Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1891-06-06
a coon pErrsfrIoS or LIBERTY

Judge James Iredell, OF North caro-
lins, was appointed BY President WASH
ineton one Of the frst Justices Of the
Supreme Court Of the United States. He
was q great jurist, and in those days had
many important questions to determine
as to the powers conferred upon the Gen
eral Government under the Constitution
formed by the delegates from the several
States. While delivering his charge TO
the Grand Jury for the District Of Mass
achusetts in 1892, he had occasion to dis
cuss and define the character and form
Of liberty contemplated by our system
of government and used these words;
"Perhsps in no country in the world
have been within so few years exempli-
fed such awful and important lessons.
We have been taught, not only the value
of liberty, but what II was much more
difficult to learn, that liberty itself, IN
order to be truly enjoyed, must submit
to reasonable and considerate restraints.
The unbounded liberty OF the strongest
man is tyranny to the weakest. The IN
limited sway Of majority is oppression
to the minority. Unlicensed indulgence
to all the passions Of men is an impious
rejection Of the control Of reason which
Providence has given for their govern
ment and direction"
There never was . stronger exposition
of the fundamental principles OF our
government than is contained in that
brief paragraph. 1.-THE unlimited sway
of q majority is oppression to the minor
ity," is mastery said. Yet how few OF
our citizens of boasted intelligence un-
derstand the real import Of the lesson.
The oppression of q majority Is million
times worse than the oppression OF .
single sovereign. You can kill single
ruler, but you cannot check the tyranny
Of a majority. There was much OF this
sort Of oppression on both sides during
and Immediately succeeding the war OF
the rebellian. The intolerance OF the
majority fingers yet, on both sides, In
some localities. 1t impresses on the mind
the great necessity for written constitu-
tions strictly adhered to and enforced to
restrict msjoritles and protect minorities.
The dividing line between Democrats and
Republicans revolves very closely around
this point. Republicans have always
been lax in their observance Of constitu-
tions, provisions, while Democrats from
the earliest time have been strict con-
structionists, perhaps too strict, but it
were better to err In shat direction than
the other. The Republican party has
always been . party Of expedients to
meet any contingency and exigency. II
is a party Of exigencies to-day. Tom
Reed and Bill Mckinley rolled back the
unbroken parliamentary law and prece-
dent of one hundred years to overcome
partisan emergency. The Republican
party can count in Presidents, steal Sen.
atorships, and override written law and
find satisfaction and justification in it's
conscience. if such party can be said
to have a conscience, for every offense.
All il cares to know is, will the thing to
be done help the g. o. p. even tempora-
rally. If it will, that settles its rule Of
action. 1t is some qualification to men
who think to know that a party 80 con
stituted must in the near future disap-
pear as q political force forever.