New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-01

q
lucas and Plate, or Englan. and France, over all
the conventional affairs al one man or mankind.
Mv own Conscience is 10 declare that law ihr M
yGurs for Won and is before all private PASSIONS OF
public interests, the decision OF inaloritIes and
world full OF presidents fou may res'gn your
office and escape its obligations, iorSake your
country and owe it 40 allegiance, bat yon cannot
move out OF the donnons OF God, nor escape
where Conscience las lot eminent DOMAIN.
This is illustrated by the supposed case OF 4
clergyman a merchant, and citizen
See some examples Of a conflict between the
personal duty and the official business. a intU
NAV be CLERGYMAN, and it may be his oinciei
business 70 eXI,otinC and defend the creed winch
is set NJ for him 6y his employers, ms bls9oP hs
association or his parish, to defend anu hoiu -
good against all corners 1t may be- also IN ce'-
tain solemn sort to please the audience VINO come
to be soothcd, caressed ana comiarted,--to repre-
GENT fine average Of religion IN his society and so
to bless popnlar virtues and ban unpopular wees
hut never to shake of or even i0stlc with one OF
his fingers the load OF sin, beloved and popular
which brushes his heares down till they are bowed
together and can in no wise lit themselves up
unpopular excellence he is to call tanatcSmli not
intidehty. But bis natural duty as man, stand
in tins position oyerrdeS his official business and
commands him to tell men of the false things III
their creed, OF great truths not III 1t comnandS
him to inform his audience with new virtue 10
represent all OF religion he can attain to undothe
heavy burdens Of popular sin, private or NATIONAL
and let the men oppressed thereWltA go iree
Excellence. popular Odious, he is to commend
by its own name. to stimulate men to all noble
ness OF character and lie. whether 1t please or
offend This is his duty. however uncomfortable
unpopular, against his desire and conflicting with
his immediate interests and plans OF lie. w hIch
shall he do? his official business and pimp and
pauder to the public lust with base compliance
ser, inc the popular IDOLS which here are Money
and Respectab.lity. or shahe seryehis God! That
is the question Ii the man considers himself
substantially aman. and accidentally a clergyman
he will perform his natural duty: II lie counts the
pie sthoad his subs auce. and manhood an accdent
Of that he W do on Y bis Official business.
| NAV be a merchant and my official business
NAV be to buy and sell, and get again: maysee
that the traffic il ardent spirits IS the readlest
way to accomplish this. So 1t becomes my official
business to make rum sell rum, and by all means
to induce men to drink it. But presently | see
that the common use OF it makes the thriving IN
thrifty, the rich Jess wealthy. the poor miserable
the sound sick and the sane mad; that It brings
hundreds to the Jail thousands to the aims house
and millions to poverty and shame, producing an
amount of suffering, wretchedness. and SIN, be-
vond the power OF man TO picture conceive.
| Then my natural duty as man is very clear, very
Imperative Shall sacrifice my manhood to mo-
hey the integrity of my consciousness to my
gains by rum-scling That is the question. And
my answer will depend on the fact whether am
more a man, more a rum seller suppose
compromise the matter, and draw line, some
| where between my natural duty rs man, and my
official business as rmseller and for every three
/ cents that | make by iniquity, give one cent to
| the American Tract Society, or the Board OF For
eign Missions, the Unitarian a association, or the
excellent Society for promoting the Gospel among
the Indians and others in North America. That
does not help the matter; business is not salts
fled though draw the line never so near TO mo-
nev. nor Conscience, unless the line comes up to
duty
/ am a citizen and the State says You must
obey all the laws made by the proper authorities;
that is YOUR official business Suppose 1t is
Law, adverse ID the nntural law OF God, and the
convictions of my own Conscience, and plead
that in abatement of my obligation to keep the
law: the State says obey it, none the less, or
we will hang YOU, Religions an excellent thing
in every matter except politics, there 1t seems
to make men mad" Shall / keep the the com
mandment of men, on the law of my God 2
A law was once enacted by King Pharaoh for
the destruction of the lsraetes in Egypt; twas
the official business OF all citizens to aid in their
destruction Pharaoh charged all his people
saving. every son that is born We shall cast into
the river, and every daughterye shall save alive
1t was the business OF every Egyptian who found
a Hebrew boy to throw him into the Nlle,--ii he
refuse d. he offended against the peace and dignity
| OF the kingdom of Egypt, and the form OF law
III such made and provided But if he
obeyed be murdered man. Which should be
obeyed, the Lord Pharoah orthe Lord God That
was the question. | made no doubt that the
priests of Osiris, Orus Apis lss, and the Judges,
and the justices OF the peace andquorum, and the
members of Congress of that time said, Keep
the king 5 commandment oh We that worship the
crocodile ana Tear the cat or Ne shn|i not sieeP m
Il whole skin au lunGerl so salu every thing
that loVeth and maketh he.
Mr. Parker then comes to the main subject of
his Discourse, which is the application of his
doctrine OF Duty to the Fugitive Slave Law:
Last winter law for The capture of fugitive
slaves was introduced into the Senate OF the Uni
ted States OF America the Senator who SO ably
represents the opinions and wishes of the con-
trolling men OF this city, proposed to support that
bill, with ali its provisions to the fullest extent
that, bill. with various alterations, for the
better, others for the worse has become Il tw--it
received the vote of the representative from Bos
ton, who was NOT sent there, hope for the pur-
pose OF voting for it. That law allows the slave
holder, or his agent, to come here, and by summa
ry process seize fugitive slave, and, without the
lormaty of trial by Jury, to carry him back to
eternal bondage. The law makes it the official
business of certain magistrates to aid in ensavlng
man; 1t empowers them to call out force enough
to overcome any resistance which may be offered
to summon the byStanders to aid III that work.
1t provides punishment for any one who shall
aid and abet, directly and indirectly. and harbor
or conceal the man who is seeking 30 obtain his
natural and unalienable right of life, liberty and
bis natural pursuits Of happiness. He may be
fined thousand dollars, Imprisonment for SIX
months, and be liable to a civil action for thou
sand dollars more This law is not to be laid to
the charge OF the Shareholders OF the South alone
its most effective supporters are northern men,
Boston is more to be blamed for it than Charles,
ton or Savannah for nearly thousand persons of
/ this city and neishbOrhood, most of them men of
influence through money if by nc other means,
addressed letter Of thanks to distinguished
man who had vounteereito support that infamous
! bin, telling him that he had convinced the un-
destanding and touched the conscience of the ma
ton. a man falls low when he consents to be
slave, and is spuncd for his lack OF manhood; to