CHAPTER V.

COMPARISON OF THE FRENCH AND AMERICAN DECLARATIONS.

ART. 1. _Les hommes naissent et demeurent libres et egaux en droits. Les distinctions sociales ne peuvent etre fondees que sur l'utilite commune._

2. _Le but de toute a.s.sociation politique est la conservation des droits naturels et imprescriptibles de l'homme. Ces droits sont la liberte, la propriete, la surete et la resistance a l'oppression._

VIRGINIA, I. That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

VIRGINIA, IV. That no man, or set of men, are ent.i.tled to exclusive or separate emoluments or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services.

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, Preamble to the Const.i.tution. The end of the inst.i.tution, maintenance, and administration of government is to secure the existence of the body-politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying, in safety and tranquillity, their natural rights and the blessings of life.

MARYLAND, IV. The doctrine of non-resistance, against arbitrary power and oppression, is absurd, slavish and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

3. _Le principe de toute souverainete reside essentiellement dans la nation. Nul corps, nul individu ne peut exercer d'autorite qui n'en emane express.e.m.e.nt._

VIRGINIA, II. That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people; that magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at all times amenable to them.

4. _La liberte consiste a pouvoir faire tout ce qui ne nuit pas a autrui; aussi l'exercise des droits naturels de chaque homme n'a de bornes que celles qui a.s.surent aux autres membres de la societe la jouissance de ces memes droits. Ces bornes ne peuvent etre determinees que par la loi._

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, Preamble. The body-politic is formed by a voluntary a.s.sociation of individuals; it is a social compact by which the whole people covenants with each citizen and each citizen with the whole people that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good.

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, X. Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property, according to standing laws.

5. _La loi n'a le droit de defendre que les actions nuisibles a la societe. Tout ce qui n'est pas defendu par la loi ne peut etre empeche et nul ne peut etre contraint a faire ce qu'elle n'ordonne pas._

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, XI. Every subject of the commonwealth ought to find a certain remedy, by having recourse to the laws, for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his person, property, or character.

NORTH CAROLINA, XIII. That every freeman, restrained of his liberty, is ent.i.tled to a remedy, to inquire into the lawfulness thereof, and to remove the same, if unlawful; and that such remedy ought not to be denied or delayed.

VIRGINIA, VII. That all power of suspending laws, or the execution of laws, by any authority, without consent of the representatives of the people, is injurious to their rights, and ought not to be exercised.[40]

6. _La loi est l'expression de la volonte generale. Tous les citoyens ont le droit de concourir personnellement ou par leurs representants a sa formation. Elle doit etre la meme pour tous, soit qu'elle protege, soit qu'elle punisse. Tous les citoyens etant egaux a ses yeux, sont egalement admissibles a toutes dignites, places et emplois publics, selon leur capacite, et sans autre distinction que celle de leurs vertus et leurs talents._

MARYLAND, V. That the right in the people to partic.i.p.ate in the Legislature, is the best security of liberty, and the foundation of all free government.

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, IX. All elections ought to be free;[41] and all the inhabitants of this commonwealth, having such qualifications as they shall establish by their frame of government, have an equal right to elect officers, and to be elected, for public employments.

NEW HAMPSHIRE, XII. Nor are the inhabitants of this State controllable by any other laws than those to which they or their representative body have given their consent.

7. _Nul homme ne peut etre accuse, arrete, ni detenu que dans les cas determines par la loi et selon les formes qu'elle a prescrites. Ceux qui sollicitent, expedient, executent ou font executer des ordres arbitraires, doivent etre punis; mais tout citoyen appele ou saisi en vertu de la loi doit obeir a l'instant; il se rend coupable par sa resistance._

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, XII. No subject shall be held to answer for any crimes or no offence until the same is fully and plainly, substantially and formally, described to him; or be compelled to accuse, or furnish evidence against himself; and every subject shall have a right to produce all proofs that may be favorable to him; to meet the witnesses against him face to face, and to be fully heard in his defence by himself, or his counsel at his election. And no subject shall be arrested, imprisoned, despoiled, or deprived of his property, immunities, or privileges, put out of the protection of the law, exiled or deprived of his life, liberty, or estate, but by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land.[42]

VIRGINIA, X. That general warrants, whereby an officer or messenger may be commanded to search suspected places without evidence of a fact committed, or to seize any person or persons not named, or whose offence is not particularly described and supported by evidence, are grievous and oppressive, and ought not to be granted.

8. _La loi ne doit etablir que des peines strictement necessaires et nul ne peut etre puni qu'en vertu d'une loi etablie et promulguee anterieurement au delit et legalement appliquee._

NEW HAMPSHIRE, XVIII. All penalties ought to be proportioned to the nature of the offence.[43]

MARYLAND, XIV. That sanguinary laws ought to be avoided, as far as is consistent with the safety of the State; and no law, to inflict cruel and unusual pains and penalties, ought to be made in any case, or at any time hereafter.[44]

MARYLAND, XV. That retrospective laws, punishing facts committed before the existence of such laws, and by them only declared criminal, are oppressive, unjust, and incompatible with liberty; wherefore no _ex post facto_ law ought to be made.

9. _Tout homme etant presume innocent jusqu' a ce qu'il ait ete declare coupable, s'il est juge indispensable de l'arreter, toute rigueur qui ne serait pas necessaire pour s'a.s.surer de sa personne doit etre severement reprimee par la loi._

_Cf._ above, Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, XII; further

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, XIV. Every subject has a right to be secure from all unreasonable searches and seizures of his person, his houses, his papers, and all his possessions.

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, XXVI. No magistrate or court of law shall demand excessive bail or sureties, impose excessive fines[45] ...

10. _Nul doit etre inquiete pour ses opinions, meme religieuses, pourvu que leur manifestation ne trouble pas l'ordre public etabli par la loi._

NEW HAMPSHIRE, V. Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship G.o.d according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason; and no subject shall be hurt, molested or restrained in his person, liberty or estate for worshipping G.o.d, in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience, or for his religious profession, sentiments or persuasion; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or disturb others, in their religious worship.

11. _La libre communication des pensees et des opinions est un des droits les plus precieux de l'homme; tout citoyen peut donc parler, ecrire, imprimer librement sauf a repondre de l'abus de cette liberte dans les cas determines par la loi._

VIRGINIA, XII. That the freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained but by despotic governments.

PENNSYLVANIA, XII. That the people have a right to freedom of speech, and of writing, and publishing their sentiments.

12. _La garantie des droits de l'homme et du citoyen necessite une force publique. Cette force est donc inst.i.tuee pour l'avantage de tous, et non pour l'utilite particuliere de ceux auxquels elle est confiee._

PENNSYLVANIA, V. That government is, or ought to be, inst.i.tuted for the common benefit, protection and security of the people, nation or community; and not for the particular emolument or advantage of any single man, family, or sett of men, who are a part only of that community.

13. _Pour l'entretien de la force publique et pour les depenses d'administration, une contribution commune est indispensable; elle doit etre egalement repartie entre tous les citoyens en raison de leurs facultes._

Ma.s.sACHUSETTS, X. Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property, according to standing laws. He is obliged, consequently, to contribute his share to the expense of this protection; to give his personal service, or an equivalent, when necessary.

14. _Tous les citoyens ont le droit de constater, par eux memes ou par leur representants, la necessite de la contribution publique, de la consentir librement, d'en suivre l'emploi, et d'en determiner la qualite, l'a.s.siette, le recouvrement et la duree._