A Spooner, Lysander 1808-1887 creator text utu 2011 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "A Letter to Thomas F. Bayard" by Lysander Spooner is a critical political treatise written during the late 19th century. This book challenges the legitimacy of congressional power over the citizens of the United States, arguing that the legislators' authority is a usurpation rather than a legitimate delegation of power by the people. Spooner confronts the notion that it is possible for a legislator to exercise authority honestly under the existing constitutional framework. In this letter, Spooner systematically dissects the concept of delegated legislative power, claiming that no individual can rightfully assign arbitrary dominion over themselves or others. He contends that the U.S. Constitution was enacted without genuine consent from the populace and serves primarily to empower a select group of individuals to enact laws that infringe upon the natural rights of citizens. Spooner urges Senator Bayard to recognize the absurdity of the legislative system, encouraging him to acknowledge that no law created under such arbitrary authority can be considered just. Ultimately, the letter serves as a call for reflection on the nature of government and individual rights, inviting readers to reconsider the foundations of authority in their society. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2011-05-17 Produced by Katie Hernandez, Susan Goble, Curtis Weyant and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net Original publication data not identified Legislative power -- United States KF Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36161 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36161 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133826.0 36161