"_Every citizen owes the country a vigilant watch and close scrutiny of its public servants, ... and this is the price of our liberty._" Who are these "public servants," that need all this watching? Evidently they are the lawmakers, and the lawmakers only. They are not only the _chief_ "public servants," but they are absolute masters of all the other "public servants." These other "public servants," judicial and executive,--the courts, the army, the navy, the collectors of taxes, etc., etc.,--have no function whatever, except that of simple obedience to the lawmakers. They are appointed, paid, and have their duties prescribed to them, by the lawmakers; and are made responsible only to the lawmakers. They are mere puppets in the hands of the lawmakers. Clearly, then, the lawmakers are the only ones we have any occasion to watch. Your declaration, therefore, amounts, practically, to this, and this only: _Every citizen owes the country a vigilant watch and close scrutiny of ITS LAWMAKERS, ... and this is the price of our liberty._ Sir, your declaration is so far true, as that all the danger to "our liberty" _comes solely from the lawmakers_. And why are the lawmakers dangerous to "our liberty"? Because it is a natural impossibility that they can _make_ any law--that is, any law of their own invention--that does _not_ violate "our liberty." _The law of justice is the one only law that does not violate "our liberty."_ And that is not a law that was made by the lawmakers. It existed before they were born, and will exist after they are dead. It derives not one particle of its authority from any commands of theirs. It is, therefore, in no sense, one of _their_ laws. Only laws of their own invention are _their_ laws. And as it is naturally impossible that they can invent any law of their own, that shall not conflict with the law of justice, it is naturally impossible that they can _make_ a law--that is, a law of their own invention--that shall _not_ violate "our liberty." The law of justice is the precise measure, and the only precise measure, of the rightful "liberty" of each and every human being. Any law--made by lawmakers--that should give to any man more liberty than is given him by the law of justice, would be a license to commit an injustice upon one or more other persons. On the other hand, any law--made by lawmakers--that should take from any human being any "liberty" that is given him by the law of justice, would be taking from him a part of his own rightful "liberty."