etc, etc. 1t is use
less to multiply quotations to show
the idea of our fathers, and of the
model of Il federal government they
designed to create. Each of the orig
nal thirteen States at this time, 177S)
Il government of its own, re-
publican in form, and perfect and COM
Dlete in all its parts and functions.
Under this confederation" the peO-
Ne lived for some nine years. When
he Constitution Of the United States !
vas prepared, modelled on the idea [
bove expressed and sent forth to he :
atified, not by the vote of nation of I
'eople, but by vote Of the States. If 4
line of the States ratified the Consti- I
ntiOn, it was sufficient, and it became c
he organic and fundamental law of C
~ NIiNil' lllli lttll t0ldbtSs Leu us TAKE II
Ist one illustration of the idea: From II
he ratification and adoption of this a
constitution, we have elected Presi- a
ents of the United States, not by a |,
irect vote of the people, in solido, but Il
Y Il vote of the legal voters Of each Il
'parate State. Under this plan the ft
mailer States are protected, in their Il
Ioice Of a Chief Magistrate, from p
majorities in the large Ii
nj populOus States. For instance, C;
ew York might give IL majority of re
le or two hundred thousand votes s
r her favorite candidate for President; Al
I'd if this majority could he carried bl
'cr, to supplement his vote i'm the OF
mailer States, who preferred the other
an for President, we see the rights ~,
ID the choice of the people Of these of
laller States would be swept out of 4.
isteucp. But we cannot. i'm one ar -