Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
Jean-Paul Marat’s Commentary on the Constitution
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- Jean-Paul Marat, a revolutionary journalist, expressed his views in his newspaper L’Ami du peuple (The Friend of the People).
- Marat criticized the Constitution drafted by the National Assembly:
- "The task of representing the people has been given to the rich."
- "The lot of the poor and oppressed will never be improved by peaceful means alone."
- "Here we have absolute proof of how wealth influences the law."
- "Laws will last only as long as the people agree to obey them."
- "When the people cast off the yoke of the aristocrats, they will also overthrow the owners of wealth."
- The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
- The Declaration outlined key principles of liberty, equality, and justice. Key articles include:
- Article 1: Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.
- Article 2: The aim of every political association is to preserve the natural and inalienable rights of man:
- Liberty
- Property
- Security
- Resistance to oppression
- Article 3: The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation. No group or individual may exercise authority that does not come from the people.
- Article 4: Liberty consists of the power to do whatever is not injurious to others.
- Article 5: The law has the right to forbid only actions that are injurious to society.
- Article 6: Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to participate in its formation:
- Personally
- Through their representatives
- Article 7: No man may be accused, arrested, or detained, except in cases determined by the law.
- Article 11: Every citizen may speak, write, and print freely. However, he must take responsibility for abuses of such liberty as determined by law.
- Article 12: For the maintenance of public force and administrative expenses, a common tax is indispensable:
- The tax must be assessed equally on all citizens in proportion to their means.
- Article 17: Property is a sacred and inviolable right:
- No one may be deprived of property unless a legally established public necessity requires it.
- In such cases, just compensation must be provided in advance.
