The republic., 1851-07-17
THE REPUBLIC.
From the Boston Transcript.
The Peace and Dignity OF the Common
weaIth.-NO. xxi

The Peace and Dignity OF the Common
weaIth.-No. XXI
Ii has been suggested to me that Mr. Theo
dore Parker is unworthy of any further consid-
GRAFTON. ! Judge otherwise. A very small
amount Of talent may produce large amount
Of mischief Such a teacher of piety will be
readily weighed in the wise mans scales and
found wanting of course; but the weights and
measures Of the world at large are noloriously
imperfect. Flashy, Specious, visionary quail
ties of mind are ever more attractive to the
masses than those which are solid Multitudes,
''studious of change and pleased with novelty"
become weary Of steering by the compass or by
the north star, and greatly prefer jack Ian
tern for their cynosure.
MIR. Parker's Fast.day sermon has actually
been compared in one Of the public journals,
notorious, TO be sure, for its profigacy, to the
sermon of Christ upon the Mount This man
is still in the flesh, and will surely attempt to
pass more of this base coin, unless we nail that
which is already before us upon the public
counter; and, figuratively, brand the perpetra-
tor, by taking off his ears, which. is task of
some little difficulty-they are SO long; and
the process Of excision can only be performed
by instalments Here is another-if the reader,
is ready:
"Will the Union hold out? / know not that.
III men continue enforce the Fugitive Slave
law, do not know how il will end; do not
care how soon the Union goes TO pieces / believe
IN justice and the law Of God, and ultimately the
right will prevail. Wrong will prevail for time,
and attract admiration. have in a haber-
dasher's shop. window the figure of a wooden wo-
man showily arrayed, turning round on pivot
and attracting the gaze Of all the pussers-by; but
ere long it Is forgotten. So it will be with this
tranaient love OF slavery in Boston,"
4 And just so will it be with the wooden man
| Y ha Qna IN ha Sohh hhotb AZ NIL
deon. The proprietors of the splendid milli-
merry establishment where the wooden wo-
man" as Parker calls it., is exhibited, will be
as much surprised at hearing themselves called
haberdashers, which meant peddters in john
sons tlnle, as some grave people will be after
reading the sermon to hear the author called a
teacher Of piety. 1t is not for the strained and
silly comparison that quote this passage; but
to exhibit the estimate set by this incendiary
upon the Union, and his absurd remark in re-
latlon to the "love Of slavery IL, Boston,
If law of the land is not disobeyed, accord
ing to this clerical coxcomb's command to his
Ipeople-ssdo not obey The lac"-that is, if the
people will not actually legy aoar against the
United States instead Of resorting to the ballot
box, and procuring the repeal of that law-then
he cares not hoc soon the Union goes to piecesi
On page 20 he says: "a false idea Is set on foot
latc that is made until 1t is repcalcd.v
.4talse ideal Is this man mad2 Upon what
other principle could the machinery of Govern
ment continue to work for an hour? In week
every screw would otherwise become as loose
as it is in the brain of this fanatic.
But this lore Of slavery IN Bostoni Tran
sient or permanent, there is no such thing in
Boston. 1t would be not less wise to speak of
ones love of the actual cautery, because he sub
mitted to the red hot iron like a man, and as
in duty bound There is not city in the
Union in which there is less love of slavery
but the citizens, if the worthy Mayor will keep
out of the way, will see to itnc gatid detrine,ti
RespubHca caperet-they will not take counsel
of their lovings or dslikings, but of their con-
stitutional obligations of their duties as citizens
whose faithful performance is essential to the
preservation of their lives and fortunes, and of
the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth
They will maintain the laws, not as Mr. Charles
Sumner says, as foollshIy as wickedly, on ac-
count of their "}ancied Ioyaltyto Ia,o," but be-
cause they are THE LAWS OF THE LAND, made
by their own representatives, whom they can
exchange for others, at their will and pleasure
Obedience to the laws is the very basis of all
government. 1t is observed by Mill cit has
been held, and very justly, by the principal of
our ethical writers, that human laws are bind
ing upon mems consciences" Under no gov
ernment can this be more just and true than
under our own, where the people by their suf-
frages can so readily unmake the laws they
have made by their representatives. But let
us have few more drops from the fountain of
piety:
'In the North, the majority Of men think that the
law of man is subordinate to religion--tbe statutes
of man beneath the law of God; that ethics-per-
sonal morals-are amenable to conscience, so poll
tics-nationai morals-are alnenabe to the same
conscience; and that religion has much to do with
national as with individual life. Depend upon it.
that idea is the safeguard Of the State and OF the
law IL will preserve it, purify it. and keep ii; but
it will scourgc every wicked law out of the temple
Of justice with iron whips, if need be. Depend
upon it, when lose our hold of that idea, all
hope of order is gone. But there is danger
we are pretty well persuaded that the law of God
is little greater than the law of accidental
President, chosen for four years. When think
otherwise, may count our case hopeless, and
give up ALL
Let us regard Locke's rule and define our
terms. What is relgion2 1t has meant all
manner of things. Feeding the hungry, cloth
ing the naked, loving ones enemies, killing
the Catholics, hanging the Quakers, roasting
the heretics, impaling the martyrs, numbering
the Huguenots, burning the witches, and now
according to Mr.. Parker, dsobedience to the
laws, deliberate perjury, and treason against
the State. really think we had better get
along, as we have done, than set this kind of
religion above the ta,rs Of the land.
There is really some apology for those pre-
sumptuous sins which certain clergymen so
frequently commit. No antagonist counsel is
at hand to cut their combs and keep them in
order; no Judge sits over them to curb their ex-
travagance, check their redundancy, and before
whom they cannot be suffered to utter nom
sense and heresy with impunity There they
stand perched up ON high, everybody looking
up to them, ec necessitate rel; add, with no
body to modest or make them afraid, they have
all things pretty much their own way. The
women are greatly TO blame in this matter, and
occasionally, if the clergyman be young, single,
and comely, fall into a terrible error in respect
to the real object Of their worship.
Be all these matters as they may, | have
met with so many clergymen who found no diff
ficulty at all in settling those intricate legal
questions which have perplexed the most able
Judges, that am inclined to think the thing is