Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-09-12
BRyAN'S CROAK.
What Jefferson Meant by "Cou-
sent of the Governed"
ANALYSIS OF THE APHORISM
His Own Acts Showed He Did Not
Interpret 1t Literally.
WHATTEB PHRAsER REALLY MBANs

Jenerson's Actions as President when
He Purchased Louisiana shows That
He Did Not Take Hts Famous Sentences |
In Its Literal Sense Bryau's Folly In
Setting Up Narrow Interpretation !
Fully shown Uv,
All of Mr.. Bryan's objections to the |
natural expansion of the United States
under the treaty with Spain center
themselves around phrase penned by
Jefferson in the Declaration of Inde-
pendence: "All just governments de-
rive their powers from the consent of
the governed" 1t is claimed that our
putting down of the iDsurrection in
the Philippines and governing those
islands violates this aphorism. 1t is
a fair phrase, and goes trippingly on
the tongue; but let us examine its
meaning in connection with the events
Immediately following the adoption of
the Declaration, and endeavor to find
what Interpretation Jefferson himself
put upon it. Did he mean the consent
of all the governed or the consent of
part of the governed? Neither "all'
nor some" are in the sentence.
To interpret it Alright, let us see
what kind of a government jefferson
was himself helping to set up. That
certainly should throw light upon his
meaning. The Declaration of Inde-
pendence was an announcement to the
world that a new revolutionary gov
ernment had begun. Upon whose con-
sent did it rest? Was it that of ALL
the people of the colonies?
: Assuredly not. OF the three mil
lions of people in this country at that
time, nearly one-fourth were negroes,
great majority of whom were slaves.
Jefferson himself was a STAKEHOLDER.
These negroes were not consulted at
: all as to the proposed change of gov
ernment. So, in order to get at the
fact we must insert white" in JEFF
ferson's famous phrase.
But did it rest on the consent Of all
the white people? Women were gov
erned, yet there was not a woman in
t. the colonies who was allowed to ex-
~ press by voice or vote her opinion Of
y clude women. and insert also the word
Il male in the sentence under consid-
Grafton.
But did the new government rest on
the consent of all the white males in
the colonies? Assuredly not There
;, was the usual age limitation, exclud.
= ing all males under twenty-one from.
= the ballot. Also, in every colony, at
:. that time, the suffrage was limited.
generally by property qualifications.
Sometimes there were other restric-
tions. So another amendment must be
added; and we thus translate the gilt
tering generalizations of Jefferson S
=, sentence into the following statement,
embodying the facts: Deriving their
!, Just powers from the consent OF the
4 white males governed who have the
;f right to vote according TO the laws of
= the various colonies"
But even this sentence did not eX-
!, press the truth. The population of
q voting and military age in the colo
,f nies was divided upon the question OF
G independence. In some colonies the
10 Tories were in the majority, in others
% the Patriots, and in still others the
is two parties were nearly evenly bal
n anced. Almost one-half the total peo-
o. pie of the colonies were entirely OPP
:. posed to seyering relations with the
= mother country Did we ask their
n consent? Not in the least. We forced
\ new government on them at the
n point of the bayonet; and when our
revolution was successful, these 10y
IN alists either had to accept govern
~ ment to which they had not consented,
J. or to go into exile, as many OF them
N did.
,e Therefore, il we test Jefferson S
;. phrase by the facts of history, we find
a. that It did not in the least meet the
# situation during the Revolution, nc
,s more than it does the situation in the
is Philippines. The truth is, Je-terson
ri realized when he was penning the
l. Declaration that he was not drafting
IS law or constitution providing for all
rs contingencies and setting up all sorts
l. of limitations and conditions. He waa
merely stating broad general princi-
D. piles, none of which could then, nor
Ig can now, be taken in its narrow, lit
IN eral sense.
l. That he did not take this phrase lit
al orally was amply proved by his con-
l. duct when he was president. He ac'
10 qulred the vast territory of Louisiana
4 by purchase. without asking the con
/ sent of the 10000 white men living
W therein, nor of the Indian tribes roam
E. ing over its prairies. He took Louis
lie lana without the consent of the gov
r erned, and he ruled it without asking
ID that consent. 1t was not a question
N then OF "all" or "some." He simply
1t assumed what Bryan now denies, tha
~ the passing of the sovereignty Of al
ut inhabited area from one authority t,
Is another transfers the allegiance of thu
TO people living therein whether the!
TT consent to 1t or not.
N No government ever has existed
of nor ever can exist, based on the inter
nretatfon which Bryan nuts on thi