Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-01-02

powers, even if they be wanting part OF that
perfection which we could desire, or otherwise
abandon our present civilization, harmony and
peace, and suffer all government to be destroyed.
But IT may be asked in objection here, is
not conscience, after all, every mans final tri-
bunal | answer unhesitatingly, no i; unless
it is properly instructed unless the indlyldu-
al is SO enlightened that his conscience teaches
| him TO obey the law of the land. BY such a
conscience 1t may be safe and proper TO pro-
ceed but otherwise, however conscientious
any one may imagine himself 10 be, If he re-
sist government, he is deceived-he resists the
ordinance of God, and sins.
| 1t may be inquired, by way of objection
again, if there may not be some possible cases
in which, although no revolution is to be ex-
pected, vet from the manifest wlckedness of
certain laws, it may be right and obligatory
for an individual openly 10 resist them! Did
not Daniel resist the decree OF The king, and
refuse to be debarred from prayer Did not
| his companions dsobey the decree to worship
the golden image ! Did not the Apostles
preach the gospel in defiance of State prohlbi-
| toni reply that there may and ought to be
resistance to any and all human laws, In cases
such as these But They must be similar. Ii
| a human law plainly and unambiguously op-
l poses 4 pain auu uildulUI8HpuS vi
God. revealed in Scripture-the only unerrlng
index to the divine wlll-then we ought 10
obey God rather than men. But this conflict
must not be matter of doubt, or perplexlng
inference: il must be distinct and clear as the
light of the sun Daniel was expressly COM
manded To pray TO God, and forbidden to pray
to men. His companions had the written COM
mands of God, prohibiting the worship of fidols.
pat.r nd rh,, rhera had hapn rbp rrad 10
our Lord himself, with his own lips, 10 preach
the gospel, and no opposing law OF man could
they rightullv obey Ter a moment. All such
cases as these we may except, aud here is a
perfectly safe, clear, lnellglble principle TO
lay down. We have right 10 disobey hu-
man law which comes into direct, palpable,
uudeniabe conflict with divine statute
But this is very different from making every
man 5 own conscience his final tribunal of ap
peal, and permitting hun with ImpunIty 10
transgress every statute winch he THINKS contra
~ TO the spI1H 3t the Bible. 1t Is untortu-
nate, think, that IN some remarks made oi
late in different parts OF the country, 1t should
seem to be implied that in no there
ever be a higher than human law and |
consider ii entIrely false 10 charge upon any
OF these writers or speakers, that they do deny
human statutes 10 highest divine law, since the
cases cited, are beyond ali question, cases OF
that kind. The great men OF our country,
am persuaded, do not intend 10 denv this fun
damental truth. We are bound To obey the
express written laws of God, not only, as an
eminent jurisl has said, In duties between man
and his Creator, but with regard to duties re-
laiing To our fellow men. The divine will 10
US Is the fountain OF all law, the highest of all
standards OF action, the final standard of ap-
peal and whenever any human enactment
clearly contravcnes the divine will, tins h. ghcSt
law must at all haedrdS be O5eycd. But then
the divine command must be eIyreSS, must OBJ
vlOusly apply 10 the case IN hand, must be
plain as the prohibition of Idoldtry was TO Dan
lei and his companions, or as the command 10
preach the gospel 10 Peler and Paul. The
agltators OF the present day, who would break
the Constitution aad resist the laws OF our
couHtry, can have no such defence.
THIS brings me 10 the second part of my
subject, which Is
H. Its application TO our own particular
case. Let me begin ny reinarklng
|. That we nave reason 10 love our coun-
try and lis government. Oar country Is not
surpassed IN lis excellence, by any On which
the light ui the sun SHINES. There are more
freedom, more prosperity, better opportunities
! Tor general education and Improvement, less
misery, degradation, oPpreSsun and vice, than
in any other country on the glooe. W t are,
under our present govcramenI. under, and by
means Oi which, we are deriving all these
\ blessings, IN the high and rapid career OF
! growth and Improvement, outStripplng every
! other nation on earth. The everlasting gospel
! is preached here, perfect religious freedom Is
| enjoyed, aud here are influences working. If
We will permit them 10 work, and give them
! time, Which Will III the end, rein1ve every evil
| from among US, as tar Is possible In the I'M
| perfect condition Of man. Under the Influence
of that glorious, and (untl others had been
formed upon lis model,) unparalleled Constl-
tuition, which idlhers-some of the best
and wlsest men who have ever lived-have
handed down 10 US, all these blessings are en-
loyed. A government, that under God, has
done and is DOING Tor us 50 much beyond what
any others OF oar race are permitted to TASTE,
ought by every one OF US 10 be loved. | Ie-
mark
2. We are under no obligation 10 disobey
anv of lis laws. Let us take lalo consdera-
llon the law against which such clamor has
| lately been raised, the law for the restoration
of fugitive slaves. Ii tins law ought not to be
dsobeyed, | shall take II for granted that the
same is true Ut all the rest.
That this law is perfect and needs no modf-
cation or change, and that II Is not desirable
that at some future time, changes in 1t should
be made. no reasonable person would atiirm.-
But let us consider ii as II is. That il Is con-
stllutonal, after the conslltuiIonallty of one
similar TO it, has been three times affirmed by
our highest courts, and after the arguments ad-
vanced on the subject by the most able Jurisls
| OF our land, there seem to be no more good
reason TO doubt, than the conslitutionalty of
any law which we have. Let us consider it..
l SympdthlZe with the slaves. | once resided
nearly two years among them, and know some-
thing of their condition. | heartily wish they
were all in freedom, and so did the great mass
or all Of the white people among whom liv-
ed, If only safe and practicable way TO their
emancipation could be pointed out. We ought
10 wish them all delivered from state of sla-
very, and from every evil. We ought TO give
them food and clothing, if in necessity they
apply al our doors. But when called upon To
and In their escape or to resist the officers en-
powered 10 capture them, or in any way evil
denIly to aid in defeating the laws of the land
as far as the peace of our country demands
that they should be carried out, we ought to
refuse 1t is the law of the land, that upon
requlsitlon of the master, in prescribed form,
; the fugitive slave shall be restored, and that
: law ought To be oheyed, unless some express,
) "Itteh uiVlne statute To the contrary can be
produced here is such written statute
TO my knowledge In all the word of God. =
This is the only safe ground M doc,r,n.