Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-01-26
FOR THE INTELLIGEACER.

"ma olea deat ntur Dis Immortaliuus, secunda pa- tis, tertia pareitibus deine, ps gradatim reiqus
 From the constitution of man, and that of the world in which he lives, arise his obligations to perform certain duties. Some of these important and indispensable than others consequently should their performance come n contact, those Of least i'm portance cease to be duties In this enl ghened age il might be expected, that division of duties would be somewhat different from that made by the Roman philosopher in an age of supeistltlO and ig norance. It seems more compatible with the sta- ton and genius of man to say, lis first duties to his Creator his second to hnseif his tiId to soci- ety. When we render to our Maker those servIces, which reason, assisted by .iation enjoins, better prepared to perform the duties we to selves. In like manner, after the perfolm of the duties due to our Creator and ourselves, we bet ter qualified for the discharge of social duties.
 From the above theory, 1t appears, tbat as we at tend to- or neglect our obligations to our Cleator ourselves and to society, in tie same proportion we advance our happiness or misery And tiils Is actu- ally tue case. Although man renders himself mise- rable, useless, and even burdensome to society, by neg eciing tic two first divisions of his dutes yet Il is nconvenient, and absolutely impossible, Ill the present iie justly to punish him for te offence. or
 breach O the last division, Le may, and ouslt to be punshed though tbe Iunisi nlent cannot Le, at all times. in exact proportion to lis climinality. On the strict observance oi social duties depend tie EapPi- of individuals and tie pros eiy Of tle con iu- nity. Acting in consonance with his nature nalI obliged to perform certain duties; and ii Oll ed to peroim them, he has undoubtedly rigR to tie means of tieir performance In Lis ial to tie means of performing lis duties, are compiehended lis uIl- allenable rights. He cannot consistently with lis 1 beng depriv himself of tLe means of performing his duty. tor instance, should person pIeiehd to sell his right to worship lis Cieaor ie could not from thence infer his exemption ii0m that duty, ther could anotler individual in consequence of such contract deprive him off tlat privileges: be- dna nlaI tn ate his right to the worship of tod. In like man. ner it may be that Ii 1t to the performing any other duty is unaienabe.
 l That men were formed to live in society, is fact which no man in his senses has ever oened. Were every individual disposed at all times to act upright ly, there would be no necessity for coGe of laws. In the present fallen, imperfect state of the human family, there aie few, perhaps none, who o'are not disposed, at some time or other, to do things winch are destructive to the happiness of society Hence arises the necessity of laws to restrain the lIcent0us In order to make laws binding on all it is necessary that every person should cede LOr0n of lis pr mltive independence. The sum of all these DOT. tions of natural liberty constitute the sovereignty o the community. From anarchy to despotism, the supreme power of every government bears an exact proportion to the privileges ceded by individuals Therefore it is believed that the code of laws is best under the administration of which most vices are re- strained and the people enjoy most liberty.
 Man has right to do his duty, and privilege to do what is not his duty for to say he has right to do wrong, seems to imply contradiction. Hence it appears, that privileges to do wrong constitute all his unalienable rights.
 tmay be asserted that every person in state o primitive independence, has right to defend his person and property that is his duty so to do, and that this right he can aenate The assertion is spe cous and, ut first view, has much the appearance of truth but, when fairly examined, it appears ex tremely doubtful and borders on absurdity.
 | dofa alf xuba ho is sauIted without infringing the rights ofothers, and he surely has right to act unjusty to do what is to himselfim impossible. When he begins to retail. ate is his nature to return greater injury than he