Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-18


portanoe In any system of good government.
The sixth. seventh eighth, ninth and fkir-
teenth sections. securing freedom Of cleo
tons. confning the power of suspen8ing
laws 70 the Legislature, guarding the rights
OF parsons accused OF crime. and prohib4ing
staining armies in times OF peace. tere
based upon the provisions Of the English
bill OF rights OF less. but were improvements
upon them. They enlarged the right OF sur
frage, and extended IL to ''all men. hs wing
sufficient evidence Of permanent common
interest with. and attachment TO. the COM
munity; and declared that no law II blnd-
ing upon the people unless assented TO
through their representatives They secured
to the accused an open and speedy trisl ~
an impartial jury, and provided that he
shall not be forced to give evidence against
himself, nor be deprived of his liberty ex-
cept by the law OF the land or the Judgment
or lbs peers. They placed the defense OF the
state upon trained militia, and made the
military. In all cases. subordinate to the eivn
power. This last is the only proper and
safe course In a free state. Great standing
armies In times OF peace are not only oan-
gsrous 10 the liberties of the people, but
by Withdrawing large bodies of men from
the fields OF industry, and taxing those who
remain In those fields for their SUPPORT.
they reterd the prosperity OF the state.
The tenth. eleventh, twelfth fourteehth.
fifteenth and sixteenth sections were m
valuable additions 70 the English bill OF
rights. They prohibited general warrants OF
arrest, declared that jury trial should be
the freedom of the press as one Of the
greatest bulwsrks OF liberty; declared the
right OF the people to uniform government;
That Tree government can only be preserved
by firm adherence TO Justice. moderation.
temperance. frugality and virtue, and BY
frequent recurrence to Fundamental r5Ffn-
ciples;" and that religion. or the duty We
owe 70 our Creator and the manner OF lis
charging It. can be directed only by reason
and conviction, not by force or violence ard
therefore all men are equally entitled TO the
free exercise OF religion. according 10 ths
dictates OF conscience" OF these the most
valuable Is the last divorcinE church ana
state from their debasing union which FOR
centuries had brought unHumbsred woes
upon mankind. 1t was the FIRST time thai a
state had ever placed religion on the rroUnd
which the founder OF Christianity haf
claimed for II. and the principle n now held
70 De the contribution OF America to the
science or government and the chief corner
stone OF our system. IL he's shed the rieh-
est blessings upon both church and state IN
America, and win be the vatchword of an
advancing civilization throughout the world
Fundamental Principles.
Upon these fundamental principles WRIT
ten constitutions were framed by ,be ata,..
defining and limiting the powers of rovesn-
ment. and limiting the exercise of sovereign
power by the people themselves. thus e.
curing permanency 70 their republican form
of government
But soon another important step ~.s
taken in the development OF our trstien-
tons. The war OF the revolution had coro.d
the colonies to unite In the defense of thsir
common heerties. They had conducted their
common Affairs through q congress- with
out any articles OF confederation until near
the close OF the war, and the articles then
adopted were but a league between SOW
to be exercised by the conrreea an vh,eh
each state delegation counted but as one
vote. The body had no real power over t6e
states. and could only advise them. As has
urGN set To
for money, but could not compel them 10
give IL; AZ could ask them for troops. but
could not force them 10 heed the reosisi-
ton; II could make treaties. bat must trust
debts. but must rely upon the states 70 paw
Them Under such a system, after tbs
pressure OF the war had been removed.
there could be nothing but state ,ealousis..
internal disorders, weakness and finally dis
integration. The patriots who had wen
freedom and Independence saw this clesrlr
and within half q decade after the siKnine
or the treaty Of peace the articles of con-
federation were cast aside ana q new unio.
formed under the federal Constitution.
The Birth of the Nation.
This marks the beginning OF our histofv
as a nation. and is an era in the develop-
ment OF free institutions. The problem BE-
fore the convention which framed the feA-
deed. and by many deemed insoluble II
was the creation Of a nation out OF the
citizens OF the several states without de-
stroylng the autonomy OF the states. Il
was 10 divide the sovereign power between
the nation and the states SO as 20 invest
the nation with ample supreme powers %
conduct national AFFAIRS and TO leave with
the states enough OF sovereignty 70 conduct
state affairs. IL was to cause Both goverh-
ments to operate directly on the citizen,
invested with a double citizenship, wfrhout
a conflict in his allegiance Ii was 70 per-
petuate republican governments for bofh
A.
Its functions, and so firmly fixed In its al
lotted sphere that they would never clash.
The able men who solved this problem were
Statesmen OF the highest order as well ss
patriots OF the greatest purity. They
thought that they understood clearly Their
work, but they builded better than they
knew. The form of government that they
constructed has excited the admiration II
the world. 1t has stood every test In peace
and In war, and under IL q great and ever
growing nation has developed. which re-
joices more and more. as the years r0u
around. in the incalulsble blessings It SCI
cures.
In the structure Of the federal govern
ment the same principles were adopted
which lay at the foundation OF the state
governments. The three great depart
ments, legislative. judicial and executive.
were made separate and distinct. the en-
ecuuve, however. retaining a conditional
veto upon the legislative department The
legislature was made bicameral. the Senate
representing the states equally. the House
of Represen tatives the people proportion
ally. The judiciary was made an independ-
ent, Coordinate. branch of the government.
vested with power TO pass upon the const-
nationality OF the laws. state and federal,
and to declare null and void ssch as were
not in accordance with the Constitution.
Thus the national and state governments
were to be kept in their appropriate spheres.
The executive was charged with the eSecD-
ton of the laws, and made responsible for
his conduct. The treaty making power was
vested in him. only 10 be exercised with tie
consent OF the Senate. The powers Of the
government were enumerated and were
ample for the great objects OF its creation.
which were stated TO be, Ito form a more
perfect union, to establish Justice. insure
domestic tranquility. provide for the COM
mon defense. promote the general welfare
and secure the blessings of liberty 20 our
selves and to our pOsterity." IL has been
well said by an able writer on our govern
ment that the trainers OF this govern
ment set before themselves four objects
essential TO its excellence. namely:
Its vigor and efficiency. The independ-
to the permanency of it's form. Its de-
pendence on the people. The security urf-
der IL of the freedom Of the individual
1.-The first OF these objects they sought By
creating a strong executive; the secokd. br
separating the legislative. executive. ana
judicial powers from one another. and By
the continuance OF various checks End bal
ances; the third. by making all authorities
elective and elections frequent; the fourth.
both by the checks and balances aforesaid.
so arranged as TO strain any one depart
ment from tyranny. and by placing certain
rights of the citizen under the protection %