Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-11-14
TIMES.
Bath, Thursday. Nov. IA, 1880
Mistaken Zeal

.or, of matter of fact world. And there IS an
.bsolutc necessity that the efforts Of human
beings partake of practical character. The
most astute reasoning and profound philosophy
is measured by its susceptibility of being turn
I'd to some account. Principles Of philosophy
or metaphysics are only useful in the degree
which they are made to subserve the uses Oh
the world. Intellectual efforts end IN vain
speculations, when they stripped or are de-
void of some practical bearing. Whether hu-
man progress is or is not illimitaole' mere -
an acme or highest attainable point IN human
efforts. TO attempt to pass beyond which is
rs.roprade movement, just as there is point,
in chemical affnities, where attraction turns
into repulsion. This point we should say Is
,ha. poin, in reforma,ory or practical move
nents, to 80 beyond which gives such an ultra
or obnoxious character to the movement as to
render it nueatory, for all useful purposes
In other words, the nature of man, whether re-
lgious, benevolent, or by what name 1t may be
designated, that prompts him to participate in
and HELM advance reformatory movements is as
liable to be carried to excess or be abused as
any other natural inclination. An individual
NAV be over-relgious as well as deficient IN
religious principle-over benevolent as we'll as
n,iserlx-and the one excess is no less excusa-
BILE than the other.
Now human institutions, from the fallibility
of human beings, must be more or less imper-
fect-yet it by no means follows that they all
admit of remedy or Improvement by force or
by arbitrary agitation. And attempted reforms
sometimes produce greater evils than existed
in the condition of things sought to be I'M
proved. This we consider to be the case with
the institution of African slavery in our own
country-ge generally admitted to be an evil, and
one of the evils, in common with many others
that existed at the formation of our govern
ment, which. though antasonistical 10 our pro-
LESSONS, it was impossible to treat in an arbi-
,rary or hasty manner. That the feelings OF
repucnance to slavery should increase, as the
immutable principles upon which our govern
ment was founded were ultimated. or reduced
TO practice, might be expected But how evil
dent must it be to all that the ultra course OF
abolitionists a: the North has been detrimental
to the African. as well as dangerous to the
peace of the American people. And the rea-
son of this is obvious; it is simply because the
agitation, instead of being confined to the
proper business and legitimate concerns OF the
reform, has been suffered to take altogether too
wide range. The agitation, commencing in the
North, has been confined principally to 1t, Tor
the very good reason that the lives and safety
of those living under the institution, forbade
the propagation of such ideas. until finally such
a state of excitement has been produced in the
North, that it has penetrated into, the religion
and politics of the country. But why object
to such system of agitation, it may be asked.
We reply, that the institution of slavery, being
an unavoidable evil under the Constitution,
such course is an unwarrantable interference
with the great fundamental law of the Union,
that each State has the exclusive control of lis
own matters, each State being bound not mere
" to abstain from any interference one with
another, but also to maintain the several States
in the full enjoyment of their sovereign rights.
Now let US inquire what the aim or intention
of the slavery agitation is. Is it to convert
Shareholders in other States, and to lead them
TO a voluntary emancipation of their slavess-
IF SO, the course pursued has been such, most
assuredly, as effectually TO exclude every pros
pect of Succession as the cause of enancipa-
ton depends upon the disposition Of slavehold-
ers, it is very evident that the vituperation and
reproaches heaped upon them by abolitionists,
will produce any thing but the right disposi-
ton. The question is not, whether slavery
shall be extended, or restricted-but what can
those who have unfortunately inherited evil
best do to remedy it.
The abolition spirit, by the mistaken zeal of
its prominent advo Gates. has already become a
great evil, and a source of danger to the Union.
greater even. than existing slavery. Advocat-
ing FIRST an abstract principle, Entertainments
upon welI-settled rights have been gradually
made-institutions of learning and religion at
tacked-political privileges endangered-the
holy bible repudia,ed, and infdelity openly
preached.
Thus it is that reforms are clogged, and re-
formers shorn of their strength. The en-
thusiasm and excitement that continual atten-
ton to one subject lone idea-ensenders-
tends to extremes that render odious not only
the actors. but the object.
When reformers, in their visionary halluci-
nations, get above divine laws as well as the
laws of the land. it is high time that the COM
munity withdraw from them their countenance
and support.