Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-01-28

sidera,ion is ably argued With the committee. we
would like to see the laws compel no man 70 per-
farm an act which his conscience tells him is wrong,
but if we commence legisating for the consfiences
Of one people, we must show the same regard Tor
others, until our laws amount TO no law at all
The commit,e on Military Affairs, to whom
was referred so much of the Governors Mess
ace as relates to exemp,ing the Society FRIENDS
or Quakers. from the performance OF Military
du,v on account of their conscientious scrnpies
against bearing arms, beg leave respectfully 10
REPORT:
Tina, they have had the same under conside-
ration. and, after mature reflection, have come
to the conclusion that no such exemption oheht
to be allowed. Your committee are OF opn-
ion that the conscientious scruples' OF any
sect, as such, do not come legitiinateiy within
the province of legislation, and should not,
therefore, become the basis of any action on
the part Of legislative body which re'resen's
the whole party. If conscience be thing IN
herent in the human mind it Is. OF course. an
attribute common to all men, and its "scruples
should therefore be regarded with the same
sacred respect in one man as IN ano'her-and
If the protecting Egis of the law should be
thrown around the conscience Of the Quaker.
i, should also shield from Insult and outrage
the equally solemn 6 scruples' of every oiher
man. In this view Of the subject. tsnpposihe
the sentiment. or essence, or whatever IL may
really be. called 'conscience,' to be lnhereh.'j
the protection of one set OF consclenceS 10 the
exclusion of others. yet all deriving their eN-
istences from the same Creative FOUNTAIN
would be not only contrary to the genius OF our
governmunt, bnt an impious effort TO thWart
the designs of Providence by making an lnvd-
ous and injurious distinction among things
which God and Nature had originally created
equal. And if, on the other hand, conscience
be the creature of education, controlling our
acts by sense Of truth and the light of knowl-
edge. and prompting Us, by its enlightened adj
monitions, to correct view Of right and
WRONG. then are yonr committee the still less
inclined to give it any character of special priv
ileoe-for. without the divinity Of Heavenly
endowment. it has not the same claims to our
veneralion, is unequal and unlike among man
kind. perfect only in proportion as mems minds
are enlightened, and, even in its most perfect
state partaking of every hue ard shade of va
rance that distinguish the human mind, and
consequently subject at all times to the capri
ces and mutations Of human opinions. The
difference, then. between mems minds. their
education and their opinions. is under this rule
lust the difference between mems conscIences.
And under this rule every man is supposed TO
have conscience of its own kind. Now, your
committee would ask, if it were right, is /:
possible to legislate for the accommodation OF
so GREAT a variety Of consciences And yet,
if we pass laws to quiet the qualms OF the
Quaker. we are equally and morally bound.
if asked, TO accommodate the scrupes'' of
every other man, whether those scrupes be a.
ganst marching to the measure OF martial mu-
sic in militia drill, or against hearing the
sound of the church bell on the Sabbath.
In political point of view. your committee
are of opinion, that, to exempt Quakers from,
and vet compel all other citizens to the per-
formance of military duty. would be an unau-
thorized and unjust violation Of the great car
dna maxim on which our system CT govern
ment is based-EouAL RIGHTS. And exclusive
privilege, conferred upon one class and denied
to any or all others, is just so much stolen
from the liberties Of the mass. and is. so far,
violation of the first and highest principle Of
our government. To exempt the Quakers, or
any other class Of people from duties or fines
to which all other citizens are subjected would
therefore, be comforting privilege at once un-
just to very large majority of the people, and
contrary to the spirit of our institutions.
The authority which gives us political exis-
tence as Territory. confer equal privileges,
and imposes equal duties upon all our citizens.
We have..no right to 60 beyond that authority.
II is enough to know, and surely it is as much
as could reasonably be asked, that the Qna-
kers, by that authority, like all other citizens,
are allowed the privilege Of worshipping Al
mighty God in the form and spirit dictated by
their own consciences In this, 10 the Chris
,ian the most important matter, the rights of all
.1y1 ~.
And SO, too, with the duties imposed-each
and every citizen has his equal portion to per-
form. Neither the Constitution. nor the Ordi-
nance Of 1887, nor the Organic Law establish
ing our Territory, know any distinction among
our citizens as to who shall contribute, (by
bearing arms and by paying fines andtaxes,)
to the 'scommon defence and general welfare"
These higher authorities. from which we
derive our political being, having made no dis
tinction of this kind, but, on the contrary, ex-
pressly provided that the rights enjoyed, and
duties imposed, shall be equal among all, your
committee are of opinion that if Territorial
Legislature, restricted in its powers and acting
within prescribed limits, should attempt to
create so odious a distinction, it would commit
an infraction Of the Constitution and Of the
laws of the General Government which would
be but little short of treason. and one which
would justly call down upon its members the
indignant execrations Of the people whom they
should thus betray.
ssPEAcE,' and sGooD WILL AMONG MEN,
seem to be the results drawn, by all professiuy
christians. from the precepts Of the holy scrip
lures. War and bloodshel, then, must Of
course naturally arouse the scrupies not only
Of the Quaker but of every other protesting
christian. And if SO, your committee cannot
perceive why all who make profession Of
religion In any form shanld moi also he exemnt.