The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-21
HlSTORY'S VIEW OF
CONSENT OF GOVERNED
PRACTICE OF AUTHORS OF IN
DEPENDENCE DECLARATION.
They Regarded 1.-The Consent of the
Governed" as a Phrase Which in
Theory Represents a Great and
Just Principle, but Which in Prac-
tice Must Have Its Application
Determined by Actual Facts and
Conditions.

the anti-imperialists in the pathway OF
expansion Is the contention that IL the
United States shall govern any terri
tory without the consent of the gov
erncd it will insult the memory Of the
patriots who framed the Declaration
of Independence. This subject was
fully considered by Senator Lodge In
his recent speech in the senate, and
We reproduce below the New York
Suns editorial digest Of tine senator's
elaborate argument.
What is meant by "the consent Of
the govcrncd?" What did the phrase
mean to those who inserted it into the
Declare ton Of Independence, and how
has 1t been since interpreted by the
American statesmen to whom we owe
the successive expansions of our ma
tional domain? Obviously. this is an
historical question, AMI M. Lodges
answer will be found conclusive from
an historical point of view. ibid JcG-
fcrson mean to require consent from
"ali' the governed, or only from
"some' of them? Neither of the two
words occurs in his memorable sem
tcncc. nor does he indicate how the
consent required is to be ELECTED or cx-
pressed. To see what he meant, we
must inquire what kind Of govern
ment he was engaged in setting up.
THE VERY FIRST STEP.
Upon whose consent. then, rested
the new Revolutionary government
erected upon American soil in 1852
,Nanifestly. it did not rest upon the
consent of all the people of the colon
les expressed by vote. In the first
place, as the senator points out. we
must eliminate from the Consenting
body all negroes and persons of AZ
rican descent. who. although they
formed about a quarter of the popula-
tion, were not consulted at all as to
the proposed change Of the political
system. We must begir, then, by in
sorting the word white ir Jefferson's
sentence 1t is no less certain that
women were debarred from expressing
by voice or vote an opinion oil the mo-
mentous question submitted to the
thirteen colonies. Women, too, must
therefore be excluded. and to the word
"white" must be added the word
'Male," as d further limitation upon
the governed whom jefferson had
in mind.
government rest upon the consent Of
all the white males in the colonies?
On the contrary, not only did the
usual age limitation shut out all male
persons under 81, but manhood suf-
frage, as we understand it. did not
exist in single colony. Everywhere
the suffrage was limited. generally by
property qualifications, sometimes by
other restrictions. So we must still
further qualify Jefferson's phrase il
We would make it fit the government.
which he was engaged in setting up.
Adjusted to the facts thus far enum-
Grated, the sentence would read as fol-
lows: Just government must rest
upon the consent of the white male
governed. who have the right to vote
according to the laws OF the various
colonies"
Senator Lodge is too familiar. how
ever with the state of things which eX-
listed in July, 1875. not to recognize
that an additional and important quail
1ication is requisite. We know on the
authority cf John Adams and Other
trustworthy witnesses with what Il
close approach to evenness the whole
male popui alton, which possessed the
franchise in the several colonies was
divided upon the question of revolu-
tion. In some states the royalists
We're in a ma jority: in other the patri-
OTIS were preponderant; and in still
others the two parties seem to have
been quite exactly balanced. If we con.
slider the colonies as whole, we mus
admit that very large minority. ii
not half of the people whom the Con-
tlnental congress assumed to govern
We're utterly opposed to the Revolu-
tion. Did we ask the consent of the
loyalists? Far from it. We forced tho
Revolutionary government on the 10y.
alists at the point of the bayonet, and
when the Revolution was over they
had to accept the government thus
forced upon them or go into exile. Ir
view of these facts. who can resis: Mr.
lodges conclusion that, if Jefferson:
phrase be tested with an eye to the
actual conditions under which he was
engaged in setting up a new govern.
ment. it will be found in no wise Il
justify the fantastic interpretations
which have been put upon it in the
interests of those Filipnos who havs
supported Aguinaldo.
EARLY PRECEDENTS.
Let lis follow Mr.. Lodge through hi:
Impressive array of proofs of the sensr
successfully attached by American
statesmen 10 the phrase consent o,
The governed" The proofs begin withr
TWO years after the Declaration was
uttered. In the treaty of alliance with
france. concluded in 1873, occurs ar
article to the effect that IF the United