Litchfield enquirer., 1845-11-20
THE ENQUIR FER. LTTCHFIELO, NOV. 20, IS45.
THE MoB SPIRIT.

U
 the mob.spirit is one of the most dangerous ele- ,nents in republic. Its government is more arbi- trary and fearful than any other, because it can never he depended upon The wrath of the mnl- titude is law which may move in an irresistible current in one direction to-day, and in quite anoh CT direction tomorrow. Now, by sheer accident, it may be excited in defense of good object; and anon, its terrible weapons may be turned against all that is equitable and right. It is spirit which ought never to be tolerated under government like ours. We profess to be IGsc- 0Csding peo- pie; and so long as we adhere strictly to what we profess in this particular, our liberties may be con- sidered safe But when any body of men, no mat ter what may be their pretense, get aboue the law, or are permitted to set it at defiance with mpunity, we may we'll tremble not only for our individual safety, but for the permanence of our republic.
 It has been painful to observe the frequent tri- umphs of this reckless spirit which have recently taken place in various parts of our country. At the southwest it manifested itself in the forcible removal of c, M Clay's printing materials; and, still worse, in the decision c the Judge in the ofthose members of the mob who were arrested for the outrage. A cotemporary truly remarks. Armed with the panoply of such legal decision, what IS to prevent the majority from tramping upon the rights of the minority as they please? The major ity have but to assemble and declare the minority nuisance, and then go to work and abate the nui sance in their own way. And where was there ever majority that did not consider the minority a nuisance: Under this Kentucky decision, there are no rights of property, and the minority only ists by suf1erence.
 Thus in Nauvoo, containing some ten or fifteen fhousand people, with large property, the suffer- ence has ceased. and the sound of hammers closing rivets up tells that the whole people must remove or be annihilated When such principles of law as these shall be universally adopted, there will be very little in this world worth living for. So far as we have observed, we are persuaded that the Mormons are an unjustly persec"ted people, However tanatica and absurd may be their reli- .gious dogmas, and however offensive they may be to those around them, as neighbors and citizens, their treatment by the populace, and by the civil officers, and ever by Courts of Justice, is disgrace to civilized, not to say Christian, people. We have been surprised to notice the forbearance of this much abused people, in the midst of all the a trocties and brutal perse cutions which they have suffered at the hands of their enemies. We doubt whether, even in New. w.England. so large body of people could be found collected together, who would bear and suffer as much as they have borne and suffered, without making desperate attempt at least, to avenge their wrongs. They are the 7a,rfad o,one's of the scil on which they live.- Where then do their neighbors obtain the right Of d,aring them from their possessions They have expended vast amount of labor, and skill, and wealth, in rearing and decorating their temple" and various public and private edifces ,why should they be compelled to leave them, with all their other property, "s sold or ursold," and seek out new "city of refuge:"
 The same spirit of resistance to the laws, has re- gently been manifested by the Anti-Renters of the State of Hew-York. We shall not attempt to ar- que the point, whether the system under which the propretors in those districts hold their lands, is the best Uorst of all systems. But we do tend, most unequivocally, that the tenants have right. either human or divine, to resist the laws under which they live. and that, so long as those laws exist, the proprietors have a right to claim and receive their protection. and the aid of the civil power in enforcing their legal claims
 We say nh but there are or have been cases in which resistance to tyrannicai and oppressive laws may be virtue; as, for instance, when they con. fct directly with our ideas of allegiance to our Maker; or, when they are inhuman and enslavng in their tendencies, as sometimes occurs under a monarchy ar ahsolute dasnot;sun Eut i'm a country like ours, where the people are the source of all power, such instances seldom if ever occur. And the press, and all who have influence in the com. munity, should be extremely cautious how they give currency to sentiments which have even an indirect tendency 10 weaken our allegiance to the laws; for in them is pre-eminently our security and defence.