New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-28

Il
deeper impression on the history Of the World
IT'S beneiicent ior the State, as for the persons
who compose II. thar Conscience thus decide Ii
does not tend to anarchy, has falsely been said.
IL makes no allowance for that sudden and rash
resistance that might arise out of interest, J. re-.
qnires that he who sets himseif against the State
and It's powers, shall DO IL, not in tie heat Of Pas
sion that sustaln~~ MIN not n the desperate re,
uound nor. m intolereble oppression ont IN the
cam Fad prlncipied resolution. which arises from
ife conviction Of Equity and Right that be DO 1t
as IN Individual, only seeking to INFORM the con.
sciences of others. The certainty then - before
hand, that only the best and most thoughtful viii
resist al the pressure OF advantage being steadily
against them; and that the resistance Will 90 tor
ward Just as fast as the Conviction. II the state
Yields 10 sucbinf1enceitwili be benehttedby It. II
il dOes not but adheres to injustice and wrong then
it ought in tie end 10 be broken before It The
State What is It Ii Is not lands or ports, or
Capitals. 1t is the MN who form and guide il.
Where these are elevated. the State IS aourishing.
Let facts then testify Of the tendencies OF this Sys-
TEN Where the decree OF an lntalbe Church
has been received as decisive In the questions OF
Right-much more, where the doctrine has obtain
ed of passive and unquesuonlng obedience TO
the State-That has been the issue Iput 1t TO
YOU NY friends In Italy=-in Russia-under the
iron stem OF the despots OF Frsnce-has liberty
advanced has intelligence been ditfused has
morality grown purer has religion gsinedp power
has Right been done has the State been emo
bled has even Just stability OF Government been
secured and established Nay, verify But in
all these the reverse Wherever the doctrine has
stepped it has blighted. Wherever it has had
su a it has turned men into machines The final
revolution has been the more tremendous Tor its
expressions. The nation has degenerated TO the
level of its condition. or else the furious rush OF
people that had borne TIL endurance became in.
possible has swept before it the palace and Tie
throne. And on the other hand. take any man.
take any people, in the development OF the sys
TEN which nurtures and educates Conscience as
the guide 10 mans duty, as the Interpreter OF
God law Tor him, as the authority lie must bow
to- whatever man DEGREES. and liberty there al
vances The State grows in power as its citizens
are enlightened, 1t becomes settled and estab,
ished on the basis of Equity. Follow 1t IN its
career, and its progress shall be traced in benei.
cence end peace. From first 70 last its orbit shall
be an orbtthat brightens with the glow OF knowl-
edge ando heroism and that closes III the spten-
dor OF still eliminating glory.
Here we have reached the end OF our discussion
and here we see IN clearness, | think, the truth
for which we started We see the Ground and
the Extent OF the obligation OF Man to ooey
Civil Law. He is bound TO obey II, because 1t Is
benefcent that Society should exist and that
cannot exist without officers and rules. He IS
bound to obey it, because God ordalns the eXis,
teDce of organized Society in the very constltu-
ton of man. His creature, sympathetlc,d dependent,
receptive, communicative in the course OF HIS
Providence, which brings each man into being
amid Society in the precepts of His w ord winch
command as in the text this general duty-he is
bound to obey il, as long as and wherever 1t does
not conflict with the L aW God has given him. so
long as it refrains from enjoining inqulty With
in these limits, whatever it decrees even that
which Injuries us in person or IN goods, il so be 1t
L. e 10 Vtar,r hat 1
not take life without cause, or break up the family
which God has organized, or deprive as OF Llber
ty, that
Fenced round and septfroni violation Tree,
Whose smallest SPRAY rent on, we ser prze
At less than life
we are bound to submit 10. Though II conhs
cate our property though it derange our employ
ments and take from US our livelihood is bet
ter that we yield, and repair the injustice. Bat
when it commands US to do a wrong act, or to re
frain from a right one, its authority stops. 1t has
reached the line that il cannot pass over. We
are bound by an authority that is higher than its,
to disobey it, AS the subjects Of God, and des-
tined 10 Eternity we are bound 20 do the Right,
which the law torbids and to refrain from the
Wrong to which it urges US. And on this Right
the Man must decide; in the exercise OF Con.
science deliberately, prayertUlly, on his personal
responsibility, but firmly and finally. de cannot
throw off the decision upon another God looks
I'M, and gives to TIIi HIS command, and OHerS
to HIM His Spirit and Truth and H Z must act. If
he does what is right, then God will honor him.
But if he does the wrong because the State re-
quires him TO do tit is certain as that God
abhors lniquity and loves the Right-as certain
as that God is not limited by mans law-rhat he
shall perish, when God appeareth i
And now, my Friends, let US briefly but frank
" apply this to the Law which concerns all our |
thoughts the Law which requires to return |
.l,aE 10 or tho Sgurb w hat |
is our duty under that We are all equally IN
terested to decide this Alright, and to do precisely
what God would have Us tor we shall al, TO-
ether, meet God in judgment. | am as deeply |
Interested as any of you to decide 1t prudentyi
fer the safety of the State. My pecuniary inter
est in the preservation OF the integrity OF the
National MON is not as large, OF course as yours;
but my social and professional position, my pecu,
mary support my present happiness my hopes OF
future fort and good, depend as much as yours
on that 1t would be no less hard for me than
for you to enter the Prison, il the L aw called Tor
that 1t would be far more hard tor me than Tor
YOU to pay the penalty affixed to dlsobedlence'
What then is our Duty-youTs, and mlne-under
this Law
The case stands thus and one example may
Illustrate all Some forty FIVE years since lad
was stolen upon the Coast OF Africa. lie was
captured by force, loaded with chains, and brought
across the ocean-through that terrible Middle
Passage. which has become but synonyme tor
the EXTREMIST suffering He was placed upon
plantation in q Southern State; either by his cap,
tor, or by one to whom that captor transferred
him He has toiled there for years lie has
finally escaped from the force that has held him,
and has come to the North He is living and
has been living for years, in the midst OF our So
ciety. He is married and has a family; He has
accumulated some property. He is Christian in
bis convictions, and Christian in his purpose
Christian, too, in his outward profession II it be
said that this is strong case, reply that it's pro.
per to take positive case to test principle that
this is possible case, in its every particular mat
: fneitiyes from service, vino actuaize it all and
that the principle which covers it, will cover all
that can occur:-lor as related to the instrinsic
equity Of the return of the man to bondage, it
makes no difference whether he has been in that
i--.ls.za for Eve uaars Or for fnrtu. yhether he