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To: risk
If you look at all of the early state constitutions, you'll see notations about rights of freemen. That didn't mean all white men or all non-slaves, not by a long shot. It was a continuation from colonial times & it had a specific meaning & purpose. Many, if not all of the colonies required men to be a member in good standing with his church.

Consider the constitution of one of the origial 13. Framed August 14, 1776, and completed November 11, 1776.

XXXIII. That, as it is the duty of every man to worship God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to him; all persons, professing the Christian religion, are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty; wherefore no person ought by any law to be molested in his person or estate on account of his religious persuasion or profession, or for his religious practice; unless, under colour of religion, any man shall disturb the good order, peace or safety of the State, or shall infringe the laws of morality, or injure others, in their natural, civil, or religious rights; nor ought any person to be compelled to frequent or maintain, or contribute, unless on contract, to maintain any particular place of worship, or any particular ministry; yet the Legislature may, in their discretion, lay a general and equal tax for the support of the Christian religion; leaving to each individual the power of appointing the payment over of the money, collected from him, to the support of any particular place of worship or minister, or for the benefit of the poor of his own denomination, or the poor in general of any particular county: but the churches, chapels, globes, and all other property now belonging to the church of England, ought to remain to the church of England forever. And all acts of Assembly, lately passed, for collecting monies for building or repairing particular churches or chapels of ease, shall continue in force, and be executed, unless the Legislature shall, by act, supersede or repeal the same: but no county court shall assess any quantity of tobacco, or sum of money, hereafter, on the application of any vestrymen or church-wardens; and every encumbent of the church of England, who hath remained in his parish, and performed his duty, shall be entitled to receive the provision and support established by the act, entitled "An act for the support of the clergy of the church of England, in this Province," till the November court of this present year to be held for the county in which his parish shall lie, or partly lie, or for such time as he hate remained in his parish, and performed his duty.

From another of the original 13, February 5, 1777. This clause specifies who can be a representative for the state:

ART. VI. The representatives shall be chosen out of the residents in each county, who shall have resided at least twelve months in this State, and three months in the county where they shall be elected; except the freeholders of the counties of Glynn and Camden, who are in a state of alarm, and who shall have the liberty of choosing one member each, as specified in the articles of this constitution, in any other county, until they have residents sufficient to qualify them for more; and they shall be of the Protestent religion, and of the age of twenty-one years, and shall be possessed in their own right of two hundred and fifty acres of land, or some property to the amount of two hundred and fifty pounds.

52 posted on 04/15/2005 9:17:51 PM PDT by GoLightly
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To: GoLightly
All these things were up for discussion. I'd argue that our current laws are more just and more fair than they were back then. Our challenge is to appoint judges and elect executives and representatives who can uphold these fair laws properly, and remove ones that are clearly wrong.

We can influence the press here online, as well. Right now, the press is all for post-structuralism, multiculturalism, and the moral relativism that accompanies those two world views. We can show them that most Americans, even immigrants, don't share those relativist values.

57 posted on 04/15/2005 9:47:41 PM PDT by risk
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