le, which allows to us the free exercise of our religion,
and the liberty of speech and of the press. With these primary and
fundamental rights of a free people, it associates the right of
petition. But there is this peculiarity in the language of this
clause of the Constitution. The words applicable to our subject are,
"Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the People to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The right of
petition, therefore, is not a privilege conferred by the
Constitution. It is recognised as a pre-existing right, already
possessed by the People, which they still reserve to themselves, and
which Congress shall not so much as touch with the weight of a
finger. The People, in their constitution, say to Congress,--We
place in your hands our right and power of collecting a revenue to
provide for the common defence and general welfare of the Union; our
right and power to regulate commerce, to coin money, to declare war,
and to raise and support armies and navies for its prosecution. Upon
these and other subjects you may exercise the discretion, which we
repose in you by virtue of our constitution. But this you shall not
do:--you shall not, until after the expiration of twenty years,
prohibit the migration or importation of such persons as we think
proper to admit; you shall not pass any bill of attainder; you shall
not lay any tax or duty on exports; and you shall make no law
prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom
of speech or of the press; or the right of the People peaceably to
assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.
These our great natural rights we keep to ourselves; we will not
have them tampered with; respecting them we give to you no
commission whatsoever. And rights which Congress itself, the entire
Legislature, consisting of the President, the Senate, and the House,
acting in their combined functions in the enactment of a law, is
forbidden to abridge,--can this House alone undertake, by a mere
resolution or vote, practically to deny, abolish, and destroy? Sir,
if we can successfully do it, I have greatly misconceived the
democratic ancestry, the democratic principles, and the democratic
energy of the People, whom we are appointed to serve in this House.

The right of petition, I have said, was not conferred on the People
by the Constitution, but was a pre-existing right, reserved by the
People out of the grants of