COMPARISON OF THE FRENCH AND AMERICAN DECLARATIONS.
ART. 1. _Les hommes naissent et demeurent libres et egaux en droits. Les
distinctions sociales ne peuvent etre fondees que sur l'utilite
commune._
2. _Le but de toute association politique est la conservation des droits
naturels et imprescriptibles de l'homme. Ces droits sont la liberte, la
propriete, la surete et la resistance a l'oppression._
VIRGINIA, I. That all men are by nature equally free and independent,
and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state
of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their
posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of
acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness
and safety.
VIRGINIA, IV. That no man, or set of men, are entitled to exclusive or
separate emoluments or privileges from the community, but in
consideration of public services.
MASSACHUSETTS, Preamble to the Constitution. The end of the institution,
maintenance, and administration of government is to secure the existence
of the body-politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who
compose it with the power of enjoying, in safety and tranquillity, their
natural rights and the blessings of life.
MARYLAND, IV. The doctrine of non-resistance, against arbitrary power
and oppression, is absurd, slavish and destructive of the good and
happiness of mankind.
3. _Le principe de toute souverainete reside essentiellement dans la
nation. Nul corps, nul individu ne peut exercer d'autorite qui n'en
emane expressement._
VIRGINIA, II. That all power is vested in, and consequently derived
from, the people; that magistrates are their trustees and servants, and
at all times amenable to them.
4. _La liberte consiste a pouvoir faire tout ce qui ne nuit pas a
autrui; aussi l'exercise des droits naturels de chaque homme n'a de
bornes que celles qui assurent aux autres membres de la societe la
jouissance de ces memes droits. Ces bornes ne peuvent etre determinees
que par la loi._
MASSACHUSETTS, Preamble. The body-politic is formed by a voluntary
association of individuals; it is a social compact by which the whole
people covenants with each citizen and each citizen with the whole
people that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good.
MASSACHUSETTS, X. Each individual of the society has a right to be
protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property,
according to standing laws.
5. _La loi n'a le droit de defendre que les actions nuisibles a la
societe. Tout ce qui n'est pas defendu par la loi ne peut etre empeche
et nul ne peut etre contraint a faire ce qu'elle n'ordonne pas._
MASSACHUSETTS, XI. Every subject of the commonwealth ought to find a
certain remedy, by having recourse to the laws, for all injuries or
wrongs which he may receive in his person, property, or character.
NORTH CAROLINA, XIII. That every freeman, restrained of his liberty, is
entitled to a remedy, to inquire into the lawfulness thereof, and to
remove the same, if unlawful; and that such remedy ought not to be
denied or delayed.
VIRGINIA, VII. That all power of suspending laws, or the execution of
laws, by any authority, without consent of the representatives of the
people, is injurious to their rights, and ought not to be exercised.[40]
6. _La loi est l'expression de la volonte generale. Tous les citoyens
ont le droit de concourir personnellement ou par leurs representants a
sa formation. Elle doit etre la meme pour tous, soit qu'elle protege,
soit qu'elle punisse. Tous les citoyens etant egaux a ses yeux, sont
egalement admissibles a toutes dignites, places et emplois publics,
selon leur capacite, et sans autre distinction que celle de leurs vertus
et leurs talents._
MARYLAND, V. That the right in the people to participate in the
Legislature, is the best security of liberty, and the foundation of all
free government.
MASSACHUSETTS, IX. All elections ought to be free;[41] and all the
inhabitants of this commonwealth, having such qualifications as they
shall establish by their frame of government, have an equal right to
elect officers, and to be elected, for public employments.
NEW HAMPSHIRE, XII. Nor are the inhabitants of this State controllable
by any other laws than those to which they or their representative body
have given their consent.
7. _Nul homme ne peut etre accuse, arrete, ni detenu que dans les cas
determines par la loi et selon les formes qu'elle a prescrites. Ceux qui
sollicitent, expedient, executent ou font executer des ordres
arbitraires, doivent etre punis; mais tout citoyen appele ou saisi en
vertu de la loi doit obeir a l'instant; il se rend coupable par sa
resistance._
MASSACHUSETTS, XII. No subject shall be held to answer for any crimes
or no offence until the same is fully and plainly, substantially and
formally, described to him; or be compelled to accuse, or furnish
evidence against himself; and every subject shall have a right to
produce all proofs that may be favorable to him; to meet the witnesses
against him face to face, and to be fully heard in his defence by
himself, or his counsel at his election. And no subject shall be
arrested, imprisoned, despoiled, or deprived of his property,
immunities, or privileges, put out of the protection of the law, exiled
or deprived of his life, liberty, or estate, but by the judgment of his
peers, or the law of the land.[42]
VIRGINIA, X. That general warrants, whereby an officer or messenger may
be commanded to search suspected places without evidence of a fact
committed, or to seize any person or persons not named, or whose offence
is not particularly described and supported by evidence, are grievous
and oppressive, and ought not to be granted.
8. _La loi ne doit etablir que des peines strictement necessaires et nul
ne peut etre puni qu'en vertu d'une loi etablie et promulguee
anterieurement au delit et legalement appliquee._
NEW HAMPSHIRE, XVIII. All penalties ought to be proportioned to the
nature of the offence.[43]
MARYLAND, XIV. That sanguinary laws ought to be avoided, as far as is
consistent with the safety of the State; and no law, to inflict cruel
and unusual pains and penalties, ought to be made in any case, or at any
time hereafter.[44]
MARYLAND, XV. That retrospective laws, punishing facts committed before
the existence of such laws, and by them only declared criminal, are
oppressive, unjust, and incompatible with liberty; wherefore no _ex post
facto_ law ought to be made.
9. _Tout homme etant presume innocent jusqu' a ce qu'il ait ete declare
coupable, s'il est juge indispensable de l'arreter, toute rigueur qui ne
serait pas necessaire pour s'assurer de sa personne doit etre severement
reprimee par la loi._
_Cf._ above, MASSACHUSETTS, XII; further
MASSACHUSETTS, XIV. Every subject has a right to be secure from all
unreasonable searches and seizures of his person, his houses, his
papers, and all his possessions.
MASSACHUSETTS, XXVI. No magistrate or court of law shall demand
excessive bail or sureties, impose excessive fines[45] ...
10. _Nul doit etre inquiete pour ses opinions, meme religieuses, pourvu
que leur manifestation ne trouble pas l'ordre public etabli par la loi._
NEW HAMPSHIRE, V. Every individual has a natural and unalienable right
to worship GOD according to the dictates of his own conscience, and
reason; and no subject shall be hurt, molested or restrained in his
person, liberty or estate for worshipping GOD, in the manner and season
most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience, or for his
religious profession, sentiments or persuasion; provided he doth not
disturb the public peace, or disturb others, in their religious worship.
11. _La libre communication des pensees et des opinions est un des
droits les plus precieux de l'homme; tout citoyen peut donc parler,
ecrire, imprimer librement sauf a repondre de l'abus de cette liberte
dans les cas determines par la loi._
VIRGINIA, XII. That the freedom of the press is one of the great
bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained but by despotic
governments.
PENNSYLVANIA, XII. That the people have a right to freedom of speech,
and of writing, and publishing their sentiments.
12. _La garantie des droits de l'homme et du citoyen necessite une force
publique. Cette force est donc instituee pour l'avantage de tous, et non
pour l'utilite particuliere de ceux auxquels elle est confiee._
PENNSYLVANIA, V. That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the
common benefit, protection and security of the people, nation or
community; and not for the particular emolument or advantage of any
single man, family, or sett of men, who are a part only of that
community.
13. _Pour l'entretien de la force publique et pour les depenses
d'administration, une contribution commune est indispensable; elle doit
etre egalement repartie entre tous les citoyens en raison de leurs
facultes._
MASSACHUSETTS, X. Each individual of the society has a right to be
protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property,
according to standing laws. He is obliged, consequently, to contribute
his share to the expense of this protection; to give his personal
service, or an equivalent, when necessary.
14. _Tous les citoyens ont le droit de constater, par eux memes ou par
leur representants, la necessite de la contribution publique, de la
consentir librement, d'en suivre l'emploi, et d'en determiner la
qualite, l'assiette, le recouvrement et la duree._
MASSACHUSETTS, XXIII. No subsidy, charge, tax, impost, or duties, ought
to be established, fixed, laid or levied, under any pretext whatsoever,
without the consent of the people, or their representatives in the
legislature.
15. _La societe a le droit de demander compte a tout agent public de son
administration._
See above, VIRGINIA, II; further
MASSACHUSETTS V. All power residing originally in the people, and being
derived from them, the several magistrates and officers of government
vested with authority, whether legislative, executive, or judicial, are
the substitutes and agents, and are at all times accountable to them.
16. _Toute societe, dans laquelle la garantie des droits n'est pas
assuree, ni la separation des pouvoirs determinee, n'a point de
constitution._
NEW HAMPSHIRE, III. When men enter into a state of society, they
surrender up some of their natural rights to that society, in order to
insure the protection of others; and without such an equivalent, the
surrender is void.
MASSACHUSETTS, XXX. In the government of this commonwealth, the
legislative department shall never exercise the executive and judicial
powers, or either of them; the executive shall never exercise the
legislative and judicial powers, or either of them; the judicial shall
never exercise the legislative and executive powers, or either of them;
to the end it may be a government of laws, and not of men.
17. _La propriete etant un droit inviolable et sacre, nul ne peut en
etre prive, si ce n'est lors que la necessite publique, legalement
constatee, l'exige evidemment, et sous la condition d'une juste et
prealable indemnite._
MASSACHUSETTS, X. ... But no part of the property of any individual can,
with justice, be taken from him, or applied to public uses, without his
own consent, or that of the representative body of the people.... And
whenever the public exigencies require that the property of any
individual should be appropriated to public uses, he shall receive a
reasonable compensation therefor.
VERMONT, II. That private property ought to be subservient to public
uses, when necessity requires it; nevertheless, whenever any particular
man's property is taken for the use of the public, the owner ought to
receive an equivalent in money.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 40: _Cf._ English Bill of Rights, 1.]
[Footnote 41: English Bill of Rights, 8.]
[Footnote 42: Magna Charta, 39.]
[Footnote 43: Magna Charta, 20.]
[Footnote 44: English Bill of Rights, 10.]
[Footnote 45: English Bill of Rights, 10.]