Expressive was the coronation ceremony in the ancient Dukedom of Carinthia. The ducal candidate, in a peasant’s garb, and with head proudly erect, walked towards the marble throne of his ancestors. But upon it was already seated a peasant, attended by the black bull and the lean horse--those sad and severe symbols of his class. Then was commenced between them this rude dialogue: Peasant:--“Who so proudly dares enter here? Is he a just judge? Has he the good of the country at heart?” Duke:--“He is and he will.” Peasant:--“I demand by what right he will force me to quit this place?” Duke:--“He will buy it of you for sixty pennies, and the horse and the bull shall be yours.” Nowhere, in the past, was the sovereignty of the people more haughtily declared, than in this formality of the old Carinthians. “It bears the seal of remote antiquity--of an Homeric or Biblical simplicity.” That the people were the only true source of power, was admitted even in the archaic periods of history. Of olden time, there were many forms of popular government. Aristotle made a study of their institutions. Greece had her democracies and Italy a great republic. In Asia, then, as now, the assertion of political power was the sole foundation for its maintenance. With the development of Christianity, in Europe, was inculcated the theoretic idea. Kings were anointed and they ruled by “divine right.” In the language of Mr. Tiedeman: “The king, who in theory obtained his authority from God, acknowledged no natural rights in the individual. Individual activity, for its room, depended upon the monarch’s will.” In time, however, came the Reformation and political revolutions in England, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. To-day, the “divine right” of kings is generally repudiated. It has been displaced by the ancient principle that all power is derived from the people. “The people were once subjects of the king. The government is now subject to the people.” “The king is dead,” but his functions yet live in “the state,” or the people. While many ancient statesmen and publicists recognized the proper origin of power in government, their opinions as to its nature and extent were neither clear nor sound. Wherever lodged, in their judgment, power was limitless and irresponsible. Whether exercised by king or emperor, by an aristocracy or the people, it was absolute. Politically, in other words, the individual was annihilated by the state. Government did not permit the existence of any personal right that it “was bound to respect.” This is also true of later times, in continental Europe. True, the “divine right” of kings was repudiated, but not the doctrine of absolutism. “_Vox Populi, Vox Dei_,” became the general answer to all complaints of the individual against the encroachments of popular government upon his rights and liberty. In the name of the people, atrocious crimes were perpetrated by revolutionary governments.