The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-07-23
Government.

A great deal of that order which reigns
among mankind, is not the effect of govern
ment 1t has its origin in the principles of
society and the natural constitution of man.
1t existed prior to government and would
exist if the formality of government was
abolished. Government is nothing more or
less than national association acting on
the principles of society. In fact society
performs for itself everything that is ascrib.
ed to government. In order to know the
nature and quality of government suitable
for man. it is necessary to attend to his
character. AS nature created him for social
life she fitted him for that station. In all
cases she made his individual wants, greater
than his natural powers. No one man is
capable without the aid of society. of sup
plying his own wants And these wants
acting in reciprocal way impel the whole
of us into society, as naturally as gravita
ton attracts all things to center. But
nature has gone further. She has not only
endowed man with diversity of wants.
which the reciprocal aid of each other can
supply, but she has implanted within him
system of social affections, which, though
not necessary to his existence. are essential
to his happiness. There is no period in life
when this love for society ceases to act 1t
begins and ends with our being.
If you examine with attention into the
nature and constitution of man. you will
easily discover that a great deal of what we
call government is mere imposition. One
of the great blessings of the American Rev.
olution was. that it led to the study of the
principles. and laid open the impOsitions of
re II rovnlDtiOpc until fhoO
had been worked within the atmosphere of
court-never before on the great floor of
nation. All the governments of the old
world are founded upon conquest and rob-
berry.
Government ought to be as open to in
vestigation as anything else which apper-
tains to man. But if we glance on the
pages of the history of the world, we find
that the government has been monOpolZed
from age to age by the most ignorant and
vicious of the human race. 1t could have
been no difficult matter in the early and SOL
itary ages of the world, when the chief en-
ployment of men was attending focks and
herds, for band of banditti to overrun a
country and lay it under contribution.
After having made slaves of the people and
robbed and plundered their property, the
chief of the band cOntrived to lose the name
of rObber in that of monarch, and hence the
origin of monarchy and kings. These bands
of robbers having parcelled out the world,
and formed it into dominions, began, as is
naturally the case, to quarrel among them.
selves. They invariably invaded one an
others domain, and the brutality with which
they treated each other explains the original
character of monarchy. 1t was ruffian tort
uring ruffian. The conqueror considered
the captured not as his prisoner but as his
property. He was locked in an iron cage
until he died or was doomed at his captor's
pleasure to slavery or death. AS time went
on they moderated somewhat, but their
principles and practices remained the same.
What was at first plunder. assumed the
softer name of revenue, and the power they