The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1836-03-25


would be attended with Car less of -
Than the accomplishment Of lhe 0bire,
The instruction. and would NOT Be i.sts,
source Of equal or greater evil; IN ~
case Is this. lOo. might. eonsi.,tu.
| ~ uiih my serse Of duly. and very ~.
iy should. disembsrrass myself IL 4.
alternative If obedience or Eesislanee /.
a resignation. In truth. resignation !
pririegs. not dE.y--a privilege allaT
ed The Senator by which he may Nh,gr
avoid The alternative NJ obedience tr :.
sisiance. - sxpounsled IN The prranaa.
and resolutions Of February. 1872.
Here The General Assembly las i.
stEaclsd ne " do thai which. in NV Ise..
menl and conscience. would be a rs.H.
and Of course IN ne an ael VI n.a.i
urpilude: cannot obey without enp..
+. and in ny opinion. formed upun Ia.
and anxious delIbeTanOn, rssiRlS,,s
would infliss . more vital blow CO.. Il,
constitution, because u would be lullssts
BY far more serious and mlseLissao,
Consequences To both The federal aud d,
stale government than literal obedi.,rs
TO the instruction. The alternative u
Then forced upon me. of obedience ~
resistance; an alternative which WOLF
be painful enough IN itself, andIis render.
ed doubly 90 10 me BY consideraliot,
:, which | shall mention in the sequel.
! He that would Judge nv conduct iaitly.
: should suppose hinself IN my sllua,,an.
and bring home TO bis own bosom De
! opinions ] entertain. and the motives b,
NhIch ! am sclsaied. If The views
have uRi0ided. a. 10 the nature Of he.
instruction that has been given 10 me,
! the real 0bjecs Al which IL was aimed. Ils
surpiiude aud eriminalily which. enler,
tanning the sentiments l do. I should
incur By Welding obedience 10 10, ana
the ImpOssIbllIIy Of resigning wiIho1.
giving my aid 10 dangerous innovation
on The Constitution. be NOT wholly grouE..
less, then. ] appreheud. there - no msn
who can think that {" the nsIuTe &c Ito
injustice. and the exten, of The mischief
do not Justify. and call Tor. resistance. |
have understood q hiss been supposed,
tina, oil the moral responsibility rests u
the constituent body. aud the senator q
relieved from any portion Of II; that Il y
the prosIncr Of the Constituent la Judge
and his to brlleve and obey. Can IL b.
] really though, tina, the official oath Of
Senator to support the Constitution Of N.
UuI,ed States. is sUbjeet 10 an excepllos
which eIrmpls him from The duty q
| supporting Il against iniringemrnls u.
tempted by the State Legislature that has
elected hint tina, the Sens,oF NAV ana
ought 10 take die oath with o men.al
reservation, that he will support the con.
s,itu1ion. unless he shall be commandet
BY the constituent body 10 violate ~
Surely. The General Assembly 10 not 20.
ing TO give its high sanction To doctrines
OF this kind. which would sap the founds.
lions ei all public virtue. The truth Il.
that, IN all contests between those ~hc
exercise authority and those over whom
II is exercised. as to the nghlful exercise
81 such aulhoriiy--ss Ia the duty Of ODE.
dlence. or the right Of resislance--bolL
parties must. in the nature Of things. Judge
for themselves; aud the only difference
between them is. that the part, resisting
power. reslsts al his peril; which alone
sufhces. in general, To determine hin
against resistance, except in extreme
cases. To cay that those who held
power have the sole right 10 exercise
judgment. and ,hs, those over whnrn
! power IL exercised have no RICH, 10 Judge
Tor themselves whether they are oppre.s.
ed or not. were 10 stfirm the very doc,
ulns Of passive obedience and non-resisp
anee maintained by the University q
Oxford IN the reign of James II. The
commands OF the constituent Legislature
cannot justify. or even excuse. the sena.
Tor, IN pslpsble violation ofthe consti,u-
I lien. or in an act Of o. oral iurpilude. Tie
| servant. and even The slave, is not bound
10 obey. and more. 10 moi excusable 10.
obeying, the unlawful commands Of his
master.
| Then. as 10 The prudence Of resis,
snes" in this case. All questions Of re.
sis'ance to authority presen. compound
consideration Of right and expectancy.
However just and right resistance may b.
IN itself, yet !. ought never to be resortst
TO unless there be a reasonable hope 81
correcting the mischief. aud securing
some good end; nor ough, any man. how
ever strong his sense Of wrong and inlus.
ilce. 10 involve others with himself IN 3
hopeless. useless. dangerous effort Os
resistance. This last objection to the
course have resolved TO pursue have
taken the most efectual care to obvlata.
have asked the advice Of no man. much
as desired The advice Of my friends. anil
willingly as should have sought il, IL
could have done so without danger Of
committing them, rs men Of honor. 70
share nv fate: 1 have indeed rommuui.