The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-08-21

The first of the foregoing cita-
tions is referred to by contempor-
srv SIS containing in some manner
su Impeachment Of the principles
which underlie the Hawaiian Re
public. The second isquoted from
the address with which President
Dole opened the Constitutional
Convention.
The words Of Abraham Lincoln
contain sn admirable condensed
statement Of the principles Of free
government, and if the Hawaiian
revolution was in violation Of their
spirit. the Hawaiian revolution WAS
wrong. The rule Of the majority,
duly limited, IS the only kind Of
rule suited to : free people, and s
people which passivsly submits to
the abolition of this rule by the
arbitrary act Of s sovereign, there
BY pruclaius its unftness to be
free.
Il Is important to note that
President Lincoln, in the passage
from his inaugural address quoted
shove, clearly recognizes limita-
tons TO the principle Of majority
rule. The first IS SIS 70 scope the
msiority must be restrained by
constitutional Limitations. Its
rights do not reach S. far as It's
power. and so its power should be
limited. It is hedged in on every
hand by rules Of justice which it
does not itself make. The bill Of
rights contained in every Con-
stitution bristIes with limitations
On the power Of the majority.
It may be objected tha. this bill Of
rights itself Is merely an expression
Of the msiority will I. Is much
more. however. 1t is obligatory
not because the majority wills It,
but the msiority wills it because it
Is morally obligatory. The majority
has no right to deprive private
individual Of property or life, ex-
cept upon just grounds ascertained
By legal process. In exactly the
same way there are political rights
Of which the majority has no
right to deprive the citizen, and
this is the Limitation to the major
ity principle enurci4ted by Presi-
dent Dole. President Lincoln would
have endorsed it. If not he would
never have been the brain and
heart Of E war which had for its
object to coerce the seeding States
back into the Union.
lis thus clear on the authority
Of Lincoln himself, that there are
importzn. Limitations upon the
rights Of the majority, that there
are. in other words, . great many
things which the majority has 10
night to do, and the doing OF which
the minority should resist Prezi-
dent Lincoln, however, recognizes
2 further limitation upon the right
Of the majority TO rule, in point Of
time. The rule OF the minority be
says -sz z permanent arrangement,
Is ainzdmiszibIe." As Temporary,
transitional arrangement It may be
admissible and even necessary.
This principle, which Linceln's ad-
dress directly recognizes. L funda-
mental 70 any comprehension Of
the late revolution. Supported By
such high authority, by the repre-
sentative American, the greatest
Of al martyrs to liberty, it l. placed
above the reach OF criticism. The
right Of the minority TO resist the
majority and assume control sim
ply depends on the nature Of the
rights and interests which are
threatened. No minority l. bound
to suffer 3 deprivation Of right. II
the right attacked Is important it
should not BE- lost without 3 strug-
gLe. In the case Of Hawaii, the
rights 70 the def=nce VI which men
rallied were the dearest they had.
The POLITICAL Liberty Of Hawaii, its