The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-14 00:00:00

THE WAY TO BVFPORT THE LAW.

One principal cause of these perpetually recurring con-
vulsions in all states, lies in a practice which is still fol-
lowed even unsung the most enlightened nations of the
world, namely that of sustaining the authority of the law
exclusively by the threatening of pains and penalties for
the violation of it. We by no means insinuate that all
appeals to force should be withdrawn. There are always
to be found persons whom no other motive than the dread
of punishment will restrain from the violution of the law,
even as there are often in the beat regulated families, chil-
dren whose wilfuluesa and violent tempers must be kept
uuder control by an appeal to the rod. lint an appeal to
force ought to be kept out of sight as much as possible, and
ought to be the very lust appeal, instead of being, as it usu-
ally is, the first.
The first thing necessary towards a stable support of any
law is, that the moot.; understand it, and understand the
necessity of it, and the benefit which they derive from it.
For providing this support of the law, legialatms, see con-
ceive, ought to see that the people receive such education
as w ill enable them to understand those laws which are
applicable to them. awl to which they are expected to con-
form themselves. They do not, we conceive, fulfil their
duty. by leaving the education of the people to the private
speculation of teachers, nor to education societies, nor to
churches. Private teachers and societies for education may
or may not give the people such instruction as would enable
them to understand the laws which they are expected to obey.
Churches are bound to see that those who adhere to them
are educated rim the purpose of making them acquainted
with that higher law which it is their duty to explain and
uphold. But legislators are bound to me that the people
have the means of knowing and understanding their enact-
ments, end the reasons for them; and ought not to found
the authority of the law on mere force of arms. Nothing
surely can be more revoltingthan the enact inwhich legisla-
tors present their enactments. "We ordain so and so, and
so; whosoever shall disobey our command, shall be sub-
jected to such and such penalties, and all judges, magis-
trates, etc-, are hereby ordered to see these penalties in-
flicted on the violators of this our decree." This law comes
forth upon a people who perhaps are incapable of under-
standing the n 'Lure and purposes of it. No paint have
been taken to have their minds in such a state of inteUec-
tail training as might enable them to understand the neces-
sity of the law. or any benefit that they can derive from it,
so as to gain their hearty assent and countenance to it. The
sole appeal being to force, tends to beget in their minds
suspicions that the law is not for their benefit, but for the
interest of the legislators themselves, at their expense ;
and unhappily. legislators have often given their people
too good ground for such suspicions. And so a disposition
is generated iu them to evade the law, or to trample aunder
foot if they dare. We do not say that laws should be un-
supported by the threatenings of pains and penalties on the
violators of them. But the chief reliance of legislators for
obtaining obedience to their laws, should be the justice
and beneficial tendency of their enactments, and the intel-
ligence of the peep o to discern these attributes of the law,
and the good dispositions of the people, to maintain the
peace and good order of their community. And the pains
and penalties should he rather kept in reserve in case of
necessity, than paraded in Croat and rear of the law, as the
only !pound on which it is expected to be obeyed.