Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-02-02
Principle.

What is principle! As reformers define
it, it is a law of action by which men should
be governed. But when should they be thus
governed-at all times, or occasionally Is
it a law they may adopt or reject as they
choose, submitting to it to-day, and violating
it tomorrow! This should be well under.
stood, for in the present day there are ihous.
ands Of reformers who profess to take princi-
pie for their guide, their law, but are contin.
ually rebelling against it and doing acts
which it forbids.
Now have they a right TO do this is the
question We would ask. If they may occa-
sionally violate principle in order 10 secure
what seems TO them a good, how often may
they violate it, how gross may The violation
be, and is each to judge for himself how,
when and where it may be done ! If we as.
sumo that each is 10 be his wv judge when
he may set principles at naught, we, by so
doing, deny the authority of others 10 sit in
iud gment on the act. One man decides he
may violate the principle of Freedom so faI
as to vote for Martin Van Buren,, a candi-
date whose anti-slavery he is very far from
approving. Van Buren, decides he may VIC
late the principle of Freedom SO far as to sup.
port the compromises of the Constitution,
which he regards as unjust in the GJstrdct.-
Henry Clay decides he may violate the prin'
ciple of Freedom SO far as TO uphold an insli
tuition which he knows is based upon despo'
tic doctrines. General Taylor decides he
may violate the principle Of Freedom SO far
as 10 buy slaves ia the New Orleans market
with which to stock his plantations-an acl
which he cannot believe to be either demo
cratic or christian.
Now each Of these men violate the q
principle, though under different circumstan-
ces and in different degrees each deciding
that the circumstances in which they were
respectively placed were a sufficient justif-
cation for so doing. Who of them shall be
condemned and who held guiltlessl Ill or
none, VT reply /; for all have alike violated
the law, and all have the same excuse for SO
doing-the judgment Of the violdter that il
was best so 10 do. We would say that all
should be condemned and though it would
indicate the presence of greater depravity for
a man to do as did General Taylor, than for
him 10 support Van Buren, for the Presiden-
cy yet, as the former is the greater wrong,
it is more easily grapPIed with, and its char
ter made more manifest, and it should be re-
membered that the violation Of principle in
the latter ease, furnishes a precedent which
j~uslifes, so far as precedent can justify, the
violation Of principle in every case. Theles-
ser violater of principle makes a breach in
the law through which the greater ~violatol
can, with enlarging it a HttLe, readily pass.
A wise man who adopts a principle, who
makes il his law of action, will always obey
that law. No hope Of ultimate or presenl
good will induce him to trample upon il, fol
he is A MAN OF PRINCIPLE, not a creature o.
~erpediency, serving the Lord to-day and the
devil tomorrow. He feels that il a p~rincipl,
be right In itself, RICH, in the abstract, it i!
ever right in practice and he is a craver
who in the hour of trial deserts his princi
ple-lhat hour when lis power and beauty
should be manifested TO the world by thu
faithfulness Of those who take it for a guide