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ganization, proscribes unrlor tlie name of prerogative 

 the exercise of all |)()uer.s iiiiflefiiiefl by the laws ; places 

 on this basis the whole system ol" our laws; and by con- 

 solidating them together, chooses that they should be 

 left to stand or fall together, never providing f« r any 

 circnrnstaiices, nor admitting that such could arise, 

 wherein either should be susf)et)ded, no, not for a mo- 

 nuMit. Our ancient laws expressly Jeclare, that those 

 who are but delegates themselves shall not delegate to 

 others })owers which require judgment and integrity in 

 their exercise. Or was this proposition nioveci on a 

 sup|'ose»1 right in the movers of abandoning their posts 

 in a moment of distress ? Tie same laws forbid the 

 abandonment of that post, even on ordinary occasions ; 

 and much more a transfer of their powers into other 

 haru^s and other forms, without consulting the [)eopIe. 

 They never admit the idea tliat these, like sheep or cat- 

 tle, may be given from Ijand to hand without an appeal 

 to fheir own will. — Was it from the necessity of the 

 case? Necessities which dissolve a government, do not 

 convey its authority to an oli:,'archy or a nionarcl)y. 

 They throw back, into the hands of the people, the 

 powers they had delegated, and leave them as indi- 

 viduals to sfiif't for themselves. A leader njay offer, but 

 not impose himself, nor be imjiosed on them. Much 

 less can their necks be sidunitted to his sword, tf)eir 

 breath to be held at his will or caprice. The necessity 

 which should operate these treniendous effects should 

 at least be palpul)le and irrisjsiible. Yet in both in- 

 stances, where it was feared, or y^retended with us, it 

 was belied by the event. It was belied too l)y the pre- 

 ceding ex|)erieu('e of our sister states, several of whom 

 liad grappled through greater difficulties without aban- 

 doning their forms of government. When the proposi- 

 tion was first made, Massachusetts had found even the 

 government of committees sufficient to carry them 

 through an invasior). Biit we at the time of that propo- 

 sition were under no inv;\sion. When the second was 

 made, there had been added to this example those of 

 Rhode-Island, New-York, New-Jersey, and Pennsylva- 



