Experiments in Government and the Essentials of the Constitution — John Shaqi
Experiments in Government and the Essentials of the ConstitutionRoot, Elihu
History
Experiments in Government and the Essentials of the Constitution
Root, Elihu
United States -- Politics and government
Thus the constitution provides: No law shall be made by Congress
prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of
speech or of the press. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall
not be infringed. The right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated. No person shall be subject for the same offense to
be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor be compelled, in any criminal
case, to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty, or
property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken
for public use without just compensation. In all criminal prosecutions, the
accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial
jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed;
and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be
confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for
obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel
for his defense. Excessive bail shall not he required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted. The privilege of the
writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, except in case of rebellion
or invasion. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed. And
by the Fourteenth Amendment, no state shall deprive any person of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.
We have lived so long under the protection of these rules that most of us
have forgotten their importance. They have been unquestioned in America so
long that most of us have forgotten the reasons for them. But if we lose
them we shall learn the reasons by hard experience. And we are in some
danger of losing them, not all at once but gradually, by indifference.
As Professor Sohm says: "The greatest and most far reaching revolutions in
history are not consciously observed at the time of their occurrence."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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