"Great
ideas do not burst upon the world unannounced. They are reached
by a gradual development over a length of time usually proportionate
to their importance. This is especially true of the principles
laid down in the Declaration of Independence. Three very definite
propositions were set out in its preamble regarding the nature
of mankind and therefore of government. These were the doctrine
that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain
inalienable rights, and that therefore the source of the just
powers of government must be derived from the consent of the
governed."