No Treason The Constitution of no Authority [Paperback]

Lysander Spooner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1578987938 | ISBN-13: 978-1578987931 | Publication Date: July 19, 2009

2009 Reprint of the original 1870 edition. Paperback 55pp. Lysander Spooner (January 19, 1808 - May 14, 1887) was an American anarchist, entrepreneur, political philosopher, abolitionist, supporter of the labor movement, and legal theorist of the nineteenth century. He is also known for competing with the U.S. Post Office with his American Letter Mail Company, which was forced out of business by the United States government. He has been identified by some contemporary writers as an anarcho-capitalist, while other writers and activists are convinced by his advocacy of self-employment over working for an employer for wages, that he was an anti-capitalist or a socialist, notwithstanding his support for private ownership of the means of production and a free-market economy. No Treason has it origins in The Union government's actions during the Civil War. In response, Spooner published one of his most famous political tracts, No Treason. In this lengthy essay, Spooner argued that the Constitution was a contract of government which had been irreparably violated during the war and was thus void. Furthermore, since the government now existing under the Constitution pursued coercive policies that were contrary to the Natural Law and to the consent of the governed, it had been demonstrated that document was unable to adequately stop many abuses against liberty or to prevent tyranny from taking hold. Spooner bolstered his argument by noting that the Federal government, as established by a legal contract, could not legally bind all persons living in the nation since none had ever signed their names or given their consent to it - that consent had always been assumed, which fails the most basic burdens of proof for a valid contract in the courtroom. Spooner widely circulated the No Treason pamphlets, which also contained a legal defense against the crime of treason itself intended for former Confederate soldiers (hence the name of the pamphlet, arguing that "no treason" had been committed in the war by the south). These excerpts were published in DeBow's Review and some other well known southern periodicals of the time.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Spooner was an American political philosopher, abolitionist, anarchist and legal theorist. He raised his voice against slavery and was a prominent figure of the Abolitionist Movement.

Product Details

• Paperback: 54 pages
• Publisher: Martino Pub (July 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578987938
• ISBN-13: 978-1578987931
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,809,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #75 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Law > Constitutional Law

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ..."on principles of law and reason", July 30, 2009

By 

Brian Wright "bwisok" (Merrimack, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority (Paperback)

In No Treason, Lysander Spooner uses the above expression on practically every page. On those foundations, he makes his case that the US Constitution--and by universal extension, any other formal written document that aims to set up a compulsory central government--cannot be morally or legally justified. Primarily Spooner focuses on the weaknesses of the "social contract" argument. He puts the Constitution to the test of contracts, as prevailed in his time and place, and concludes that it does not meet the basic criteria for a contract at all... hence is not valid or binding on anyone.

No Treason is a great book to reread, because over time one tends to forget the incisive quality of the anarchist case...

...

For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]

Brian Wright
Copyright 2009

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, concise, relevant, June 1, 2009

By 

pastaman "NoApparentMotive..." (DC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority (Paperback)

Looking at the range of literature on drug prohibition, Spooner cuts the fluff for a more exact rational.