Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1883-02-22
Oxford Eagle.
POLITICAL SOVEREIGNTY.
Mr.. jefferson Davis Explains 9
Passage in His History. d


Passage in His History.
BEAUvoIR, HARRISON CoUN
TY, Miss, Jan. s., 1SS3.--I have
received copy of Meriwether's
Weekly, containing a communi
cation which eriticises the posi-
ton taken on page 153, vol l Of
the "Rise and Fall of the Con.
federate Government" In com
pIiance with your request / send
you the following remarks sug.
gested by the criticism:
On the page to which your
correspondent refers it is writ.
ten thus: according to the
American theory every individ-
ual is endowed with certain in.
alienable rights, among which
are life. liberty and the pursuit
ofhappiness." The rights thus
possessed could only be inalien-
able because of his inherent in
dividual sovereignty. In the
same paragraph it is further
written thus: ''But political
sovereignty, which is the source
of all the power of government,
legislative, executive and judi
cial, belongs to, and inheres in,
the people of an organized po-
litical community" The distinc-
tion was here presented be-
tween the natural and the social
condition of man. Communi-
ties are formed, or shonld be
formed to protect each individu-
al and by furnishing wrong to
preserve right. The members
by entering the community do
not ALLEVIATE their natural rights,
but combine for the greater Sc.
curity of them. The sovereign
ty of the community is the ag,
gregate of the indi, iduai s0ve-
reignties, and, therefore, "gov-
ernments rest on the consent of
the governed" The State, i. e.,
the people, require agents as
well for efficiency as for conve-
nience, and functions are dele
gated, but sovereignty, indivisi-
-hle tile and ps8bFe! binFeaefeasahle remains in
Some form of government is
necessary to social existence
and the common interest OF all
Is a guarantee to each that the
government will be the best
which the Judgment of the whole
can devise, but it is usual with
us to guard against usurpatiOn
by ID bill of rights, IA barrier over
which official agencies cannot
pass even if corruptly using the
shield of State sovereignty.
In many pages, both preced-
ing and following the one cited
bv your correspondent, en-
deavored, on the foot of authOri-
ty and by argument, to retute
three mischiev0us errors of re-
cent birth, and rapid growth.
First, that our governments are
sovereign; second, that the Con
stitution of the United States is
the creation of the people en-
masse, instead of a compact be-
tween the States, i. O., the peo-
pie of each independent com,
munity; third, that the will OF
the majority is the law of the
land, meaning thereby of the
United States. In attacking
each and all of these positions,
State sovereignty was the heavy
battalion relied on and it's lead
ers were the founders of ouI
constitutional union. d..
You ask for my thoughts OF
"rhe source of the right in the
majority to rule" Il do MOI
think there is such right; If Il
were admitted, the only source
could suggest would be physi
cal power; but it is not self-evi
dent that the majority would b'
the stronger, and civilization de
nies that might and right arr
convertible terms. The peopl'
of an independent communit.
could give a majority the powe
to have unrestricted rule, the
could not transfer the inaliena
BILE right of a minority, and
brief experience would n
doubt, cause them to revok
the grant of a power so dang
rous to the common welfare an
'"a-i Respectfully,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.