ustice; mere public
sentiment, for its expression and application, requires only the
existence of a few great states divided into voting districts, each
district being under the control of the Central Government, which is
to it an external control. Just public sentiment, as the basis of
government, is a basis which makes government a mighty instrument for
spirituality and growth; mere public sentiment, regardless of its
justness or unjustness, as the basis of government, is a basis which
makes government a mighty instrument for brutality and deterioration.
Human equality, unalienable rights, government according to just
public sentiment, and free statehood, are inevitably and forever
linked together as reciprocal cause and effect.

The ultimate meaning of the expression "that to secure these rights
governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed," seems therefore to be that by the common
law of nature and of nations there is a universal right of free
statehood which pertains to all communities on the face of the earth
within territorial limits of suitable size for the development and
operation of a just public sentiment.

So complete and universal are the principles of government by just
public sentiment and of free statehood that, according to the
Declaration, even when all the people of a free state are meeting
together to alter or abolish a form of government which has become
destructive of the ends of its institution, as it is declared they may
rightfully do, their right to form a new government is not absolute so
that they can rightfully do whatever the majority wills, but is
limited by this universal common law, so that they can rightfully
institute only a new form of government whose foundation principles
and mode of organization are such "as to them shall seem most likely
to effect their safety and happiness"--that is, to secure the
unalienable rights of individuals to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness.

The declaration of the universal right of free statehood is
accompanied, in the Declaration, by the claim that the Colonies, as
free states, had always been in political "connection" with the State
of Great Britain. The concluding part of the Declaration reads:

"We, therefore,... declare that these United Colonies are,
and of right ought to be, free and independent states,...
and that all political connection between them and the Sta