Right to Alter Form of Government

Right to Alter Form of Government

"Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."

Provided here are links to the  Constitutions of all the American States. The purpose of this page is to  simply provide quotes of various provisions thereof relating to the  power of the people over government.



Art. I, § 2: People source of power.
That all political power is inherent in the people, and all free  governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their  benefit; and that, therefore, they have at all times an inalienable and  indefeasible right to change their form of government in such manner as  they may deem expedient.

Art. I, § 25: Right to peaceably assemble and petition for redress of grievances, etc.
That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble  together for the common good, and to apply to those invested with the  power of government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by  petition, address, or remonstrance.

Art. I, § 26: Right to bear arms.
That every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.

Art. I, § 35: Objective of government.
That the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to  protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and  when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and  oppression.

“The  time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether  Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves; whether they are to have any  property they can call their own; whether their Houses, and Farms, are  to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a State of  Wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The  fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and  Conduct of this army—Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice  but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; this is all we  can expect—We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die: Our own  Country’s Honor, all call upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and  if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world.  Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of  the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage  us to great and noble Actions—The Eyes of all our Countrymen are now  upon us, and we shall have their blessings, and praises, if happily we  are the instruments of saving them from the Tyranny meditated against  them. Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and shew the  whole world, that a Freeman contending for Liberty on his own ground is  superior to any slavish mercenary on earth.” George Washington, General order, July 2, 1776.

Article I: Declaration of Rights

SECTION 2. SOURCE OF GOVERNMENT. All political power is inherent in the  people. All government originates with the people, is founded upon  their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the people as a  whole.

SECTION 6.  ASSEMBLY; PETITION. The right of the people peaceably to assemble, and  to petition the government shall never be abridged.

SECTION 19. RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. A well- regulated militia  being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people  to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The individual right to  keep and bear arms shall not be denied or infringed by the State or a  political subdivision of the State.

"He  who attempts to get another man into his absolute power does thereby  put himself into a state of war with him... For I have reason to  conclude that he who would get me into his power without my consent  would use me as he pleased when he had got me there, and destroy me too  when he had a fancy to it; for nobody can desire to have me in his  absolute power unless it be to compel me by force to that which is  against freedom, that is make me a slave." John Locke, Second Treatise on Civil Government.

Art. 2, § 2. Political power; purpose of government
All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive  their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established  to protect and maintain individual rights.

Art. 2, § 5. Right of petition and of assembly
The right of petition, and of the people peaceably to assemble for the common good, shall never be abridged.

Art. 2, § 26. Bearing arms
The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself  or the state shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be  construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize,  maintain, or employ an armed body of men.

“[A]  State which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile  instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes, will find that  with small men no great thing can really be accomplished; and that the  perfection of machinery to which it has sacrificed everything, will in  the end avail it nothing, for want of the vital power which, in order  that the machine might work more smoothly, it has preferred to banish.” John Stuart Mill’s last paragraph in his essay On Liberty.

Article 2. Declaration of Rights.
§ 1. Source of power.
All political power is inherent in the people and government is  instituted for their protection, security and benefit; and they have the  right to alter, reform or abolish the same, in such manner as they may  think proper.

§ 4. Right of assembly and of petition.
The right of the people peaceably to assemble, to consult for the  common good; and to petition, by address or remonstrance, the  government, or any department thereof, shall never be abridged.

§ 5. Right to bear arms.
The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms, for their common defense.

"Those  who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who  want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without  thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its  waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one;  or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle! Power  concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find  out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact  amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these  will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or  with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of  those whom they oppress." Frederick Douglass, August 4, 1857.

ARTICLE 1.  DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

SEC. 3.  (a) The people have the right to instruct their  representatives, petition government for redress of grievances, and  assemble freely to consult for the common good.

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

SECTION 1.  All political power is inherent in the people. Government  is instituted for their protection, security, and benefit, and they have  the right to alter or reform it when the public good may require.

"The  state is a human institution, not a superhuman being. He who says  'state' means coercion and compulsion. He who says: There should be a  law concerning this matter, means: The armed men of the government  should force people to do what they do not want to do, or not to do what  they like. He who says: This law should be better enforced, means: The  police should force people to obey this law. He who says: the state is  God, deifies arms and prisons. The worship of the state is the worship  of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a  government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men. The worst evils which  mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments." Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War, by Ludwig von Mises.

Article II
Bill of Rights

In order to assert our rights, acknowledge our duties, and proclaim the  principles upon which our government is founded, we declare:

Section 1. Vestment of political power. All political power is vested  in and derived from the people; all government, of right, originates  from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted  solely for the good of the whole.

Section 2. People may alter or abolish form of government proviso. The  people of this state have the sole and exclusive right of governing  themselves, as a free, sovereign and independent state; and to alter and  abolish their constitution and form of government whenever they may  deem it necessary to their safety and happiness, provided, such change  be not repugnant to the constitution of the United States.

Section 13. Right to bear arms. The right of no person to keep and bear  arms in defense of his home, person and property, or in aid of the  civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall be called in question;  but nothing herein contained shall be construed to justify the practice  of carrying concealed weapons.

"There  are always a few, better endowed than others, who feel the weight of  the yoke and cannot restrain themselves from attempting to shake it off:  these are the men who never become tamed under subjection and who  always, like Ulysses on land and sea constantly seeking the smoke of his  chimney, cannot prevent themselves from peering about for their natural  privileges and from remembering their ancestors and their former ways. "These are in fact the men who, possessed of clear minds and  far-sighted spirit, are not satisfied, like the brutish mass, to see  only what is at their feet, but rather look about them, behind and  before, and even recall the things of the past in order to judge those  of the future, and compare both with their present condition.  These are  the ones who, having good minds of their own, have further trained them  by study and learning.  Even if liberty had entirely perished from the  earth, such men would invent it. For them slavery has no satisfactions,  no matter how well disguised." Etienne de La Boetie, in "Discourse on Voluntary Servitude", 1548.

ARTICLE FIRST.
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

SEC. 2. All political power is inherent in the people, and all free  governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their  benefit; and they have at all times an undeniable and indefeasible right  to alter their form of government in such manner as they may think  expedient.

SEC. 14. The  citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble for their  common good, and to apply to those invested with the powers of  government, for redress of grievances, or other proper purposes, by  petition, address or remonstrance.

SEC. 15. Every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state.

"A  bland American civil servant can be as much of a beast as a ferocious  concentration camp guard if he does not think about what his actions are  doing. Single-minded Inspector Javert is a monster, even though he  focused only on his duty. Half the cruelties of human history have been  inflicted by conscientious servants of the state. The mildest of  bureaucrats can be a brute if he does not raise his eyes from his task  and consider the human beings on whom he is having an impact." Jordan v. Gardner, 986 F.2d 1521, 1544 (9th Cir. 1993).

PREAMBLE

Through Divine goodness, all people have by nature the rights of  worshiping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their  consciences, of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring  and protecting reputation and property, and in general of obtaining  objects suitable to their condition, without injury by one to another;  and as these rights are essential to their welfare, for due exercise  thereof, power is inherent in them; and therefore all just authority in  the institutions of political society is derived from the people, and  established with their consent, to advance their happiness; and they may  for this end, as circumstances require, from time to time, alter their  Constitution of government.

ARTICLE I. BILL OF RIGHTS
§ 16. Right of assembly; petition for redress of grievances.
Although  disobedience to laws by a part of the people, upon suggestions of  impolicy or injustice in them, tends by immediate effect and the  influence of example not only to endanger the public welfare and safety,  but also in governments of a republican form contravenes the social  principles of such governments, founded on common consent for common  good; yet the citizens have a right in an orderly manner to meet  together, and to apply to persons intrusted with the powers of  government, for redress of grievances or other proper purposes, by  petition, remonstrance or address.

§ 20. Right to keep and bear arms.
A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self,  family, home and State, and for hunting and recreational use.

"Liberty  has never come from Government. Liberty has always come from the  subjects of it. The history of Liberty is a history of resistance. The  history of Liberty is a history of limitations of Governmental power,  not the increase of it." Woodrow Wilson.

ARTICLE I,   DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
SECTION 1.  Political power.– All political power is inherent in the  people. The enunciation herein of certain rights shall not be construed  to deny or impair others retained by the people.

SECTION 5.  Right to assemble.– The people shall have the right  peaceably to assemble, to instruct their representatives, and to  petition for redress of grievances.

SECTION 8.  Right to bear arms.–
(a)   The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves  and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed, except  that the manner of bearing arms may be regulated by law.
(b)   There shall be a mandatory period of three days, excluding weekends and  legal holidays, between the purchase and delivery at retail of any  handgun. For the purposes of this section, "purchase" means the transfer  of money or other valuable consideration to the retailer, and "handgun"  means a firearm capable of being carried and used by one hand, such as a  pistol or revolver. Holders of a concealed weapon permit as prescribed  in Florida law shall not be subject to the provisions of this paragraph.
(c)   The legislature shall enact legislation implementing subsection (b) of  this section, effective no later than December 31, 1991, which shall  provide that anyone violating the provisions of subsection (b) shall be  guilty of a felony.
(d)  This restriction shall not apply to a trade in of another handgun.

"And  what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned  from time to time, that this people preserve the right of resistance?  Let them take arms ... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time  to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural  manure." Thomas Jefferson.

SECTION I.

Paragraph VIII. Arms, right to keep and bear. The right of the people  to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, but the General Assembly  shall have power to prescribe the manner in which arms may be borne.

Paragraph IX. Right to assemble and petition. The people have the right  to assemble peaceably for their common good and to apply by petition or  remonstrance to those vested with the powers of government for redress  of grievances.

SECTION II.

Paragraph I. Origin and foundation of government. All government, of  right, originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and  is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Public officers are the  trustees and servants of the people and are at all times amenable to  them.

Paragraph II.  Object of government. The people of this state have the inherent right  of regulating their internal government. Government is instituted for  the protection, security, and benefit of the people; and at all times  they have the right to alter or reform the same whenever the public good  may require it.

"Before  a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in  almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot  enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole of the people are  armed, and constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troops  that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States." Noah Webster.

ARTICLE I. Bill of Rights.

POLITICAL POWER
Section 1. All political power of this State is inherent in the people  and the responsibility for the exercise thereof rests with the people.  All government is founded on this authority.

RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
Section 17. A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of  a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not  be infringed.

"We  are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage  where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the  citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest  periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force." Ayn Rand, The Nature of Government.

ARTICLE I.  DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

SECTION 2.  POLITICAL POWER INHERENT IN THE PEOPLE. All political power  is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal  protection and benefit, and they have the right to alter, reform or  abolish the same whenever they may deem it necessary; and no special  privileges or immunities shall ever be granted that may not be altered,  revoked, or repealed by the legislature.

SECTION 10.  RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY. The people shall have the right to  assemble in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good; to  instruct their representatives, and to petition the legislature for the  redress of grievances.

SECTION 11.  RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. The people have the right to  keep and bear arms, which right shall not be abridged; but this  provision shall not prevent the passage of laws to govern the carrying  of weapons concealed on the person nor prevent passage of legislation  providing minimum sentences for crimes committed while in possession of a  firearm, nor prevent the passage of legislation providing penalties for  the possession of firearms by a convicted felon, nor prevent the  passage of any legislation punishing the use of a firearm. No law shall  impose licensure, registration or special taxation on the ownership or  possession of firearms or ammunition. Nor shall any law permit the  confiscation of firearms, except those actually used in the commission  of a felony.

"And  remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all  too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History  has proven that... All power corrupts; absolute power corrupts  absolutely."        Lord Acton.

SECTION 1. INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS
All men are by nature free and independent and have certain inherent  and inalienable rights among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of  happiness. To secure these rights and the protection of property,  governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from  the consent of the governed.

SECTION 5. RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE AND PETITION
The people have the right to assemble in a peaceable manner, to consult  for the common good, to make known their opinions to their  representatives and to apply for redress of grievances.

SECTION 22. RIGHT TO ARMS
Subject only to the police power, the right of the individual citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

"No  foreign power or combination of foreign powers could by force take a  drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a  thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be  expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up from among us,  it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must  ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must  live through all time or die of suicide." Abraham Lincoln.

Section 1. Inherent rights
WE DECLARE, That all people are created equal; that they are endowed by  their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights; that among these are  life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that all power is inherent  in the People; and that all free governments are, and of right ought to  be, founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety,  and well-being. For the advancement of these ends, the People have, at  all times, an indefeasible right to alter and reform their government.

Section 31. Right of assemblage and petition
No law shall restrain any of the inhabitants of the State from  assembling together in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common  good; nor from instructing their representatives; nor from applying to  the General Assembly for redress of grievances.

Section 32. Arms--Right to bear
The people shall have a right to bear arms, for the defense of themselves and the State.

"Find  out just what the people will submit to and you have found out the  exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and  these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows,  or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of  those whom they oppress." Frederick Douglas,  1857.

ARTICLE I.
BILL OF RIGHTS.

Political power.  
SEC. 2. All political power is inherent in the people. Government is  instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people, and  they have the right, at all times, to alter or reform the same, whenever  the public good may require it.

Right of assemblage--petition.
SEC. 20. The people have the right freely to assemble together to  counsel for the common good; to make known their opinions to their  representatives and to petition for a redress of grievances.

"I  apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe ... Our  destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From  the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from  their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend  some danger.'' Daniel Webster, June 1, 1837.

Kansas Bill of Rights
2. Political power; privileges.  All political power is inherent in the  people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and  are instituted for their equal protection and benefit. No special  privileges or immunities shall ever be granted by the legislature, which  may not be altered, revoked or repealed by the same body; and this  power shall be exercised by no other tribunal or agency.

3. Right of peaceable assembly; petition. The people have the right to  assemble, in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to  instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any  department thereof, for the redress of grievances.

4. Bear arms; armies. The people have the right to bear arms for their  defense and security; but standing armies, in time of peace, are  dangerous to liberty, and shall not be tolerated, and the military shall  be in strict subordination to the civil power.

"Single  acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but  a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued  unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a  deliberate, systematical plan of reducing us to slavery." Thomas Jefferson.

Section 1
All men are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned:

First: The right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties.

Second: The right of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences.

Third: The right of seeking and pursuing their safety and happiness.

Fourth: The right of freely communicating their thoughts and opinions.

Fifth: The right of acquiring and protecting property.

Sixth: The right of assembling together in a peaceable manner for their  common good, and of applying to those invested with the power of  government for redress of grievances or other proper purposes, by  petition, address or remonstrance.

Seventh: The right to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the  State, subject to the power of the General Assembly to enact laws to  prevent persons from carrying concealed weapons.

Section 4
Power inherent in the people –  Right to alter, reform, or abolish government.
All  power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded  on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety, happiness and  the protection of property. For the advancement of these ends, they  have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform  or abolish their government in such manner as they may deem proper.

"A  nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot  survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable,  for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves  amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through  all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the  traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his  victims, and he wears their face and their garments, he appeals to the  baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a  nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the  pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no  longer resist. A murderer is less to fear." Marcus Tullius Cicero, 42 BC.

§1. Origin and Purpose of Government
All  government, of right, originates with the people, is founded on their  will alone, and is instituted to protect the rights of the individual  and for the good of the whole. Its only legitimate ends are to secure  justice for all, preserve peace, protect the rights, and promote the  happiness and general welfare of the people. The rights enumerated in  this Article are inalienable by the state and shall be preserved  inviolate by the state.

§9. Right of Assembly and Petition
No law shall impair the right of any person to assemble peaceably or to petition government for a redress of grievances.

§11. Right to Keep and Bear Arms
The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged,  but this provision shall not prevent the passage of laws to prohibit the  carrying of weapons concealed on the person.

§26. State Sovereignty
The people of this state have the sole and exclusive right of governing  themselves as a free and sovereign state; and do, and forever hereafter  shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right,  pertaining thereto, which is not, or may not hereafter be, by them  expressly delegated to the United States of America in congress  assembled.

"Human  nature is full of riddles; one of those riddles is: how is it that  people who have been crushed by the sheer weight of slavery and cast to  the bottom of the pit can nevertheless find strength in themselves to  rise up and free themselves first in spirit and then in body while those  who soar unhampered over the peaks of freedom suddenly lose the taste  of freedom, lose the will to defend it, and, hopelessly confused and  lost, almost begin to crave slavery?'" Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Article I.
Declaration of Rights.

Section 2. Power inherent in people. All power is inherent in the  people; all free governments are founded in their authority and  instituted for their benefit; they have therefore an unalienable and  indefeasible right to institute government, and to alter, reform, or  totally change the same, when their safety and happiness require it.

Section 15. Right of petition. The people have a right at all times in  an orderly and peaceable manner to assemble to consult upon the common  good, to give instructions to their representatives, and to request, of  either department of the government by petition or remonstrance, redress  of their wrongs and grievances.

Section 16. To keep and bear arms. Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned.

The  liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are  worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them  against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from  our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger  and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care  and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the  present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be  wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of  them by the artifices of false and designing men. Samuel Adams.

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.

Art. 1. That all Government of right originates from the People, is  founded in compact only, and instituted solely for the good of the  whole; and they have, at all times, the inalienable right to alter,  reform or abolish their Form of Government in such manner as they may  deem expedient.

Art. 4.  That the People of this State have the sole and exclusive right of  regulating the internal government and police thereof, as a free,  sovereign and independent State.

Art. 6. That all persons invested with the Legislative or Executive  powers of Government are the Trustees of the Public, and, as such,  accountable for their conduct: Wherefore, whenever the ends of  Government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and  all other means of redress are ineffectual, the People may, and of right  ought, to reform the old, or establish a new Government; the doctrine  of non-resistance against arbitrary power and oppression is absurd,  slavish and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

"When  all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things,  shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render  powerless the checks provided of one government on another, and will  become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we  separated." Thomas Jefferson.

PREAMBLE.

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: and whenever these great objects are not obtained,  the people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures  necessary for their safety, prosperity and happiness.

Article 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  their substitutes and agents, and are at all times accountable to them.

Article VII. Government is instituted for the common good; for the  protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for  the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class  of men: Therefore the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable,  and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or  totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and  happiness require it.

Article XVII. The people have a right to keep and to bear arms for the  common defence. And as, in time of peace, armies are dangerous to  liberty, they ought not to be maintained without the consent of the  legislature; and the military power shall always be held in an exact  subordination to the civil authority, and be governed by it.

Article XIX. The people have a right, in an orderly and peaceable  manner, to assemble to consult upon the common good; give instructions  to their representatives, and to request of the legislative body, by the  way of addresses, petitions, or remonstrances, redress of the wrongs  done them, and of the grievances they suffer.

"These  are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine  patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country;  but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and  woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this  consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the  triumph. What we obtain too cheap we esteem too lightly; 'tis dearness  only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper  price upon its good; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an  article as Freedom should not be highly rated." Thomas Paine, Dec. 23, 1776.

Article I
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

§ 1 Political power.
All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal benefit, security and protection.

§ 3 Assembly, consultation, instruction, petition.
The people have the right peaceably to assemble, to consult for the  common good, to instruct their representatives and to petition the  government for redress of grievances.

§ 6 Bearing of arms.
Every person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state.

"Decency,  security, and liberty alike demand that government officials shall be  subjected to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen.  In a government of laws, existence of the government will be imperilled  if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our Government is the  potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the  whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the Government  becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man  to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that in the  administration of the criminal law the end justifies the means... would  bring terrible retribution. Against that pernicious doctrine this Court  should resolutely set its face." Olmstead v. United States, 277 U.S. 438, 485 (1928).

ARTICLE I
BILL OF RIGHTS
Section 1.  OBJECT OF GOVERNMENT. Government is instituted for the  security, benefit and protection of the people, in whom all political  power is inherent, together with the right to alter, modify or reform  government whenever required by the public good.

"If  you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without  bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not  too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with  all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may  even be a worse case; you may have to fight when there is no hope of  victory because it is better to perish than to live as slaves."

ARTICLE 3
BILL OF RIGHTS

SECTION 5.
All political power is vested in, and derived from, the people; all  government of right originates with the people, is founded upon their  will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.

SECTION 6.
The people of this state have the inherent, sole, and exclusive right  to regulate the internal government and police thereof, and to alter and  abolish their constitution and form of government whenever they deem it  necessary to their safety and happiness; provided, such change be not  repugnant to the constitution of the United States.

SECTION 11.
The right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government on any subject shall never be impaired.

SECTION 12.
The right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his  home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto  legally summoned, shall not be called in question, but the legislature  may regulate or forbid carrying concealed weapons.

"John  Stuart Mill, referring to the morality of assassination of political  usurpers, passed by examination of the subject of Tyrannicide, as  follows: 'I  shall content myself with saying that the subject has been at all times  one of the open questions of morals; that the act of a private citizen  in striking down a criminal, who, by raising himself above the law, has  placed himself beyond the reach of legal punishment or control, has been  accounted by whole nations, and by some of the best and wisest men, not  a crime, but an act of exalted virtue; and that, right or wrong, it is  not in the nature of assassination, but of civil war.' "Mill, On Liberty and Considerations on Representative Government, p. 14, n. 1." Jordan v. DeGeorge,  341 U.S. 223, 241, 71 S.Ct. 703, 713 (1951): case regarding meaning of  "moral turpitude" and dissent noted the above in a footnote.

Article I: BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 1
Source of political power–origin, basis and aim of government.
That  all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all  government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their  will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.

Section 3. That the people of this state have the inherent, sole and  exclusive right to regulate the internal government and police thereof,  and to alter and abolish their constitution and form of government  whenever they may deem it necessary to their safety and happiness,  provided such change be not repugnant to the Constitution of the United  States.

Section 9. That  the people have the right peaceably to assemble for their common good,  and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress  of grievances by petition or remonstrance.

Section 23. That the right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in  defense of his home, person and property, or when lawfully summoned in  aid of the civil power, shall not be questioned; but this shall not  justify the wearing of concealed weapons.

"It  is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong  man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The  credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is  marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and  comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great  devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who, at the best, knows  in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if  he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place will  never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

ARTICLE II: DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Section 1. Popular sovereignty. All political power is vested in and  derived from the people. All government of right originates with the  people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for  the good of the whole.

Section 2. Self-government. The people have the exclusive right of  governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and independent state. They  may alter or abolish the constitution and form of government whenever  they deem it necessary.

Section 6. Freedom of assembly. The people shall have the right  peaceably to assemble, petition for redress or peaceably protest  governmental action.

Section 12. Right to bear arms. The right of any person to keep or bear  arms in defense of his own home, person, and property, or in aid of the  civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall not be called in  question, but nothing herein contained shall be held to permit the  carrying of concealed weapons.

"If  you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude  better than the animating contest of freedom, go home in peace.  We ask  not your counsels or your arms.  Crouch down and lick the hands of those  who feed you.  May your chains set lightly upon you.  May posterity  forget that ye were our countrymen."

Art. 1, §1.
All persons are by nature free and independent, and have certain  inherent and inalienable rights; among these are life, liberty, the  pursuit of happiness, and the right to keep and bear arms for security  or defense of self, family, home, and others, and for lawful common  defense, hunting, recreational use, and all other lawful purposes, and  such rights shall not be denied or infringed by the state or any  subdivision thereof. To secure these rights, and the protection of  property, governments are instituted among people, deriving their just  powers from the consent of the governed.

Art. 1, §19.
Right of peaceable assembly and to petition government.
The right of the people peaceably to assemble to consult for the common  good, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, shall  never be abridged.

“Tyranny  is the exercise of Power beyond Right, which no Body can have a Right  to. And this is making use of the Power any one has in his hands; not  for the good of those, who are under it, but for his own private  separate Advantage. ... For where-ever the Power that is put in any  hands for the Government of the People, and the Preservation of their  Properties, is applied to other ends, and made use of to impoverish,  harass, or subdue them to the Arbitrary and Irregular Commands of those  that have it: There it presently becomes Tyranny, whether those that  thus use it are one or many.” John Locke Two Treatise of Government (1698) Book II, Chapter XVIII, § 199.

ARTICLE. 1. - Declaration of Rights.

Sec: 2.  Purpose of government; paramount allegiance to United States.   All political power is inherent in the people[.] Government is  instituted for the protection, security and benefit of the people; and  they have the right to alter or reform the same whenever the public good  may require it. But the Paramount Allegiance of every citizen is due to  the Federal Government in the exercise of all its Constitutional powers  as the same have been or may be defined by the Supreme Court of the  United States; and no power exists in the people of this or any other  State of the Federal Union to dissolve their connection therewith or  perform any act tending to impair[,] subvert, or resist the Supreme  Authority of the government of the United States. The Constitution of  the United States confers full power on the Federal Government to  maintain and Perpetuate its existance [existence], and whensoever any  portion of the States, or people thereof attempt to secede from the  Federal Union, or forcibly resist the Execution of its laws, the Federal  Government may, by warrant of the Constitution, employ armed force in  compelling obedience to its Authority.

Sec: 10.  Right to assemble and to petition.  The people shall have the  right freely to assemble together to consult for the common good, to  instruct their representatives and to petition the Legislature for  redress of Grievances.

Sec. 11.  Right to keep and bear arms; civil power supreme.
1.  Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms for security and  defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful  purposes.
2.  The military  shall be subordinate to the civil power; No standing army shall be  maintained by this State in time of peace, and in time of War, no  appropriation for a standing army shall be for a longer time than two  years.

“The  militia is the natural defence of a free country against sudden foreign  invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by  rulers. ... The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly  been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since  it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary  power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the  first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.” Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (Fifth Edition, 1897). Volume 2 § 1897 at 646.

PART FIRST- BILL OF RIGHTS
Bill of Rights
Article 1. [Equality of Men; Origin and Object of Government.] All men  are born equally free and independent; therefore, all government of  right originates from the people, is founded in consent, and instituted  for the general good.

[Art.] 2-a. [The Bearing of Arms.] All persons have the right to keep  and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property  and the state.

[Art.] 7.  [State Sovereignty.] The people of this state have the sole and  exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, sovereign, and  independent state; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and  enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, pertaining thereto, which is  not, or may not hereafter be, by them expressly delegated to the United  States of America in congress assembled.

[Art.] 10. [Right of Revolution.] Government being instituted for the  common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and  not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or  class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted,  and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress  are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old,  or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against  arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of  the good and happiness of mankind.

[Art.] 32. [Rights of Assembly, Instruction, and Petition.] The people  have a right, in an orderly and peaceable manner, to assemble and  consult upon the common good, give instructions to their  representatives, and to request of the legislative body, by way of  petition or remonstrance, redress of the wrongs done them, and of the  grievances they suffer.

"They rattle their chains to boast of their freedom." Dresden James.

ARTICLE I
RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

1.   All persons are by nature free and independent, and have certain  natural and unalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and  defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing, and protecting  property, and of pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.

2.  a.  All political power is inherent in the people.  Government is  instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people, and  they have the right at all times to alter or reform the same, whenever  the public good may require it.

18.  The people have the right freely to assemble together, to consult  for the common good, to make known their opinions to their  representatives, and to petition for redress of grievances.  

"In  Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up  because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t  speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists,  and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came  for Catholics, and  I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then  they came for me, and by  that time no one was left to speak up." Protestant minister Martin Neimoller.

ARTICLE II

Sec. 2. [Popular sovereignty.]
All political power is vested in and derived from the people: all  government of right originates with the people, is founded upon their  will and is instituted solely for their good.

Sec. 3. [Right of self-government.]
The people of the state have the sole and exclusive right to govern themselves as a free, sovereign and independent state.

Sec. 6. [Right to bear arms.]
No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for  security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for  other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the  carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate,  in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.

War  is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and  degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing  is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is  willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal  safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless  made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. John Stuart Mill.

"Those who are willing to sacrifice their freedoms for a measure of security, deserve neither." * * * "History  records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue,  deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over  governments by controlling money and its issuance."

ARTICLE I: DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Sec. 2. Sovereignty of the people.
All political power is vested in and derived from the people; all  government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their  will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.

Sec. 3. Internal government of the State.
The people of this State have the inherent, sole, and exclusive right  of regulating the internal government and police thereof, and of  altering or abolishing their Constitution and form of government  whenever it may be necessary to their safety and happiness; but every  such right shall be exercised in pursuance of law and consistently with  the Constitution of the United States.

Sec. 12. Right of assembly and petition.
The people have a right to assemble together to consult for their  common good, to instruct their representatives, and to apply to the  General Assembly for redress of grievances; but secret political  societies are dangerous to the liberties of a free people and shall not  be tolerated.

Sec. 30. Militia and the right to bear arms.
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free  State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be  infringed; and, as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to  liberty, they shall not be maintained, and the military shall be kept  under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Nothing  herein shall justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons, or  prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes against that  practice.

"Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God."

ARTICLE I
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Section 1. All individuals are by nature equally free and independent  and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying  and defending life and liberty; acquiring, possessing and protecting  property and reputation; pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness;  and to keep and bear arms for the defense of their person, family,  property, and the state, and for lawful hunting, recreational, and other  lawful purposes, which shall not be infringed.

Section 2. All political power is inherent in the people. Government is  instituted for the protection, security and benefit of the people, and  they have a right to alter or reform the same whenever the public good  may require.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground."

Article 1 - Bill of Rights

§ 1.02 Right to alter, reform, or abolish government, and repeal special privileges (1851)
All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted  for their equal protection and benefit, and they have the right to  alter, reform, or abolish the same, whenever they may deem it necessary;  and no special privileges or immunities shall ever be granted, that may  not be altered, revoked, or repealed by the general assembly.

§ 1.03 Right to assemble (1851)
The people have the right to assemble together, in a peaceable manner,  to consult for their common good; to instruct their representatives; and  to petition the general assembly for the redress of grievances.

§ 1.04 Bearing arms; standing armies; military powers (1851)
The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security;  but standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and  shall not be kept up; and the military shall be in strict subordination  to the civil power.

"I  know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the  people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to  exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to  take it from them, but to inform them." Thomas Jefferson.

Article II: BILL OF RIGHTS

Section II-1: Political power - Purpose of government - Alteration or reformation.

All political power is inherent in the people; and government is  instituted for their protection, security, and benefit, and to promote  their general welfare; and they have the right to alter or reform the  same whenever the public good may require it: Provided, such change be  not repugnant to the Constitution of the United States.

Section II-3: Right of assembly and petition.

The people have the right peaceably to assemble for their own good, and  to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of  grievances by petition, address, or remonstrance.

Section II-26: Bearing arms - Carrying weapons.

The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home,  person, or property, or in aid of the civil power, when thereunto  legally summoned, shall never be prohibited; but nothing herein  contained shall prevent the Legislature from regulating the carrying of  weapons.

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." "Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for." "The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected." "If you ever injected truth into politics you have no politics." "Next to guinea pigs, taxes have been the most prolific animal." Will Rogers.

ARTICLE I
BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 1. Natural rights inherent in people. We declare that all men,  when they form a social compact are equal in right: that all power is  inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their  authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness; and  they have at all times a right to alter, reform, or abolish the  government in such manner as they may think proper.

Section 27. Right to bear arms; military subordinate to civil power.  The people shall have the right to bear arms for the defence of  themselves, and the State, but the Military shall be kept in strict  subordination to the civil power[.]

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

ARTICLE I
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Section 2. All power is inherent in the people, and all free  governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their  peace, safety and happiness. For the advancement of these ends they have  at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or  abolish their government in such manner as they may think proper.

Section 20. The citizens have a right in a peaceable manner to assemble  together for their common good, and to apply to those invested with the  powers of government for redress of grievances or other proper purposes  by petition, address or remonstrance.

Section 21. The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

"After  having thus successively taken each member of the community in its  powerful grasp and fashioned him at will, the supreme power then extends  its arm over the whole community. It covers the surface of society with  a network of small, complicated rules, minute and uniform, through  which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot  penetrate, to rise above the crowd. The will of man is not shattered,  but softened, bent, and guided; men seldom forced by it to act, but they  are constantly restrained from acting. Such a power does not destroy,  but it prevents existence; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses,  enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is  reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals,  of which the government is the shepherd." Alexis de Tocqueville.

ARTICLE I
DECLARATION OF CERTAIN CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND PRINCIPLES

Section 1. Right to make and alter Constitution –  Constitution  obligatory upon all. –  In the words of the Father of his Country, we  declare that "the basis of our political systems is the right of the  people to make and alter their constitutions of government; but that the  constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and  authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all."

Section 21. Right to assembly –  Redress of grievances –  Freedom of  speech. –  The citizens have a right in a peaceable manner to assembly  for their common good, and to apply to those invested with the powers of  government, for redress of grievances, or for other purposes, by  petition, address, or remonstrance. No law abridging the freedom of  speech shall be enacted.

Section 22. Right to bear arms. –  The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

"As  nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both  instances there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly  unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of  change in the air - however slight - lest we become unwitting victims of  the darkness." William O. Douglas, Supreme Court Justice.

ARTICLE I.
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

SECTION 1. Political power in people.
All political power is vested in and derived from the people only,  therefore, they have the right at all times to modify their form of  government.

SECTION 20. Right to keep and bear arms; armies; military power subordinate to civil authority; how soldiers quartered.
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free  State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be  infringed. As, in times of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they  shall not be maintained without the consent of the General Assembly. The  military power of the State shall always be held in subordination to  the civil authority and be governed by it. No soldier shall in time of  peace be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner nor in  time of war but in the manner prescribed by law.

Sometimes  the law defends plunder and participates in it. Thus the beneficiaries  are spared the shame and danger that their acts would otherwise  involve... But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply.  See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and gives  it to the other persons to whom it doesn't belong. See if the law  benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen  himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish that law  without delay ... No legal plunder; this is the principle of justice,  peace, order, stability, harmony and logic. Frederic Bastiat.

ARTICLE VI
BILL OF RIGHTS

§ 1.  Inherent rights.  All men are born equally free and independent,  and have certain inherent rights, among which are those of enjoying and  defending life and liberty, of acquiring and protecting property and the  pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights governments are instituted  among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

§ 4.  Right of petition and peaceable assembly.  The right of petition,  and of the people peaceably to assemble to consult for the common good  and make known their opinions, shall never be abridged.

§ 24.  Right to bear arms.  The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be denied.

§ 26.  Power inherent in people – Alteration in form of government – Inseparable  part of Union.  All political power is inherent in the people, and all  free government is founded on their authority, and is instituted for  their equal protection and benefit, and they have the right in lawful  and constituted methods to alter or reform their forms of government in  such manner as they may think proper. And the state of South Dakota is  an inseparable part of the American Union and the Constitution of the  United States is the supreme law of the land.  

"You  can fight and beat revolutions as you can fight and beat nations. You  can kill a man, but you can’t kill a rebel.  For the proper rebel has an  ideal of living, while your ideal is to kill him so that you may  preserve yourself.  And the reason why no revolution has ever been  beaten is that rebels die for something worth dying for, the future, but  their enemies only die to preserve the past, and the makers of history  are always stronger than the makers of empires."

ARTICLE I
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Sec. 23.  That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to  assemble together for their common good, to instruct their  representatives, and to apply to those invested with the powers of  government for redress of grievances, or other purposes, by address or  remonstrance.

Sec. 24.   That the sure and certain defense of a free people, is a well regulated  militia; and, as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to  freedom, they ought to be avoided as far as the circumstances and safety  of the community will admit; and that in all cases the military shall  be kept in strict subordination to the civil authority.

Sec. 26.  That the citizens of this State have a right to keep and to  bear arms for the common defense; but the legislature shall have power,  by law, to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime.

"This  case involves a cancer in our body politic. It is a measure of the  disease which aflicts us. Army surveillance, like Army regimentation, is  at war with the principles of the First Amendment. Those who already  walk submissively will say there is no cause for alarm. But  submissiveness is not our heritage. The First Amendment was designed to  allow rebellion to remain as our heritage. The Constitution was designed  to keep government off the backs of the people. The Bill of Rights was  added to keep the precincts of belief and expression, of the press, of  political and social activities free from surveillance. The Bill of  Rights was designed to keep agents of government and official  eavesdroppers away from assemblies of people. The aim was to allow men  to be free and independent and to assert their rights against  government. There can be no influence more paralyzing of that objective  than Army surveillance. When an intelligence officer looks over every  nonconformist's shoulder in the library, or walks invisibly by his side  in a picket line, or infiltrates his club, the America once extolled as  the voice of liberty heard around the world no longer is cast in the  image which Jefferson and Madison designed, but more in the Russian  image..." Laird v. Tatum, 408 U.S. 1, 28, 92 S.Ct. 2318, 2333 (1972)(Dissent by Douglas).

Article 1 - BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 2 - INHERENT POLITICAL POWER; REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT
All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments  are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. The  faith of the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation of a  republican form of government, and, subject to this limitation only,  they have at all times the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish  their government in such manner as they may think expedient.

Section 23 - RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS
Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful  defense of himself or the State; but the Legislature shall have power,  by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.

Section 27 - RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY; PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES
The citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble  together for their common good; and apply to those invested with the  powers of government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by  petition, address or remonstrance.

"I  often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon  constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes, believe  me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women;  when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no  constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. While it  lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it." Judge Learned Hand.

Article 01 – Declaration of Rights

Article I, Section 1.    [Inherent and inalienable rights.]
All men have the inherent and inalienable right to enjoy and defend  their lives and liberties; to acquire, possess and protect property; to  worship according to the dictates of their consciences; to assemble  peaceably, protest against wrongs, and petition for redress of  grievances; to communicate freely their thoughts and opinions, being  responsible for the abuse of that right.

Article I, Section 2.    [All political power inherent in the people.]
All political power is inherent in the people; and all free governments  are founded on their authority for their equal protection and benefit,  and they have the right to alter or reform their government as the  public welfare may require.

Article I, Section 6.    [Right to bear arms.]
The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms for security  and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as  for other lawful purposes shall not be infringed; but nothing herein  shall prevent the Legislature from defining the lawful use of arms.  

"God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it."

CHAPTER I. A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE STATE OF VERMONT

Article 7. [Government for the people; they may change it]
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 person, family,  or set of persons, who are a part only of that community; and that the  community hath an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right, to  reform or alter government, in such manner as shall be, by that  community, judged most conducive to the public weal.

Article 16. [Right to bear arms; standing armies; military power subordinate to civil]
That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves  and the State--and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to  liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be  kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.

Article 20. [Right to assemble, instruct and petition]
That the people have a right to assemble together to consult for their common good – to instruct their Representatives – and to apply to the Legislature for redress of grievances, by address, petition or remonstrance.

"Those  who won our independence were not cowards. They did not fear political  change. They did not exalt order at the cost of liberty." Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357, 377, 47 S.Ct. 641, 648-49 (1927).

ARTICLE I - Bill of Rights

Section 3. Government instituted for common benefit.
That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit,  protection, and security of the people, nation, or community; of all the  various modes and forms of government, that is best which is capable of  producing the greatest degree of happiness and safety, and is most  effectually secured against the danger of maladministration; and,  whenever any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these  purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, inalienable,  and indefeasible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such manner  as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal.

Section 12. Freedom of speech and of the press; right peaceably to assemble, and to petition.
That the freedoms of speech and of the press are among the great  bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained except by despotic  governments; that any citizen may freely speak, write, and publish his  sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that  right; that the General Assembly shall not pass any law abridging the  freedom of speech or of the press, nor the right of the people peaceably  to assemble, and to petition the government for the redress of  grievances.

Section 13. Militia; standing armies; military subordinate to civil power.
That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people,  trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free  state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall  not be infringed; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be  avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military  should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil  power.

"If  we run into such debts as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our  drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our  amusements, for our callings and our creeds, as the people of England  are, our people, like them, must come to labor sixteen hours in the  twenty-four, and give the earnings of fifteen of these to the government  for their debts and daily expenses; And  the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread, we must live, as  they do now, on oatmeal and potatoes, have no time to think, no means of  calling the mismanagers to account; but be glad to obtain subsistence  by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains around the necks of our fellow  sufferers; And  this is the tendency of all human governments.  A departure from  principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second, that second  for a third, and so on 'til the bulk of the society is reduced to be  mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sinning  and suffering... And the forehorse of this frightful team is public debt.  Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression." Thomas Jefferson.

ARTICLE I
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

SECTION 1 POLITICAL POWER. All political power is inherent in the  people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the  governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual  rights.

SECTION 4 RIGHT  OF PETITION AND ASSEMBLAGE. The right of petition and of the people  peaceably to assemble for the common good shall never be abridged.

SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. The right of the individual citizen to  bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired,  but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing  individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed  body of men.

"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force! Like fire, it is a troublesome servant and a fearful master."

ARTICLE III. Bill of rights.

3-3. Rights reserved to people.
Government is instituted for the common benefit, protection and  security of the people, nation or community. Of all its various forms  that is the best, which is capable of producing the greatest degree of  happiness and safety, and is most effectually secured against the danger  of maladministration; and when any government shall be found inadequate  or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community has an  indubitable, inalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter or  abolish it in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the  public weal.

3-16. Right of public assembly held inviolate.
The right of the people to assemble in a peaceable manner, to consult  for the common good, to instruct their representatives, or to apply for  redress of grievances, shall be held inviolate.

3-22. Right to keep and bear arms.
A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self,  family, home and state, and for lawful hunting and recreational use.  

“It  is in vain, sir to extenuate the matter.  Gentlemen may cry, peace,  peace - but there is no peace.  The war is actually begun! The next gale  that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of  resounding arms!  Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we  here idle? “What  is it the gentlemen wish?  What would they have?  Is life so dear, or  peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery.  Forbid it, Almighty God - I know not what course others may take; but as  for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

ARTICLE I. DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Section 1. Equality; inherent rights.
All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain  inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of  happiness; to secure these rights, governments are instituted, deriving  their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Section 4. Right to assemble and petition.
The right of the people peaceably to assemble, to consult for the  common good, and to petition the government, or any department thereof,  shall never be abridged.

Section 25. Right to keep and bear arms.
The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.

"Guard  with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who  approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but  downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably  ruined." Patrick Henry, speech against the federal Constitution, June 5, 1788.

ARTICLE 1. DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

97-1-001. Power inherent in the people.
All power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are  founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety and  happiness; for the advancement of these ends they have at all times an  inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish the  government in such manner as they may think proper.

97-1-021. Right of petition and peaceable assembly.
The right of petition, and of the people peaceably to assemble to  consult for the common good, and to make known their opinions, shall  never be denied or abridged.

97-1-024. Right to bear arms.
The right of citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the state shall not be denied.

"The  accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in  the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary,  self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very  definition of tyranny." James Madison, Federalist Papers No. 47.