A Letter to Thomas F. Bayard

Name: A Letter to Thomas F. Bayard
Author: Lysander Spooner

The writer contests the legitimacy of congressional lawmaking, arguing that no individual can legitimately transfer a right of arbitrary dominion over themselves or others and that secret voting and constitutional protections make representatives unidentifiable and legally irresponsible. He maintains that legislators therefore exercise personal usurpation rather than delegated authority, producing laws distinct from natural justice and compelling obedience by force while the populace lacks informed consent. The letter presents legal and moral objections to representative legislative power and warns that such arrangements violate natural rights and convert government into arbitrary domination.

By Lysander Spooner

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Lysander Spooner

Lysander Spooner was an American legal theorist, abolitionist, and political activist known for his radical views on individual liberty and government authority. He is particularly recognized for his critique of the U.S. Constitution in works like "No Treason, Vol. VI.: The Constitution of No Authority," where he argues against the legitimacy of government power. Spooner also wrote extensively on issues of justice and law, as seen in his influential essays such as "An Essay on the Trial By Jury." His writings advocate for a society based on voluntary cooperation and challenge the moral foundations of slavery and state authority.