Untitled article by Publius

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · June 2, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 22

Principles of American Government—Personal Rights.

By Publius

THE Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, but the national Constitution was not adopted until the year 1787, and then it ran the gauntlet of all the States. But we may be thankful that there were men at that time who were wise enough to form that document and to adopt it. We will study both of these together. These are, truly, the grandest of all human documents; under these we have grown to be the grandest Nation on the earth—the admiration of the world. All honor to those noble men!

What makes this the best Government? We answer, Because the chief corner-stones of this Republic are civil and religious liberty. Equal rights to all. It is a recognized principle that religion is, of right, separate from the State. That “Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed,” is another principle as old as the Government. That bill of our rights says: “All men are created equal, and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Men are not equal physically, mentally, or in social position; but these God-given rights belong to all alike. Governments are ordained to secure these rights, and whenever a government fails in this one particular, that moment it fails in its duty to the governed. These rights must be guarded, and the minority, however small, must be made secure in the enjoyment of these rights. These rights can not be transferred to another. Article IX., Amendments to the Constitution, reads:—

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Thus we see there are other rights not mentioned or named in the bill. But who are the conservators of these rights? Is it the churches? Most certainly not. As these are God-given rights, they lie in the

breast of all alike—Christian, Jew, or infidel, believer or unbeliever; for Article X, of the Amendments says:—

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, and to the people.

There is and can be but one limitation to the exercise of these rights, that is the infringement of the rights of another. So long as a man does not infringe upon the rights of another, he has the indisputable right to the employment of his rights. In this also must be included the right not to exercise these rights if a man shall so choose, else true liberty is gone. These rights are guaranteed by our national Constitution.—Publius, in Labor’s Tribune.