The Rights of the People
FAILURE OF THE SWORN AGENTS OF THE PEOPLE
This is fundamental, American, constitutional ground. And it is not only a fearful thing, but a treacherous thing as well, for any officer, chosen by the people and therefore responsible to the people, to give his oath to the people to stand faithful to their instructions as given to him in the Constitution, and then ignore and abandon these instructions altogether, putting between himself and the people another set of the servants of the people-who, equally with himself, are responsible to the people-and adopt their interpretations instead of the plain words of the Constitution which he has given his oath to support. An illustration will be in place. The people of Tennessee in the Bill of Rights of their Constitution have said this:- ROP 257.1
“Sec. 3. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience; that no man can, of right, be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent; that no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience; and that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religions establishment or mode of worship.” ROP 257.2
Now to say that these instructions need to be interpreted is an insult to anybody who can read the English language. They need only to be accepted as they stand. Yet, in spite of these plain words, a Sunday law is on the statute books of that State, and the State Supreme Court has declared it to be constitutional, because “Christianity is part of the common law” of that State. Thus that Supreme Court by its interpretation has given preference by common law to the Christian mode of worship, in spite of the plain words that no such thing shall ever be done. The other courts and officers of the State who have sworn to support that Constitution, have, instead, adopted and supported this interpretation: and for years Christian men have been indicted by the dozen, and prosecuted, fined, and imprisoned solely for disregarding Sunday, which is a part of the “Christianity” which by this interpretation is made part of the common law of that State. ROP 257.3
This is but a fair sample of the judicial situation in all the States of the Union, with the exception of two or three at most. And all on account of Supreme Court decisions strictly analogous to this, supported by officials who forget their oath to support the Constitution, and, instead, blindly support decisions which are absolutely subversive of the Constitution and of all the rights of the people. ROP 258.1