"Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance"

Gerrit Smith's quote, "Our political and humans rights, so called, are but the natural and fundamental rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of human contrivance", talks to the profound link between the fundamental rights of people and the structures produced to secure those rights. Smith recommends that political and constitutional rights do not stem from federal governments or legal files however are intrinsic to human existence-- natural and intrinsic rights that every person has by virtue of being human.

The phrase "so called" indicates a degree of hesitation or critique towards the labels "political and civil liberties", indicating that while society typically attributes these rights to formal institutions or legal systems, they are, in truth, basically human rights. This view elevates these rights above the constructs of any government or constitution, anchoring them in the universal principle of human dignity and equality.

Smith's assertion stresses that these rights need active recognition and application through human effort or "modes of human contrivance". Here, "modes of human contrivance" mentions the systems, such as legal systems, federal governments, and constitutions, that societies establish to articulate, secure, and realize these intrinsic rights. Smith suggests that it is through intentional action and cautious building and construction of social and political systems that our inherent rights are expressed and secured in a practical sense.

In this interpretation, Smith nods to the concept that while rights are intrinsic, understanding and protecting them requires a deliberate and built method. Societies should take obligation to design and keep systems that effectively verify and secure these natural rights. Smith challenges us to recognize both the pre-existing nature of these rights and the vital human obligation to preserve and sustain them through political structures and legal structures. Eventually, this point of view calls for a reflection on how effectively our present systems honor and support the basic rights fundamental to all people.