Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-03-11

one NIL side to another. and repeatedly
thrown from object, to object, impart their
warmth and vivifvlng power, and render
most luxuriant the favored spot. From
these and numerous other considerations.
| infer that God designed man to be a So
clal being, and to live in society Aud if
he designed this, then he designed also
and approves whatever is necessary in or.
der to the existence and prosperity of the
social state. And think it can be easiIv
shown that men cannot live in society
without human government
Here it may be well to consider for
moment the design and nature of civil
government. From the representations
of the very candid. reasonable and truth
Jul oppoSers, we mi ght conclude, that II
human governments are race of fend
lsh monsters, varying little in color, but
alike In nature, whose food is manoled
human bodies, whose drink is tears and
blood, whose music is groans and waiIiDg
and whose acts are all gratuitous cruelty
and malignant oppression. But is it so :?
In civilized community, no government
can long sustain itself which is not The
choice OF the main body of the people
Are then the inhabitants CT America
and Europe so beside themselves as 20
nourlsh and defend such monsters for The
express purpose of being crushed and de-
voured by them? But perhaps they are
blinded and do not understand the pat,ue
of the thing they cherish. Let US exam
Inc then the constitution and statute book
OF any government in Christendom, and
though all are imperfect and contain ma
ny unjust principles and unequal laws
yet all are based upon an uadoubted truth
the depr0Uaty Of man, & aim at benev-
client obJecI--the aoelfare otthe community
A very large proportion Of the legislative
enactments in the different countries are
directly designed to foster .education
health, industry, and morality, or to pro-
tectt.yfe,person and property from violence
& fraud. But these are all unnecessary, we
are told. The law of God, and man.
and natural conscience, are sufficient to
restrain from wrong. AMI where is the
proof OF this? Is it drawn from reason,
or from facts? What are the facts which
stare US in the face2 We may suppose
three restraining causes operating slnelv
or combined, to deter men from crime
The andiriduaPs o1on moral sense, the Di-
Oane dasPLeoswre, and the penalty Of h.
man LGo0S. Now it is a lamentabIe fact
that men do commit many crimes in des-
pite of all these restraints. Would two
of the above named causes restrain man.
where all three do not? But human
laws and penalties neutralize the other
restraints. Annul human laws and then
-. But let US look little more at
facts. Before the French revolution, all
three of the above named restraints oper-
ated to deter men from crime. and some
crimes were committed. During the
reign of anarchy, human laws were al
most all annuIled, or suspended, and men
did that which was right in their own
eyes, and crimes increased thousand fold.
Alter time government and law resumed
their authority, and Immediately crime
began to diminish. Look again A young
man is brought up in Vermont. He is
passionate and dissipated, perphaps. He
gets angry often, but never shoots or stabs
person, however violently enraged he
may become. He removes into South
ern State, and for an injury which he sup
poses he has received, he arms himself
and attacks man at mid day in a pub
lie street, and after long fight kills him.
He flies from the friends of the deceased
and perhaps returns to Vermont. But
here no man fears that he will assassin
ate him for any fancied or real wrong
Why this difference Does conscience
note only crimes as committed at the
North? Or do the terrors of divine
wrath appal men only in the Northern
States Or is it not rather that here hu-
man law prohibits and will punish such
murders, while at the South such acts are
wlnked at. And whenever crimes are
committed here, does not the anxiety man
ltested TO evade the penalty inflicted by
human laws, show clearly that this is the
chief restraint. The robber seeks lone
| ly spot as the scene of his media.ed yio
lence. Why That he may avoid de-
lection by his conscience-or his God 2
The Thief prowls about under the screen
OF night. But why2 The truth cannot
be denied, that while some fear God. and
try to do right always from higher con-
slderatlons, the great mass of mankind
are chiefly influenced by human laws
There Is not town in New England,
and If not In New England not in the
world, where life and chastity and proper
/ ~, would be safe without human laws
aud penalties, to shield them. All would
not kill Rnt co1,o yro,,ll ID - ~
slight provocatlons. Many would give
loose reIns TO their lusts STILL more,
would steal or defraud, or in other WAYS
invade their neighbors rights. No man
would build house which he could have
no recurlty OF ejoying No man would
sow q field which he could have lii,lo