Year: 1879

United States and also to the State Constitution and sought such light from them as we could get upon the subject of PRIVATE CITIZENS having the right to stalk about in times of profound peace, at their private bus mess, loaded down with WAR IMPLI- MENTs. We find Amendment II to the Constitution of the United States, to be as follows: "A well reg ulated militia being necessary to the security of free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be Infringed." And Sec. V of the State Constitution says: 1.-The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms for their common defense"

 Now, if there Is anything Tn either provision quoted, which gives pri- vate citizen the right to load him self down with murderous weapons, it matters not whether they be navy sixes with nine inch barrels, or sin gle pocket deringers, and circulate among community of peaceablc, quiet loving people, in a time of pro- found peace, when there is neither war, invasion, insurection, nor other commotion, and when there IS noth- ing threatening "the security of a free State," we utterly fall to see it. If such privilege is necessary fer the 'coMMoN DEFENSE" when there is naught threatening the common safety, we fail to sec it.

 Indeed to our mind the Idea which must have suggested the proprietv of the provisions above quoted IS plain ly indicated by the wording there of; and when Amendment II of the Constitution of the United States says that "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be in fringed" it deTies very clearly in the same sentence why, when and how they shall have the privilege of bear ing them-because "a well regulated militia is necessary to the security of a free Ssate.' And Section VIII., Article l., of the Constitution of the United States, in enumerating the powers of Congress tells in what cases the militia shall be called forth. It says Congress shall have the power ito provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Unlon, suppress insurrection, repel invasions."

 The section of our State Constitu- tiop (Sec. V. ) which says:

 "The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms" is equally explicit in saying what for, for it goes on without a comma intervening and says, "FoR THEIR COMMON DEtEScE.n The com mon inference from the wording both provisions is that 1t is the right of the people as CITIZEN SOLDIERS acting for the COMMON DEFENCE, which shall not be lnfringed; and not the right of the citizen as an individual. The INDIVIDUAL SAFETY and protection of every citizen, the laws of the land and the Courts of the country take it upon themselves to guarantee and defend, and hence it would be a violent construction ofthe intentions of the framers osour State and Uni ted States Constitutions, to suppose they intended to guarantee every private individual in the land the right to bear arms for his own bodily defense and protection. It's neither necessary for the ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW, the SUPPRESSION of IN SUBTRACTION NOR THE REPELLINe of INVASION, that every citizen should go about loaded down with murder ous weapons. On the contrary such custom IS conducive to law lesshess, instructions and intermin- able strife; and therefore it is hardly probable that these clauses Tn our organic law were inserted to secure any such privileges.

 The Supreme Court of Arkansas may tell us that these Constitutional provisions debar the sovereign people Tn the several States from enacting laws taking