The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-09

neighbor, and every man his neighbours
keeper, was the condition OF existence in the
feeble and exposed settlements. The town
blockhouse for defense and safety were the
kindergartens of the Republic. In the town
meetings the man who had something to say
though he were only cobbler or truant
boy who had seen the footprints on IN, nne
ing were reduced to their simplest elenehts'
and in the northern colonies the long. se-
toned both upon industry and economy tnat
was near TO parsimony. Men who conducteu
their households upon lines of the stricteSt
economy were sure TO be watchfui OF pup
lie expenditures and resentful Of the small
est exaction that was not supported oy
public necessity and laid by lawfui au-
thority.
Public assembages of the body Of the
people, an Indispensable incident OF free
with the landing. of the colonists: Iney
did not have their origin in any STUDY
Of the rights of man man or OF theories Ies r Oh
ously grown out of situation as naturally
as blowing and seeding. What was more
natural than that these infant communltles,
finding themselves without recourse to the
old sources of civil authorities ana olrec-
ton, and feeling the. necessity OF con-
and order of living, should assemble TN, the
whole body of the people for elaboration
CURRENCY ee of all or the Conforming weight of
a majority. to rules that were TO be binding
on all. Especially was this natural to I'm.
glishmen. CsuiZot says: when there
scarcely remained traces of popular assem- IN
blages the remembrance of them-of the
right of free men TO deliberate and transaet
their business together-resided in the minds
of men as primitive tradition, ana thlIl9
which might come about again. Inc toWn
meeting was adequate when the subjects 10
be dealt with were of a municipal char-
acter
GROWTH OF LEGISLATURES.
But as settlements were multiplying and
common interests were developed, repre-
sentative assemblies composed OF chosen
delegates from towns were needed. ana
the need produced them. Professor Seely
says the colonial assemblies were not for
mally instituted, but grew up by them
selves. because 1t was in the nature or
Englishmen to assemble" The threats CT
tribal attacks drew towns and even colo
MES into consultation and cooperation Ihe
first union among the New, England colo
we" live encompassed with people OF sew
eral nations and strange languages, wnlcn
may n 9r43ye as the natives
have formerly committed sundry insolenceS
and outrages upon several plantations OF
selves against us - we therefore do con-
ceive it our bounden duty. without delay:
to enter into a present association amongst
in all our future GOVERNMENTS"
They did not await the approval or the the
III.
we in America should forbear to unite Tor
defense against common enemy TIL we
all be cut before the messenger would be
half seas over" Neaness to the savage
and remoteness from England were both
favoring conditions in the development or
a hardy citizenship and of the great RepuD-
lie If our ancestors had found this contl,
been been what il is to-day, how different the
story would have been. Necessity, raIner
than philosophy. was their instructor IN
ciVics The colonies could not Know IN
time the pleasure of the crown, and so they
pleased themselves: and the , ha6it r,, grew;
count Of hands was the natural suggestion.
Our ancestors in older England had pos
sessed, in the hundreds" shires and coun-
ties some powers Of local government.
These had been largely assumed by tie
crown. but the tradition of them and the
the minds and blood of their descendants.
The compact of government made on the
msy0WS is ssld it nao o few Sq
not of the Leyden Church, and probably
servants. The pilgrims had embarked under
these ill-disposed persons insisted that If
the proposed landing outside or the limits
6 n rnat cp nn leGa restraints The emer
gency was met by the solemn covenant.
whereby they combined into civil body
preservation" land by virtue hereof they
said, 1--WE do and act, enact. constitute
and frame such just and equal laws. ordi-
nances. acts constitutions and officers from
time to time as shall be thought. most
meet and convenient for the general good
Of the colony, unto which we promise All
due submission and obedience"
AN ORIGINAL COMPACT, %
Here was an exigency. Tx the colonists
had been of Spain it would possibly have
been resolved by the choice of a captain
with arbitrary powers or by some bold
spirit Selling the leadership. but they
were Englishmen and Protestant Christians,
and so the compact of government was
democratic. OF the Mayflower compact
Judge Story says: 1T was, If not the first,
at least the best authenticated case of an
original social compact for the establish
ment of a nation which is to be found In
the annals of the world" They did not an
nounce any political maxims-as, that civil
government derives just powers from the
consent of the governed or that ''all men
are created equal'-but they applied them.
The compact was INTRODUCED by the declara-
ton that they were loyal subjects of our
dread sovereign lord, King James,, and they
at once applied for charter from the
governmental power 1t was ad interim until
the crown should act But as to local gov
ouired a particular knowledge Of the needs
and changing condition Of the community.
assumption was never INTERRUPTED ana local
government was never wholly lost in the
colonies.
A government by the English crown and
Parliament was. as to local and municipal
Il
Things affecting the personal security,
health and comfort of the people must be
committed in large measure to local con-
troll. Local needs and conditions are so
various that have found Ii impossible
for the government at Washington to legis-
late for the Territories. Some general limi-
tations, some provisions in the nature Of
fundamental law have been made, but sub
iect to these and to the power of Congress
| to annul any territorial law, q power seldom
exercised, il has been necessary to give
general legislative powers to legislatures
chosen by the people in each Territory.
When civil government was given to Alas
sence of a sufficient population to organize
a local Legislature. was to declare the laws
Of the State of Oregon should be the laws
Of Alaska This system of local control we
have also perpetuated in the States. Cities
towns. counties. townships, school and road
districts have many important powers given
to Them some being of a legislative char
acter. No State Legislature could satisfac-
torily determine all these matters, though
each locality had its representative in the
body. and it's sittings were within a half
days travel of the people to be affected.
BORN OF NECESSITY.
These adjustments and subdivisions of the
powers OF government are not so much of
convenience or philosophy as of necessity.
| Consider then. how impossible it was that
the king and Parliament could satisfactory
ly direct the local affairs of the colonies.
Separated by thousands of miles-a six
weeks journey. full of discomfort and
peril-no representation in the Parliament
conditions that had scarcely a resemblance