Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-02-05
VERMONT TELEGRAPH.
BRANDON, WEDNESDAY, FEB. $. 184o.
NON-R EsISTANCE

49, " oaAO" oCi W ltDIldto
friend Curtis far enough to stop at the end
of each article and recapitulale what /
hare done, may be should have the yani-
ty TO say here that have exposed the false
issue made up by the opponents of Non
Reslstance-by which measures of theirs
the public has been greatly prejudiced
against our cause; that have shown that
il will never do TO confounI the foretellinq
of events with the appointing of dulles
which thing friend Curtis has done in his
first quotation of scripture; tha, | have
shown the fallacy and unsoundness of un-
dertakIng to reason from the family relation.
which exists in the nature and fitness of
thing ,--limited in its powers, and re-
sIricted and restrained by conjugal AMI
parental afecion-to human governments
which contend are the institutions Of de-
PRAYED men, and which are based on the
principle of exercising discretionary, un-
! limited power over the fortunes and lives
OF their fellow men; that have answered
/
/ his former questions in word, that |
have disposed of his arguments, up to the
end Of The article in The Telegraph of Dec.
18th. But there is liuIe need of all this
Readers will judge for themselves, after
all-and their opinions are formed before
this time, on what has already been done.
on either side.
II will be remembered that friend Curtis
was remarkably cautious in undertaking to
define human governments-taIkino abou,
ceTtdln things and certain limits, without
defining or specifying uhat those things
are, or a0here the limits are-which defn;-
ton, ii must be manifest to every one, is
no definition al all.
He has been equally cautious in under
taking 10 STATE, at the commencement of his
second article, the position which he occu-
pies, or would occupy, in the discussion
He says" The position which | have
undertaken to establish is this: God de.
signed the establishment and has mani.
tested has approval Of human government
Now it he means by this something les,
than 10 say that all human governments
are the ordinances of God, why not tel
Us ho10 much less and what precisely he
does mean2 For may be, after all. the
difference between him and Non Resistant.
Is much less than he has imagined. On
the other hand, if he does bold that all
human governments are ordained of God
why not come out into the open. field and
say so? Is it right or honorable for an
} opponent in discussion to keep himself
wrapt up in doubts and uncertainties-ir
non committals and indefnables? There
Is an anecdote of the battle at Plattsburgh
which says that the Americans, feeline
their lncompetency with their hundreds tc
meet the British with their thousands. ir
the open field, kept themselves scattered "a
ambush, thus making up in stratagen
what was wanting in strength The course
was certainly worthy of the cause. Thew
who are engaged in the work of human
butchery should not be expected TO do more
honorably, or differently. Indeed Il can moi
say that it was not the height of homo,
among those whose business it was TO shed
human blood. But is such skulkino and
eVadlng worthy of great moral combat
For one, am not contending for rictorv
Dut laboring to set forth truth. If friend
GURUS Is doing the same thing, what has
ne to fear from coming into the open field
) and defining his positions? II must be .
bad cause that requires to be defended bv
such means as ne uses in defense of his
More than this, he is betraying want Of
confidence in his own cause. Otherwise
why does he not come out, commit himsalr
and define?
In my remarks, replying to this article
as we'll as all else on the subject. until
such times as he denies 1T shall taka !,
for granted that he occupies the position
that human governments are the ord;,
adnces of God.
The principal thing labored for in his
second article-the article now under con.
slderatlon, is, to establish his position-il
anybody can tell what that position is-by
proof attempted to be adrawn from the
Constitution Of the Hebrew naiion.n
And here comes more of his darkness
and Inde6niteness. He says:
The descendants of Abraham, in the
line OF Isaac and Jacob, were chosen and
set apart by Jehovah as his peculiar people;
and a. such they had many institutions
designed for them only. With these we
have now nothing to do by way of imira-
! ton. They have passed away with The