Essay On Section 9 Of The Government

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To the People of New York State: Just a short while ago we embarked on the journey to regain our liberty from tyranny. The unalienable rights in which our nation was founded have guided the establishment of our government. The purpose of government, political philosopher John Locke believed, is to secure and protect the unalienable rights of the people in which it governs. However, when a government fails to do that, people have the right to alter or abolish it, forming a new political system in its place. As people, we possess the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. WE THE PEOPLE have established a new government through the Constitution. Therefore, we do not have to protect our unalienable rights from …show more content…

We can unanimously agree no government or person in charge should become too powerful. Provisions are already emplaced in the Constitution preventing this fear and securing the rights of the people. Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution establishes writ of habeas corpus and prohibits ex-post facto law and titles of nobility. Alexander Hamilton writes these provisions are “greater securities of liberty and republicanism” than anything a bill of rights would include. Why have a list of liberties that can’t be impeded when the power to impose those restrictions was never given? Hamilton backs up the foolishness of this question by stating, “the people surrender nothing; and as they retain every thing they have no need of particular reservations.” The Constitution advocates for what our nation holds to the utmost importance, the people. There is no need to re-secure the liberties given to the people and states by adding a bill of rights. I ask of you to consider the Constitution itself a bill of rights, as it creates a limited government in which the people are free to govern themselves and their rights are to be …show more content…

By specifying liberties cannot be obstructed, what is to be said for the liberties that aren’t endorsed in a bill of rights? Having a bill of rights suggests that if not included in it, that right is permitted by the government to infringe on said right. Furthermore, does a bill of rights forbidding the national government from acting in certain domains elude the government has power to act in others or at all? This ultimately ends up giving the national government a great deal of power that within the Constitution is granted nowhere. Opponents of the Constitution say they are fearful the national government will be too strong. So why are they in favor of adding a bill of rights which would ultimately end up intensifying the power of the national government they are so hesitant to