NOTE. THE rights of a citizen of this country are secured to him by our constitutions and by laws made in conformity with them. They may be divided into his Personal Rights and his Property Rights. His Personal rights may be divided into those of a Political character, and those of a private or more strictly Personal character. I here and throughout this volume, use this word "political" in its original and true meaning, which refers to civil government, without the slightest relation to partisan politics of any kind whatever. These political rights are considered in the First Book. I have written it in the belief that a book exhibiting the provisions and the principles of our national constitution, with the history of its formation, and the means by which republican institutions may be made most productive of good, and guarded from the dangers which most nearly threaten them, would be acceptable and useful. The Second Book contains a view of the Personal rights so secured to all our citizens by our constitution and laws, that only our neglect or abuse of them can impair or imperil them. The Third Book states in simple and untechnical language, the laws and rules, by an observance of which all the kinds of business in common use may be safely transacted. Then follows a Treatise on the Rules of Order in Deliberative Bodies. A knowledge of these rules is especially necessary in this country, where nearly all its public business,-from Congress down to our town meetings,-and much of its private business,-as in meetings of stockholders and the like,—are governed by these rules; and all such meetings would avoid disorder, and accomplish their purposes far better, if these rules were generally known and regarded. The volume closes with a Glossary, or Dictionary, of Law Terms in common use. The language of the law, to a large extent, may be easily taught; and as without it the rules under which we all live and act cannot be well understood, it would seem that it might be usefully learned. All that part of this volume which is taken from my former works has been carefully revised and amended. CAMBRIDGE, 1875. THEOPHILUS PARSONS. |