The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-05-21

interpreter OF the law, Whch Is antamount to
being his own law.maker. There are very ma
nv texts of Scripture, which, taken by them
selves, and without connection with their ex-
planatory accompaniments. are either in direct
contradiction with each other, or totally ire.
concilable. Each one may interpret these, as
his interests, his reason, or his passions may
prompt him-pppose or obey the law it imposes
at pleasure, as point of conscence-and in
stead of court of justice, appeal to the Pan
dects of Leviticus
In this state of things, there are but two ways
of enforcing general obedience to the laws.
You must convince or compel the refractory.
IF you cannot persuade, you must enforce obe-
dience.s But obedience TO whatl Not law
which all interpret alike, but one about which
all. more or less, differ There must be infali.
bility somewhere, and that will only be found
in the right of the strongest, as was the case
with the Puritans of New England, who adopt.
ed the laws of the Twelve Tables, "until they
could make better" And what was the con.
sequence? The very men who sought refuge
in the wilderness of the new world from civil
and religious persecution, became, of necessity,
prosecutors themselves; for the Jaws they thus
auOpteu, TcUueIeu IlitL snOulu
think alike, in order that all might obey them.
How it happened that freedom ever took root
there, we cannot conceive; for, with all due
respect to their many noble characteristics, we
are free to say, that of all enlightened people
we ever heard or read Of, they appear to have
least understood, or, at any rate, practiced the
true principles Of civil and religious liberty. 1t
could not be otherwise The moment they
adopted the Levitical law, they erected her-
archy OF priests for none others could interpret
it authoritativcly; and it became necessary that
all should believe alike, in order that all should
voluntarily obey. Hence religious persecution
and civil oppression; and hence that spiritual
oligarchy which domineered over New En-.
gland, in virtue of being, like Mahomet, the
sole interpreters both Of the law and the Cos
pei.
The habit of referring to the laws Of the
Jews, instead Of the more pure and perfect
creed of the Saviour, is not yet extinct in that
quarter, and has at all times predisposed the
people to substitute their own interpretations of
the Bible for the statutes. Under this influence
they have made many nroads on the personal
rights and personal liberty of the lowly citizen,
by interfering with his amusements, his busi-
ness, his relaxations, and many of those indul.
gences which he has just as good right to en-
Joy in his sphere, as the most wealthy millio.
naire in kis, so long as he does not violate the
rights of others, or disturb the peace Of his
neighbors. They have also inherited, from the
same source, strict observance of outward
forms and dcmeanor, which, though tiey may
not make people better, at least make them ap-
pear so to others, and think so themselves
Lastly and this is, perhaps, the most misc chiev-
Gus portion Of the entail-they are undoubt-
ediy more addicted to superstition and fanati-
cism, than the native inhabitants of any other
portion of the United States. Their excite
ments are almost always religious; and proE-
ably nine tenths Of the strange, extravagant.
absurd notions, in faith and practice, as well as
Of those varieties of transceudcntalisIn, such rs
anti Masonry, anti-Sunday maism, and Free
Soilism, have originated either in New England
or among the descendants Of New England,
emigrants, in all parts of the United States. 1t
cannot have escaped observation, that all those
isms, and many more besides, which have dis
turbed the peace of the State Of New York,
originated and ragged most fiercely in the west
ern counties, which are in great measure peo.
pied by emigrants from New England and their
descendants. In thus speaking our sentiments
freely, we are far from feeling any hostility to
people who possess sufficient good qualities
to atone for this single characteristic foible or
infrmity
The political and personal freedom Of the
people Of the United States cannot be directly
assaled, with any prospect of success. They
all know their rights, and love them too well
to surrender them to force or persuasion. To
enslave them they must be deceived 1t is use-
less 10 attempt it by laws sanctioned by mere
human authority, for they are theiro own lawnma-
kers, and still more so to resort to force, for
they have arms in their hands, and know how
to use them. They are, moreover, sufficiently
intelligent to comprehend all the elements of
political dospotsm, and it is difficult to approach
them in any disguise, that, if not promptly, will
soon be detected. TO rob them of their liber
ties, it is necessary to lay an ambuscade aud
take them by surprise. You must throw the
lasso and trip up their heels before you venture
to put the saddle on their backs and the bit in
their mouths, Neither the sword of the sol.
der, nor the arts Of the civilians gown can
crush them
But there is another gown, much moro Gffec-
tual in concealing the approaches of despotism
and Disgusting the conspiracy of ambition and
avaree; one which, when not used for such
Al Al