Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1846-03-07

existence.
Your committee are OF the opinion that.
this interference Of government with / he
contracts Of citizens, was first ntrod uced
for selfish, sinister and Unfair purposes,
when the few ruled the great mass of
mankind, and that it has well answered
the ends Of its creation. If man is so con-
slituted aud organized as to possess a
sense Of justice and beneVolence--a ma.
tural disposition to do unto others as he
would they should, under similar circum-
stances, do unto him, lit must be very
evident that the conduct resulting from
such natural organization, would be more
correct, and the obligation felt more bind
bg and certain, than any artificial and
unnatural obIigation-lhe mere inVen
ton OF man. To suppose otherwise would
be to implously assume that the creature,
man, is superior TO his creator, God. IT.,
however, we arrive at the conclusion,
that man does not possess this constitution
and organization, we are placed in a worse
dilema, by assuming that without It he
can enact laws FOR his government, right,
lust or benevolent.
Your committee, in eIucdatlOn OF this
view ofthe subject, would state such facts
| in relation TO it, as are familiar to most
men. First, that the only klld Of obIiga-
tons in this country which can be called
strictly moral, are those incurred by gam
bling Gambling debts are not recog,
nized as legal, by our laws, hence there
is no legal obligation to pay them; nor is
there any obligation on mankind to pay
such debts, save that dictated or imposed
by the moral principle in his nature al
ready referred to. Now what are the
facts in relation to the lultiIment Of such
obligations? la comparison with the IuI-
Glment Of those engagements recognized
/ by the laws 0! the country. the advantage
is VIGOROUSLY on the side OF gambling OBJ
! legations, which proves to demonstration.
/ the correctness of our position. 1t VIII
be Of no avail to argue that gamblers pay
their debts promptly, as matter OF poll
Icy, because there being no lar to make
them pay, they would lose all credit and
confidence among their friends were they
to fail to pay, &c.--ior if this is the fact
it only tends 10 strengthen our argument
Let US then make it the policy OF all met
TO be honest and punctual in their en-
gagements--let the penalty for failure t.
perform which, be loss of credit and con
lidence among their friends, by those wht
violate their contracts--as in gambln!
transactons--and, as matter OF course
the same results must be produced. Sec
.. OadIg, in many of the early settlement
of our frontier country, years elapsed be
fore the introduction law, lawyers, an
officers of the law; and, SO far as you
committee have been able to learn, iron
persons of observation, Information an
experience, acquainted with the bushes
u transactions OF those settlements IN the
infancy, there was then greater punctua
ity observed by men, in all their dealing
more social harmony and concord, an
less avarice and cupidity--thaE after tn
introduction of law, lawyers, &c,
y coerce a compliance with contracts.
! In the third place, we would lnstanc
y the social condition Of the Quakers--
= numerous, intelligent, prosperous, enter
= prsing and highly respectable class
our population; who have always refuse
, to resort to law for the settlement OF the
- transactions with one another AS
r. consequence of this abstinence from lit
- CATION, there is no such thing as extren
= want or poverty among them. All the
children are educated, and the salutar
principles of mans social organlzatIo
h more fully developed and practsed upo
=" than BIZ any other class Of our population
/; What the Quakers have effected, can
, accomplished by others, if they Will b
: act upon the same principles, If man
-, a moral and social being, a high NOR
>: and social, not political destiny, awal
:, him, and must deveIope the great end
II his xstence--heah and contentasent.
IL man, untrammced by the artificial crro
. in laws, government and society, does n
. possess principle prompting him TO
. right, (Which is no: here admtted,) TIT
~, ~ let US make it his policy TO DO rigt
~ i mere is all UIu ahdbS; INV '"'i~''J
- the best policy" and some wit has T
o. marked, that if rogues could apprecla
" its truth, they would be honest, If fro
policy alone. Now, if honesty al
punctuality are the great objects to be
e. taned among the citizens of the Sta
of YOUR committee are of the opinion tn
their transactions Of a vlrtuous and Us
o. full character, should at least be lac
of on as favorable a basis as the ganibll
on tran sactons Of the country.
he From the best calculations your co
at mittee have been able to make on
subject, they have arrived at the conc
n, sion that the annual expense to the pr
Nv pie of the United States, on account
Of the legal credit syst EN- alone, in the P
50. of Judges, clerks, sherilfs, marshas mag
ry trates, constabIes, deputies, Jurors, "
,er nesses, lawyers, loss OF time IN llngatI'