Address Delivered Before The Literary Societies Of Erskine College Abbeville District Sc PDF Download

Excerpt from Address Delivered Before the Literary Societies of Erskine College, Abbeville District, S. C., At the Appointment, and by the Request of the Euphemian Society, on the Sixth Anniversary, Sept. 17, 1845 But by far too much importance is commonly attached to the efficiency of written constitutions, and by far too much influence ascribed to the agency Of individuals in the constructions of those governments which have proved effectual and permanent. From the fact, that a people live under constitutional forms nothing can be inferred as to the spirit of the actual government. To suppose that liberty is to be found in forms, would be to confound means with ends, the shadow with the substance. Constitutions are the prescribed modes, in which it is intended, the sover eigu power should be exerted, and by which it is intended, the action of the government should be limited. But they are of use only so far as they accomplish these purposes. If they are not regarded, and the action of the government not conformed to them if those entrusted with power trample upon those sacred limitations of authority, they are so much waste paper and idle words. Under such circumstances the spirit of des potism will preside under the forms ofliberty, the very essence of despot ism consisting in the ability of rulers to disregard every obstacle to the accomplishment of their will. If constitutions are to be any thing more than mere words, they must be observed, and there must exist somewhere the power to enforce their Observance. This important function must ultimately, in all cases, devolve upon the people themselves. Everything, therefore, depends upon the people; without their cooperation, the con trivancesof the wisest legislators will be vain. Laws and constitutions, which are not dictated and sustained by a fixed and permanent public opinion, but proceed only from the brains of those who contrive them, canbe of no avail unfounded in the character of the people for, whom they are intended, they will be without the breath of life, and will exist no where except upon the paper upon which they are written. Neither then in the forms under which we live, are we to seek the essence of the liberty we enjoy, nor can we refer the success of our institutions altogether to the wisdom and foresight of those who framed our copstitutions. These il. Lustrions patriots and statesmen availed themselves of the circumstances, in the character and condition of our people, necessary to give effect and permanency to the system which they reared. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.