compact, are equal, and that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive or separate public emoluments or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services.

That all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness. For the advancement of those ends, they have at all times an unalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their government, in such manner as they may think proper.

CONSTITUTION OF KENTUCKY (1890).

All men, when they form a social compact, are equal. CONSTITUTION OF CONNECTICUT (1818).

(Article I, Declaration of Rights.)

That the great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare:

Sec. 1. That all men, when they form a social compact, are equal in rights; and that no man, or set of men, are entitled to exclusive public emoluments or privileges from the community.

Sec. 2. That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit; and that they have at all times an undeniable, and indefeasible right to alter their form of government in such manner as they may think expedient.

CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS (1818).

The people of the Illinois Territory, having the right of admission into the General Government as a member of the Union, consistent with the Constitution of the United States, the ordinance of Congress of 1787, and the law of Congress approved April 18, 1818, entitled "An Act to enable the people of the Illinois Territory to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such State into the Union, on an equal footing with the original States, and for other purposes," in order to establish justice, promote the welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity, do, by their representatives in convention, ordain and

establish the following constitution or form of government; and do mutually agree with each other to form themselves into a free and independent State, by the name of the State of Illinois.

CONSTITUTION OF ALABAMA (1819).

That the general, great, and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare:

Section 1. That all freemen, when they form a social compact, are equal in rights; and that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive, separate public emoluments or privileges, but in consideration of public services.

Section 2. All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit: and, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their form of government, in such manner as they may think expedient.

CONSTITUTION OF ARKANSAS (1836).

That the great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and unalterably established, we declare:

Section 1. That all freemen, when they form a social compact, are equal, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty; of acquiring, possessing and protecting property and reputation; and of pursuing their own happiness.

Section 2. That all power is inherent in the people; and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness. For the advancement of these ends, they have, at all times, an unqualified right to alter, reform or abolish their government, in such manner as they may think proper.

CONSTITUTION OF FLORIDA (1838).

That the great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare: Section 1. That all freemen, when they form a social com

pact, are equal, and have certain inherent and indefeasible rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty; of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property and reputation, and of pursuing their own happiness.

Section 2. That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and established for their benefit; and, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and inde feasible right to alter or abolish their form of government in such manner as they may deem expedient.

CONSTITUTION OF KANSAS (1855).

We, the people of the Territory of Kansas, by our delegates in convention assembled, at Topeka, on the 23d day of October, A. D. 1855, and of the independence of the United States the eightieth year, having the right of admission into the Union as one of the United States of America, consistent with the Federal Constitution, and by virtue of the treaty of cession by France to the United States of the province of Louisiana, in order to secure to ourselves and our posterity the enjoyment of all the rights of life, liberty, and property, and the free pursuits of happiness, do mutually agree with each other to form ourselves into a free and independent State, by the name and style of the State of Kansas.

CONSTITUTION OF OREGON (1857).

Section 1. We declare that all men, when they form a social compact, are equal in rights; that all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded in their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness, and that they have at all times a right to alter, reform or abolish the government in such manner as they think proper.

CONSTITUTION OF TEXAS (1876).

All free men, when they form a social compact, have equal rights.

Virginia retains in her constitution of 1902 the compact doctrine set forth in her earliest bill of rights.

GROUP FOUR: LIBERALISM

FREE SPEECH. FREE PRESS. FREE ASSEMBLAGE. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. RIGHT TO CRITICISE THE GOVERNMENT. RIGHT

OF REVOLUTION.

The provisions in the "Bill of Rights" of the American Constitution and the point of view of those who consistently defend and fight for the preservation of those provisions are embraced in the range of political ideas to which the term "liberalism" is generally applied.

Liberalism is defined: "Befitting a free man or a state, condition or situation free from narrow limitations, free in scope." "Not narrow, bigoted or intolerant. (Specifically): Favorable to personal, political or religious liberty; opposed to narrow conservatism or undue restriction."

All liberalism is the outgrowth of the desire of the individual for the greatest possible measure of liberty of thought and action. The details of any liberal activity are the outgrowths of efforts made to secure for the individual this maximum practical degree of personal freedom.

The essential tradition of America is, accordingly, a liberal tradition.

Intolerance, coercion, suppression, censorship-these are always present or latent in American life as in the life of men everywhere. In every crucial phase of America's existence they have been displayed. During tense moments when passions run high, and shallow and petty men raise the most strident voices, it always appears that America has drifted far from her original traditions and ideals.

But with renewed perspective and after time has brought subsiding of passion it has always, up to this time, been found that there were American jurists and statesmen, journalists and publicists who kept poise and held fast to the fundamental national ideals. However bitterly attacked, however threatened or traduced, they have given decisions or raised voices to plead for toleration and sanity. And it is of these men that the nation becomes proud with the passing of years, it is the

words of these men which are treasured and remembered as the true expression of the basic viewpoint of the people.

Never, up to this time, have the American people failed to punish in some form, any political party which in crucial times, dared to enact legislation subversive of the basic liberal provisions of the Constitution. During the critical period the people are swayed by emotion and permit reactionaries to have their way. But later the people awaken and rally again around the brave spirits who have dared to oppose the reactionary drift when such opposition was dangerous and unpopular.

The following excerpts, chosen from the early days of the nation to the years immediately following the World War, indicate how strong is the continuing tradition of liberalism in this country.

It is the usual practice of alleged "practical" men, during times of national emergency, to assert that the unequivocal and unambiguous provisions of the Bill of Rights are not to be regarded during moments of national peril.

These provisions were forced into the Constitution by men who had just emerged from years of such national peril as our nation has never since known. They looked upon these provisions as the very foundations of all our institutions. They meant them to apply at all times, in war as well as in peace; during emergencies as well as during serene times of ample security.

Never have the American people permitted any abrogation of the provisions of the Bill of Rights without later regretting it. Never have they permitted such abrogation without having reactionary organisations later seek to use for their own ends the unwise precedents established.

The U. S. Supreme Court has said (139):

"The Constitution of the United States is a law for rulers and people equally in time of war and in peace and covers with the shield of its protection all classes of men, at all times and under all circumstances. No doctrine involving more pernicious consequences was ever invented by the wit of man than that any of its provisions can be suspended during any of the great exigencies of government. Such a doctrine leads directly to anarchy."

The men who understand what the founders of the nation sought to accomplish know that statement to be absolutely