Most do not understand that the entire
constitutions of the various states and the United States are wholly the
result of the development of Christian thought regarding human
government since the fall of the Roman Empire in 1453 A.D. The original
thirteen colonies sought to constitutionally protect their states from
straying away from that understanding by acknowledging this in their
constitutions. Further than this these constitutions in various degree's
and ways attempted to enable the perpetuation of this Biblically based
thought to future generations. When they agreed to create a federal
government for the welfare of the states and their people they wrote the
Bill of Rights that completely forbad the federal government from
interfering or having any say in the various experiments the states and
people were conducting via their constitutions in that perpetuation of
Biblically based thought to future generations. Although keeping with
general idea's of Biblically based human government Kentucky's original
constitution seems to leave off the idea of constitutionally
perpetuating the fact that Christians and Christian based thought were
responsible for it's frame of government. In doing so it also
forsook efforts to constitutionally aid the development of this thought
in future generations. This left it adopting wording more along the
lines of the federal constitution that forbad the state government from
interfering in the religion of the people.
ARTICLE XII.
That the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free
government may be recognized and established, WE DECLARE
I. That all men when they form a social compact, are equal, and that no
man or set of men are entitled to exclusive separate public emoluments
or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public
services.
II. 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. For the advancement of these ends, they have at all times
an unalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform, or abolish their
government, in such manner as they may think proper.
III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship
Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that no
man can of right be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of
worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent; that no human
authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the
rights of conscience; and that no preference shall ever be given by law
to any religious societies or modes of worship.
IV. That the civil rights, privileges, or capacities of any citizen
shall in nowise be diminished or enlarged on account of his religion.
An interesting thing about this original
constitution is that it completely regulates human slavery and leaves
the whole question of slavery up to future democratic processes.
ARTICLE IX.
The Legislature shall have no power to pass laws
for the emancipation of slaves without the consent of their owners, or
without paying their owners, previous to such emancipation, a full
equivalent in money for the slaves so emancipated; they shall have no
power to prevent emigrants to this State from bringing with them such
persons as are deemed slaves by the laws of any one of the United
States, so long as any person of the same age or description shall be
continued in slavery by the laws of this State; that they shall pass
laws to permit the owners of slaves to emancipate them, saving the
rights of creditors, and preventing them from becoming a charge to the
county in which they reside; they shall have full power to prevent
slaves being brought into this State as merchandise; they shall have
full power to prevent any slave being brought into this State from a
foreign country, and to prevent those from being brought into this State
who have been, since the first day of January, one thousand seven
hundred and eighty nine, or may hereafter be, imported into any of the
United States from a foreign country. And they shall have full power to
pass such laws as may be necessary, to oblige the owners of slaves to
treat them with humanity, to provide for them necessary clothing and
provisions, to abstain from all injuries to them extending to life or
limb; and in case of their neglect or refusal to comply with the
directions of such laws, to have such slave or slaves sold for the
benefit of their owner or owners.
For the record the future democratic process
did not go well in Kentucky. It led to greater abuses of the God given
rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. In the war between
evil and the good being brought into the earth via the Government of God
and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, evil men who's interest's were
threatened by good clearly had the upper hand as time proceeded.
Kentucky's constitution of 1800 banned all free men of color from
participating in the electoral process. It's constitution of 1850
developed into a true abomination. It became a felony for any free black
or partially black person to be in the state. Any freed slaves by law
had to be deported. Further it turned it's 'bill of rights" into a bill
of wrongs.
From Kentucky's 1850 constitution, section: Bill
of Rights:
2. That absolute, arbitrary power over the
lives, liberty, and property of freemen, exists nowhere in a
republic--not even in the largest majority.
3. The right of property is before and higher
than any constitutional sanction; and the right of the owner of a slave
to such slave and its increase, is the same, and as inviolable as the
right of the owner of any property whatever
To view the entire constitution follow this
hyperlink.
The Constitution of
Kentucky 1800
The Constitution of
Kentucky 1850
|