The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-18
THE REPUBLIC.
From the Boston 1tanscript.
The Peace and Dignity OF tho Common
wealth.--N0. xiv.

mlsed by nothing more easily than by fdnctcd
anaiogies They are almost as mischievous, at
times, as Mr.. Charles Summers 'Jancied loyal
ty to la,c." Thus the preposterous application
Of the command not 10 delicer mp servants who
Ted for their lives from other countries into the
land of Israel to the case of slaves flying for
any cause from one State to another, in the
same country, which is under a solemn consti-
tutional contract to deliver them up.
Thus again, the awful folly of DIR. Jonathan
Mayhem, in his abuse of Gods word, by grossly
misquoting the bible, and stimulating the pas
sions of the people. We have seen that, in
his letter to Governor Hutchinson, che declared
that, if the loss Of his ,chole estate ,coud recall
the sermon, he icould ioitIingly part ,oith it,"
There was all possible difference between the
meaning Of the text, per Sc, and when taken
with the context The sermon was preached,
as have stated, August 25, l765, and the ex-
pulsion of Governor Hutchinson and his family
from their dwelling and the destruction and
robbery OF his property occurred on the follow
ing night. The infammatory text, from Ga
latians, v, IL, 81 ,could they acre euen cut Off
tchich trouble you," would have been amply
qualified by that which Immediately follows
g For, brethren, &c hare been called unto lib
erty only use not liberty for an occasion TO the
flesh, but by lone seruc one another" But the
Doctor gave the people, then already furious,
the tert without the contert, the bane without
the aniidote, and they proceeded forthwith to
cut Off those that troubled them, as the Rev.
Doctor had recommended. The result Of this
objectionable folly weighed long and heavily
upon the mind of this misguided clergyman.
He ceased not to express his regret to the day
of his death, which occurred July 9, l766, in
less than one year after he committed this p0-
litical folly, and at the early age of as.
Another remarkable illustration of the high
wickedness and folly of attempting to influence
the popular will, and spur forward the masses
to deeds of treason and rebellion, by holding up
these fancied analogies before them, will be
found in Mr.. Charles Summers absurd and
truly anti-historical comparison between the
Fugitive Slave law and the Stamp act, as like
occasions for forcible and justiiable opposition
by the people. should as soon think of com
pairing the parsonage recently elected by a
single vote, after six and twenty trials, to oc-
cupy seat in the Senate of the United States,
with that intellectual Colossus and unrivalled
statesman who has occupied that very seat SO
ably and SO gracefully before.
The Fugitive Slave law was enacted by tile
Congress of the United States, body consti-
tuted by the people and authorized to make
such laws as do not cOntravene the provisions
of the Constitution. Now this law, SO far
from contravening the provisions of the Consti-
tuition, is founded expressly upon one Of them,
and enacted for the very purpose of giving er-
feet to that provision.
There are men who invariably raise the cry
Of unconsttutionality against every statute
which does not quadrate with their notions
and opinions. If a law provides for the doing
of thing, which thing they, according to their
sentiments, opine should not be done, such law
ic Apd - 10 he ocs
though the identical essence of the law have
been preserved in the Constitution ITSELF
The constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave
law has been already affirmed by different ju-
dicial tribunals, and, among them, by the
whole supreme judicial court of Massachusetts.
Now, the only objection to this law consists in
the fact that it is not agreeable to portion of
the people. Well, there is not law of the
land which is agreeable to everybody. If this
law went to impair the obligation Of contracts,
there might be some reason for opposition; but
it runs precisely the other way, and it is ex-
pressly designed to maintain that obligation.
In Gods holy name, is this law which Mr..
Charles Sumner urges his fellow-citizens to
oppose by force. Are the officers of the law,
who have sworn to maintain tho Constitution
and the laws, to violate their oaths, because he
is ready to violate his o,rn2 Ready! ay, more
support the Constitution, exhorts his fellow
citizens, in inflammatory language, to deal with
the sworn officers Of the law for the purpose of
preventing the execution of law of the Uni
ted States, as the officers Of the crown were
dealt with by the people in relation to the
Stamp act in l765, is, at heart, traitor, and
in purpose traitor, though he may not, in a
technical sense, have adapted his neck to the
halter, unless subsequent overt acts can be
shown to have proceeded from his atrocious
conjuration with other bad men.
But what was that Stamp act2 Let us look
up Mr.. Charles Summers analogy. 1t was an
act of the British Parliament. This intemper-
ate agitator and his associates have the ballot
box at their command wherewith to effect the
repeal of obnoxious laws; there is really no
present occasion for stirring up the people to
rebellion. In the case of the Stamp act America
was powerless in this respect; and the very
burden of our song was that the idea Of taxing
people who were not represented was not to
be thought of for moment Apart from all
other considerations, this alone nflicts DEATH
blow upon the os FRONTS of Mr. Charles Sum
ner's preposterous analogy. But let us show
up Its absurdity little farther.
The relation of the colonies to Great Britain
was sui generis. 1t has no parallel in history.
Prosecuted men, preferring rather to encounter
wild buffaloes than bishops. fled, at their own
charge, to the bowling wilderness, bought with
their own money a portion of the red mans
land, and settled there They consented to
take charters of the king, but those charters
gave no power of taxation to the crown. The
success Of these emigrants began to excite the
cupidity Of the government AS early as l764
duties were laid on goods imported into the
colonies from the West India islands, (not
British, } and were deemed an oppressive inno
walton. Then came the Stamp act, laying
duty upon all stamps, The very reason as
signed for its passage excited the wrath of the
people-to raise the means Of defending them
from foreign enemies. The colonies replied
that they were abundantly able to defend them
selves Dr. Franklin, when examined before
the Parliament, stated, among other things,
| that, SO far from being unable to defend them