An open letter to the Constitutional Convention
To the most respected members of the Congressional Convention:
I have refrained from taking part or interfering in any of the past proceedings, as I, being a naval officer, thought it best to remain at my post. The role of the military, I have always believed, should be to protect, advise, and serve a civilian government, to remain at their post no matter the political landscape of the current government, and to abstain from the politicking that makes up such a landscape. In this way, as long as I remain at my post, I will refuse any and all party allegiances, and ask all like-minded officers to do so as well.
However, as a man of an egalitarian ideology, I have found it difficult to refrain from adding my voice to the proceedings, and, remembering the events that drove my dear uncle the Marquis de Lafayette to exile, I thought it best to publish my ideas in writing, to be discussed by the assembly as they so choose. In doing so, I propose the following Bill of Rights to be enshrined in the constitution, in a similar fashion to that of the United States of America. I ask that the assembly take all necessary discussion on this matter, for this is a moment of great import for our shared nation.
1. The National Government shall not infringe upon a citizen's right to worship, nor shall he raise one form of worship above the other. Furthermore, he shall protect the citizen's right to worship, including that of religious minorities, and will refrain from persecuting said minorities. The National Government shall also endeavor to separate any established church from the state, and prevent religious interference with that of the state. In addition, the National Government shall protect and encourage all freedom of the press, speech, and peaceful assembly, as well as a citizen's right to petition his government for redress.
2. The National Government shall not infringe upon a citizen's right to privacy. In doing so, the National Government refrains from performing illegal espionage upon her own citizen's, from illegal and unwarranted search and seizure, and from the illegal and unnecessary quartering of troops in times of peace without the owner's consent.
3. The National Government shall not infringe upon a citizen's right to property without due compensation, excepting in cases within which illegal actions have taken place using said property. In such cases, the property shall be considered evidence of a felony, however seizure must be considered temporary, to be returned in cases where the citizen is deemed innocent.
4. The National Government shall not interfere in the jurisdiction of a free and independent judiciary, by way of bill of attainder or of illegal pardon. The National Government shall not hold any man accountable for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, except on indictment of a Grand Jury by his peers, nor shall any person be forcibly made or compelled to bear witness against themselves, nor shall a person be made to account for the same crime after having once been declared innocent, excepting cases of appeal.
5. All men shall have a right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial judge of the Government and a jury made up of his peers from the district in which the crime took place. He shall be informed of the nature and causes of accusations against him, and shall be given all legal assistance for his defense. Included in this legal assistance is a reading of all rights granted to him by the National Government and Judiciary.
6. No punishment deemed cruel or unusual shall be inflicted towards the convicted. The Judiciary shall refrain from imposing excessive bail or fines upon the convicted.
7. The governments of the cities and municipalities of the nation retain the right of a well-armed and regulated citizen's guard, to provide for the general welfare, ensure inner stability, and as protection against both foreign and native threats to the nation.
8. The rights described in the Constitution shall not disparage or deny other rights guaranteed and retained by the people, nor will it disparage or deny any rights granted to the municipalities.
I shall await an answer by the National Government to my proposed amendments, and will remain delighted by the answer, no matter the outcome.
-Dutifully yours,
Commodore Pierre du Motier