Evening star., 1925-05-09
Winning Oration
''The Constitution
BY ROBERT SESSIONS.
Phillips High School. Birmingham. Ala.
(Southern Zone Champion,

There are many interesting
phases of the Constitution which
must be passed over in order that
we may consider within the time
allowed the primary purpose of the
fathers in framing the wonderful
document.
The purpose as a whole is set
forth in six clauses OF the preamble.
but it is only of the last that |
shall speak. namely. TO secure the
blessings of liberty 10 ourselves and
our posteritY."
In considering this part Of the
founders purpose We should never
lose sight OF the fact that they
drew a broad and vital distinction
<etween liberty and license. They
aimed at government without deS-
potism and liberty without anarchy.
Rational liberty was what they
wanted-that liberty tempered by
Self-restraint. To them the des-
potism of democracy was no bet
ter than the despotism OF an oil
Garchy. The tyranny of the ma
iority was as much to be dreaded
as the tyranny of a monarch. They
aimed to protect the minority as
well as the ajority.
Accordingly. they set up for us
not what is sometimes referred To
as pure democracy, but. on the
contrary. a responsible, representa-
tive government. designed to guar
antee the greatest possible amount
of individual liberty consistent with
the interests of society.
1t should be known first Of all
that there are certain natural
rights of the individual. such, for
example. as those relating TO life
and liberty. trial by jury, religious
freedom. the ownership of prop
erty, and many others-the heart
and core of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence itself. the recognized
birthrights of every man since the
days of Magma Charta. These have
been woven into the very fabric of
the Constitution and held inviolate
against all the powers Of govern
ment.
Moreover. there is further
protection of liberty guaranteed
through an effective system of con.
stitutional restraints. commonly
known as checks and balances.
These are designed to restrain the
exercise of arbitrary power or ire
sponsible authority. For instance.
there is the division OF government
into the three we'll known depart
ments. each being prohibited from
exercising any authority held by
any Of the others
There is the difficulty of amend
ing the Constitution. matter
which rests solely with the SOW
ereign people themselves. There Is
the fearless. independent, Federal
judiciary, itself a mighty guardian
of liberty. headed by the Supreme
Court, body which Bryce says lis
not to be deemed so much a third
authority in the Government as
the living voice of the Constitution
the unfolder of the mind of the
people whose will stands expressed
in that supreme instrument
These are few of the many
constitutional checks against the
abuse of power. which. taken along
with the actual incorporation into
the Constitution itself of certain
natural rights Of the individual.
constitute for us our rock of de-
fense. the bulwark of safety for
the liberty of every individual.
Such was the primary aim of the
founders of our Government.
1t is nearly century ago since
Lord Macaulay, arguing against
the stability of republic, said: LAS
for America, we appeal to the
twentieth century, Ladies and