1796. CONVENTIONS, Constitutional.—[further continued] .
This corporeal globe,
and everything upon it, belong to its present
corporeal inhabitants, during their generation.
They alone have a right to direct what
is the concern of themselves alone, and to declare
the law of that direction; and this declaration
can only be made by their majority.
That majority, then, has a right to depute
representatives to a convention, and to make
the constitution what they think will be the
best for themselves. * * * If this avenue
be shut to the call of sufferance it will make
itself through that of force, and we shall go
on, as other nations are doing, in the endless
circle of oppression, rebellion, reformation;
and oppression, rebellion, reformation, again;
and so on forever.—
To Samuel Kerchival. Washington ed. vii, 16.
Ford ed., x, 44.
(M.
1816)
