, inherent, essential
and inalienable rights, among which were life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness; and that the preservation of these rights was the
legitimate purpose of governments among men. They had avowed this
principle before the world, had fought for it, and successfully defended
it, against the mightiest power in the world. They had filled the world
with its glory; and it, in turn, had filled the world with theirs. It
had also gathered, and was then gathering, choice spirits, and large
numbers of the oppressed from other nations unto them. And this
principle--in which were involved the safety, interests and rights of
each and every one of "the people," who were to unite for the formation
of the government--now furnished a bond of union, that was at once
sufficient, legitimate, consistent, honorable, of universal application,
and having more general power over the hearts and heads of all of them,
than any other that could be found to hold them together. It comported
with their theory of the true objects of government. This principle,
therefore, they adopted as the corner-stone of their national
government; and, as a matter of necessity, all other things, on which
this new government was in any degree to depend, or which was to depend
in any degree upon this government, were then made to conform to this
principle. Hence the propriety of the power given to the general
government, of "guaranteeing to every state in the Union a republican
form of government." Had not this power been given to the general
government, the majorities in each state might have converted the state
governments into oligarchies, aristocracies, monarchies or despotisms,
that should not only have trampled upon the minorities, and defeated
their enjoyment of the national constitution, but also introduced such
factions and feuds into the national governments, as would have
distracted its councils, and prostrated its power.

But there were also motives of a pecuniary and social, as well as
political nature, that made it proper that the nation should guarantee
to the states a republican form of government.

Commerce was to be established between the people of the different
states. The commerce of a free people is many times more valuable than
that of slaves. Freemen produce and consume vastly more than slaves.
They have therefore more to buy and more to sell. Hence the free states
have a direct pecuniary interest in the civil freedom of al