The Short ConstitutionWade, Martin J. (Martin Joseph)
History
The Short Constitution
Wade, Martin J. (Martin Joseph)
United States. Constitution
“_No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any
Office or public Trust under the United States._”(92)
Here again we see emphasized the right of trial by jury. I want you to
give some thought to this particular right, because it applies not only to
cases where persons are accused of a crime, but also to nearly all cases
involving property rights.
The ordinary lawsuit, where one person is suing another to recover money,
property, or damages, is triable by a jury. You understand of course the
purpose of a trial. As already explained the main thing in every trial is
to determine the truth as to the points in dispute, and the truth in such
cases under our Constitution is determined, not by judges, but by jurors,
men from the ordinary walks of life, your neighbors, men accustomed to
dealing with ordinary human affairs. This right is important in aiding a
person to have the truth properly established; but it is especially
important, as I have heretofore explained, because it emphasizes the fact
that this is a government by the people, and that in grave emergencies
when life, liberty, or property, is in danger, the representatives of the
common people, selected from the ranks of the common people, shall be the
judges.
Of course I have fully explained to you, and I do not wish to have any
confusion upon that point, that the judges themselves are also
representatives of the people, because they are elected by the people, or
appointed by those agents of the people who are elected by the people.
I have intentionally repeated, sometimes over and over, rules and reasons,
because we must have them in our minds so that they will never be
forgotten.
Now as above explained, the citizens of each State are guaranteed the
right to go to another State, and exercise in that other State the same
rights as the citizens of that State. This is in the spirit of America
which gives us all equal opportunity. A citizen of Massachusetts going to
the State of Minnesota has the same rights in Minnesota as the citizens of
Minnesota have. Minnesota could not discriminate against him because he
was a citizen of another State. Of course he could not exercise rights
which the citizens of Minnesota were not entitled to, but all rights of
the citizens of Minnesota are guaranteed to him while he is in that State.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account