It is obvious that, on general principles of law and reason, there
exists no such thing as a government created by, or resting upon, any
consent, compact, or agreement of "the people of the United States" with
each other; that the only visible, tangible, responsible government that
exists, is that of a few individuals only, who act in concert, and call
themselves by the several names of senators, representatives,
presidents, judges, marshals, treasurers, collectors, generals,
colonels, captains, etc., etc.
On general principles of law and reason, it is of no importance whatever
that those few individuals profess to be the agents and representatives
of "the people of the United States"; since they can show no credentials
from the people themselves; they were never appointed as agents or
representatives in any open, authentic manner; they do not themselves
know, and have no means of knowing, and cannot prove, who their
principals (as they call them) are individually; and consequently
cannot, in law or reason, be said to have any principals at all.
It is obvious, too, that if these alleged principals ever did appoint
these pretended agents, or representatives, they appointed them secretly
(by secret ballot), and in a way to avoid all personal responsibility
for their acts; that, at most, these alleged principals put these
pretended agents forward for the most criminal purposes, viz: to plunder
the people of their property, and restrain them of their liberty; and
that the only authority that these alleged principals have for so doing,
is simply a _tacit understanding_ among themselves that they will
imprison, shoot, or hang every man who resists the exactions and
restraints which their agents or representatives may impose upon them.
Thus it is obvious that the only visible, tangible government we have is
made up of these professed agents or representatives of a secret band of
robbers and murderers, who, to cover up, or gloss over, their robberies
and murders, have taken to themselves the title of "the people of the
United States"; and who, on the pretense of being "the people of the
United States," assert their right to subject to their dominion, and to
control and dispose of at their pleasure, all property and persons found
in the United States.