Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-06-18
lndiy idual Responsibility.

land, as is the doctrine OF the intercession Of
saints Of the Catholic church, it seems neces-
sary frequently to recur to a fact which is al
most lost sight of-man's individuality. But
few would probably deny its existence in ex-
plicit language, yet the great mass Of the peo-
pie do not recognize the doctrine Of individu-
al responsibility in its full and legitimate
meaning, but make the religious and p%oliti-
cal organizations Of the land, The scape.Goats
upon which they iasien their most crying Inns.
The indulgonces Ct the Church Of Rome,
peddled out in Luther's day by the proligale
and notorious Teizel, did not tend more full
ly to destroy the popular sense OF individual
moral accountability, than does the course
pursued by many Of the most prominent Of
the religious teachers Of this land. Indeed,
we can SEQ but little practical difference be-
tween the iwo. Tetzel, for IA greater or less
sum, gave a written permission TO the person
therein named, 10 commit certain sins, the
Church OF Rome assuming the responsibility;
teachers of our modern divinity, without any
specified pecuniary consideration, divorce the
sin from the sinner, and declare that the for
mer may exist wi,hou, the latter in all cases
where the sin is organic in its character.-
The result Of the former system of induigen-
ces was, that the grossest corruption, aud
wickedness the most vile, pervaded both
Church and State; and in these latter days
the result Of the more modern system Of in
Julgences has been but little if any better.
Slavery aud War are at this lime the two
giant sins OF this nation. Both are legliized
by the State; both are sanclified by the
Church, and both declared 10 be organic sins,
for which no one in particular is responsible.
1t ia true, the STAKEHOLDER makes a slave Of
the free born child, compels him to live in
darkness and degradation, coerces him TO toll,
and treats him in every respect as a brute;
but our modern divines say he is not TO be
censured for doing thus-it is his misfortune
to live in a State where slavery is a part of
the organic law Of the land, and consequent
ly, although a great sin is committed, there
is no individual sinner in the case. The ty-
rant lays this 1lttering JUNCTION to his soul, he
accepts of the indulgence so kindly p%GoGered
him by the Professionalism of the 10Th centu-
ry, his crimes are multiplied, the register of
the Eternal is more and more crowded with
the record Of the wrongs he perpetrates; yet
his faith in the doctrine of organic sin con-
linues to increase in proportion to the necos-
sity he feels for justification by it.
There is the war with Mexico, a war which
is admitted by a large minority, if not an ac-
tual majority CT the people, TO be most infa-
nous both in its origin and progress. Yet
hundreds and thousands Of such willingly
furnish men and money to support it, and
why Because they are taught that this is
a case where individual accountability ceases
to e~Xist-where HE organic nature of the sin
throws all responsibility upon the govern
ment. General Taylor, it is said, regards the
war as unjust and aggressive, yet he has be-
come so much an organic remain, or at best
so wholly a machine that his individuality is
entirely lost; he does not regard himself ac-
counldble as a man, but only as a soldier who
is bound 10 obey tie orders Of his superior,
be those orders what they may. And the
people, the protested opponents Of the war
leading, greatly eXtol the heroism Of General
Taylor; and although they know he is engl-
ged in Il contest which they regard az inta-
nous, burning the villages and saching the
cities of an unoffending nation, destroying
r,ov, ,ron,ap and cki1Iron in nrAar 70 vol,
glory for the American arms, they do not re-
gard him az accountable, but without sin in
this matter.
We might enumerate many other things
which are regarded as sins by those who sane
lion them, but being organic sins, they feel
no responsibility as individuals for their &C.
ton in relation 10 them; such, for instance,
as legalizing lotteries, licensing the sale Of ar
dent spirits, and judicial murders by The ap.
pointed officers Of the law.
All moral reform movements arc based up
on the doctrine Of mans individual accounia
bility it is that to which they appeal; it il
by that they aim to overthrow the wrong.
that exist, and 10 Danish evil from the world
and one Of The greatest difficulties they hav,
to contend with, is the fact that the mass o
the people in a greater or less degree hav
such erroneous vie as of their individual be
; ing, such crude notions Of their own response
; bility. The advocates Of Peace, Tempe
; rance, and Anli-Slavery have therefore foun,
it necessary to impress upon the public min
; the doctrine of mans individual accountable
ity, and to make each one feel for himsei
that duty requires of MIN TO approve both b.
word and lie, all that is right, and 10 dis
countenanee all that is wrong. Did ever
lnan who is opposed to the war with Mexico
feel that he had duty to perform in rela.io