New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-05
TIE BALLOT BOX.


Is the will so Of the great person corporate tue
viii must be the governmental power. The will
is flat wonirous transition point, through which
mere thought GOES forth INTO action. 1t Is tle
contact point between the agent within, aud th2
corporeal mechanism without; the hopper through
which mere mental idea is transmitted into a
physical force; the bridge upon which the subjec
tive energy marches cut uPon the objective world
Parallel TO this, are tie media hy which tn santi
mcnts and feelings of a great nation go forth into
historical events, in great organic selEdirectIye
movements, or great international transactions.
The media by which the modern free common
wealth seeks to attain this object are the Ballot
and the Representative system. The Ballot our
Republic inherits from ancient democracy the
Representative is 10 great degree, an invention
Of modern political science.
And vet the grandeur Of the ballot is essential
" modern and American. When upon the same
dav great national electiontr anspIres producing
a change, which in most nations would be reVolu
ton. the uuiet movement, and the simple apPaF-
atus by which it takes place, IS specimen OF
the moral sublime. 1t IS secret, yet decisive
shock-a brief silence ensues--by the telegraphh
thought the nation is soon conscious OF Its own de
cision-and the implicit obedience OF all parts q
the great system completes the work. And there
shonld be All honor and saCredness upon the bal
lot box. 1t is freedoms nobest emblem. 1t
should be to Republicanism, what the cross is to
Christianity, the image OF its power 1t should,aS
our national symbol, displace upon our national
banner the furious bird Of prey, which, inherited
from ancient Rome, betrays the iron Paganism
that really turks in our governmental system
And our process-would to God, holy reverence
could be She'd around it's precincts. Solemn, next
ia the rites of the church itself, should be these
rituals OF freedom. The ballot box IS the ark OF
freedoms covenant-so should the surrounding
space be sanctuary. And the vote, the badge
OF Independence and none the less badge OF hon
or because it is shared by all, and Is so an emblem
of equality, ought to be impregnated with It's tit
ting superstition as little leafot great destiny
He propunds the following significant queries on
THE RIGHT OF WOMEN TO VOTE
The greatest problem, in model Republic, is to
make the governmental 7rlH the exact colcentra-
ion of the diflusive mind and purpose in the gen
era mass AS in the individual the will should
execute the intention of the entire mind SO should
the acknowledgement the complete soul OF the
nation Even should our government represent
the pure conscientious part alone OF the nation,
such ection might be unhealthy action, and result
in still unhcathier reaction. Still more fearful
is the danger, when the moral and the Christian
part of the community, in fright, disgust, or nd0
lence abandon the ballot and the eectIoo ground,
TO the possession of the intrguer and the depraYed;
and thus leave the conscience Of the country
| unrepresentcd in the government OF the country.
| Our country's safety cannot spare good man
|
| even presume to suggest, not the opinion but
the query that as society is composed OF the blend
ed traits Of both sexes in which the stern energies
of the one are softened and saved from barbarsm
bv the softer virtues OF the other might not our
| government be refined and civilized from much OF
its present erocity, ii the gener halt OF the world
Possessed Their share OF right to select their pub
! lie as well as domestic lords Our governmental
spirit is too masculine the representative too
nearly of what society would be without the soft
cnnng spirit of womanhood. And venture to hint
the query whether the certainty OF woman pres
erce would not soon transform the rabbe disorder
OF cur political election rooms to the chaste pro
Driety of n Lvceum, or Church. question:
whether the mobocracy would rule iii its present
unwashed supremacy; whether the whskey eel
lels would vomit up their tlorldnced delnonocracy
to come vote and conquer and whether those
GREAT cruel denominations which rear their fierce
faces, inoppositon t. all the impulses OF humanity,
would stand with hen permission, the sympatmes
OF whose heart are so often, and especially upon
such subjects, far wiser than the hardened cacul-
atoms oil mans head At amy rate, trust my
have awakened in your minds, the most serious
question, whether it is not the worst part OF our
nature which is best represented in cur govern
ment; and whether in our national men. the 'rW
does not really mispertorm the intentions OF the
entire soul
We close cur extracts with his remarks on
THE HIGHER LAW.
AS our Creator has organized man to be con-
trolled by his own will, so he has instituted ma
liona government dtr3HeiY GHthOT1cedContGol-
Ter of nations actions. " Tic p0lyefS 1taf,
lepitmately "Gc the Apostle assures us, nfc0l
dQ15ed Of G0d' and resistance to their authority,
is not only political, but moral treason. The apos
tie does lot assume TO prescribe any single formi
nor even to lay down any decisive test as to what
egitmately constitutes " the powers that be bnt
when that is an admitted point that rEhttu and
legitimate government does exist, obedience IS II
daGine {0r. And as the national government has
not like the individual. a legal magistracy over
and above itself TO protect its rights, aud afbtrate
its disputes, so it must responslbly to the Al
mighty Ruler OF all, possess the power to protect
ITSELF and secure Justice III International deal
ing. Hence, the magistrate is armed with
| the "SWOrd' to execute even capital penalty
| upon the domestic Toe, or prosecute war upon
foreign aggressor. These two exercises Of the
power OF the SWORD, stand upon precisely the
same basis power not always or often necessa-
ry to be used, but always to be used when neces-
sary. II either or both can be abolished, Ia ques
ton which cirCums tanCes must deClde,) STEP
grand step, has been made in millena march
Nevertheless, beyond this power of the magistra.
cy to WELD the SW0rd OF seltpreserYatlon and JUS
| tee a nation and Government are bound, as an
| individual, by the laws OF God The obligation OF
obedience to Government, apostocal example
| has taught us, does not authorize to obey man
rather than God If =" tie p0icerS that be" whose
legitimacy even the right of revolution does not
allow me to question, should require me to allure
Christianity, | must neither obey nor resist, but
suffer If a Government should require me- as a
military officer, to fight in All unjust war, must
send in at once my moral protest and my resgna-
| ton. Ii Government require me, beyond its
right of securing setpreservation and jnstice, to
violate eternal right or the law of God, such re-
quirement is null, and must disregard it. Ii
have ever taken any oath to support the Constitu-
ton, regardless of Gods law, my conscience has
been entrapped, and that oath is so far null If
Gus Constitution, audbly and firmly, must l utter
the reserve except it reverse the law Of God !"
and the Government which would make that re-
serve ban of ostracism upon me, is Govern
ment OF basphemy.
It certainly is not often that We find go n1nch