Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-12-11
HILL AS A LECTURER.
HIS TOPIC aPERS0NAL LIBERTY" HIS
 DEBUT 4 SUCCESS.

A Simple Republic Is the Best-our Gov
 ernment win stand d-Despotism Must Re
 Rejected Monarchy Cannot stand.
 Senator David B. Hill made his de. but as lecturer the other night at Mil waukee. The subject was Liberty, ," and he was a success. He spoke as fol- lows:
 My theme tonight is that of personal liberty, rather liberty ill it's broadcast and general sense. It means, as you all know, absence of restraint. In its best sense it means the absence of all neces- sary and reasonable restraint. It is the opposite of serfdom, of subjeetion and of slavery. 1t is tho state of free person, as Webster defines it. l only assert a truism when l say that it is, as you know, priceless boon to humanity in- capable of estimation, impossible of alienation by intelligent beings and in separable from rational existence Pro claim liberty throughout all the world unto all tho inhabitants thereof, was the command of the Lord to Moses on Mount Sinai and from that day to the present it has been regarded as the gift of the Almighty to his people and it's possession has been spoken of as a natu- ral right is distinguished from confer red social Or political privilege
 It was ill this light that Jefferson in his summary review of the rights of British America appropriately said the God that gave us light gave us liberty at the same time. The Spanish novelist and poet Cervantes expressed the gener- al idea when he wrote that liberty is one of tho most valuable blessings that heaven has bestowed upon mankind. Next to life itself it has beon cherished, guarded and considered as tho chiefest blessing that we poor mOrtals can en- joy. Patrick Henry. one of Yirginia's greatest Revolutionary orators and patri- ots, imbued with this estimate of the value of liberty, expressed the preference for liberty when he wrote the melnora= ble sentiment, Give nc liberty or give me death. Addison declares that day, an hour of virtuous liberty is worth q whole eternity of bondage. Pope, shar- ing the general appreciation of true in- dependence, says, Give me again my hollow tree, a crust of bread and liberty
 In the enumeration in the Declara- tion of Independence of certain inalien= able rights with which men are endowed by their Creator, liberty is placed next to life. Lifeis first iii the category You Iecollect the sentence. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Although iii the preamble of the constitution of the [ United States the objects for which the i. constitution was ordained and estab- &lished are reeited, and as the purpose to AZ sse the blessings of liberty to our ss. sse.fts and posterity is the last stated, it aAls evident that its expression was re-
 AH<Red as climax by which better to 2fMphasize it's chief importance. In the { sla ElnbIes of nearly all the constitutions { the respective states of the Union the
 Eincipal object for their establishment Is declared to be to secure the blessings yof freedom for the people. In New York, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Wyoming the sole ob- jeet expressed in their constitutions is for the perpetuation of the blessings Of liberty to the people Of such states In nearly all of the constitutions of the re- spective states of the Union that pur- pose, although not exclusive, is prompt ly declared. There are various kinds of liberty, or moro 9trietly speaking there are various divisions of liberty, forms and phases of it, to which society has $been accustomed, which are ordinarily Regarded as distinct.
 The broad term civil liberty means Exemption from arbitrary interference with persons opinion or property on the part of the government under which one Hives. Personal liberty especially relates sto the individual, and as properly un- dersteod means substantial immunity from governmental control of one's GUS toms, habits and business. Liberty of the press means freedom to print and publish without official supervision Moral liberty means that liberty of choice which is essential to moral re- sponsibility. Religious liberty means Freedom of opinion to worship. Liberty of conscience is only another name for Freedom of opinion and must be deemed Ito include the right to be wholly with out religious convictions and the priv ilege to express such unbelief.
 ' There is peculiar significance at tached to the word, depending upon how it is used Webster says it some- times means q privilege or license i'll violation of any of the laws of etiquette or propriety, as to permit to take lib- erty. In that sense Macaulay speaks of one who was repeatedly provoked into striking another who had taken liberties with him.
 Mr Hill maintained that the form of Government should be so ordained as will permit tho largest liberty. But so- ciety should not be eonfounded with Government. The system of government was best that least interfered with the legitimate and proper exercise of nation Al rights.
 A despotism mutt therefore be reject ed, because it is absolutely destructive of liberty Il monarchy cannot stand the Nest, because it substitutes usurped DOW ar fox freedom; an aristocracy cannot answer, because it is the rule of the few lover the many mere democracy is in- adequate, because it is not practicable ? except ill small communities.
 A government by the people them