San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-06
PERSONAL RIGHTS.

Leaving the domain of special
personal rights and taking up
those of more general character,
it is at once apparent that the
question involves the extent to
which individual rights were sur
rendered, from time to time, as
society undertook in its advancing
stages to do for the individual that
which aforetime, under more
primitive conditions, he was &C
customed to do for himself. That
in the earlier conditions of the
race the individual was all things
unto himself, no one authorized to
interfere with him in any matter,
might being the universally ac-
cepted right, is simple fact that
does not admit of controversy.
That this condition is not now the
prevailing one, that in fact tits alb
solutely a thing of the past, is also
an accepted fact, one without con-
troversy.
AS there is a cause to all that is
under the sun, there must have
been a cause for this most radical
change in the customs of the uni
versal world, for it is not only in
civilized societies and under es-
tablished governments that the
change is noted, but in primitive
governments, under tribal regula-
tions and in very crude social con-
ditions. This graduation in actual
condition, this gradual approach
to the more established order,
distinctly traceable through the
Ranges Of peoples~from the bar
barous to the civilized state,
proves a regular connection be-
tween the conditions grown into
and the surrender of individual
rights in the process of that
growth. What was the necessity
which compelled this surrender of
personal prerogative in this de-
velopment? Necessity it must
have been, or it would not have
effected the result observed, for
only to necessity is the welding of
powers surrendered, or the exer-
else of authority discontinued.
The first thing gained by the
primitive man in association was
protection, first against the beasts
Of the field, then against the hos
tile tribes with which he came in.
to collision. Common interests
naturally led the families and
tribes among whom such common
interest was strongest, into rela-
lions OF agreement for mutual as
sistance in need. This in turn
necessitated an agreement as to
leadership in case Of attack, and
this to obedience to the directions
OF this leader. This surrender Of
personal and family direction, in
cases of need, to a foreign direc-
ton accepted on account Of the ex-
listing necessity for defence or as
sistance of any kind, as in the
chase, soon led to a more systematic
provision for such recurring neces-
stiles and thus habit became second
nature and the law of surrender to
authority was finally established
as 1t is at present.
Never at any time was the gen.
eral authority accepted as control
ing individual action, in any mat
ter not affecting the general pur-
poses OF the establishment OF the
government in which the indi-
viduals composing it are included.
1t is therefore apparent that any
attempt to exercise control by the
general government, contrary to
the general purpose of such gov
eminent, is an innovation and a
usurpation. This matter is is so
obvious that it has become GUS
tomary for governments, particu-
larry such as are termed popular,
such as exist for the governed by
the consent of THO governed, to
declare their limitations, setting
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