Eastern times., 1850-11-21

Slavery and the Constitution.


Mr.. EpIroR Il cannot but feel that in one
respect at least, we have fallen upon evil times
one class of men locking upon the constitution
and its requirements as quite subordinate mat
ter, maintain that they have perfect right to
set aside or trample upon any law which they
believe to be wrong. With such, individual
conscience, real or pretended. is everything
and the obligation to maintain peace and quiz
etness, to uphold the majesty of the law, and
preserve inviolate the rights secured by it, moth
ing. Now these may be very good men
quite fit to die and 60 to their reward, but
very unfit assuredly to live and have infu-
ence In snch world as this. Let their prin-
ciples prevail, and it requires no prophets ken
to perceive that all effective government must
cease, and anarchy rule the hour.
With another class of persons, right, justice,
humanity, conscience and moral sense are all
ideal things, well enough for ministers 10
preach, and women and hypocrites to pirate
about, but altogether too impalpabe and refn-
ed for practical purposes. 1t is weak and pue-
ric to talk about such things where the great
interests of government and money-making are
concerned. Conscience What is that will
it help us TO good freightsl Humanity who
cares for the niggers
Well now, deadly feud has sprung up be-
tween these two classes, threatening to result
IN war of determination and what is most
of all to be deprecated, each party insists that
there are and shall be no nentrals g He that is
not for me is against me-" is the maxim of
BOTH and he that sets up for any independence
of thought or action, is greatly in danger of be-
ing ground to powder between the upper and
the neither milestone. One side says, that to
talk about the constitution and its requirements,
is but palpable and reckless disregard of the
"higher law''-while TO say Conscience in
the hearing of the other party is sure to bring
down upon you the charge Of being an agitator
and disunonst
A feeble attempt has been made, know,
to reconcile Z" Conscience and the Constitution
but most men seem to regard it as eminently
unsuccessful. And is it not peculiarly startling,
to find, that while the battle-cry OH one side is
hbaty," that on the other is 'the C6nstitu-
tion''-as if the two, instead of being insepara-
BILE, as we had fondly hoped, were irreconcila-
bly, opposed, absolutely antagonistic, the one to
the other
Is it not true, Mr.. editor, as | said in COM
mencing, that we have fallen on evil times Il
Can nothing be done to bring about a healthier
state of puplic sentiments Is there no space
left for him to occupy, who would fain be the
friend of liberty and yet no disunionistl an up
holder and defender of the constitution, vet not
guilty of treason against God and good con-
science | will not believe it, There are those
yet, and the land is full of them, who are. as
they ever have been, ready 10 do battle in the
cause of liberty-to resist tyranny and every
invasion of the rights of freemen, with all the
strength that God has given them and vet they
will enter into no crusade against the solemn
compact of our Union, whether TO abrogate it,
or violate it. | propose by your leave, to re-
cur to this subject in a future number C.