The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-01-01

Tor that injustice, when on the brood
ground Of upholding the Government hs
sustains certain laws which seem 70 him
to involve il. cannot so view il.
Suppose the law existed as once Il did,
that the insolvent debtor, though reduced
to poverty by misfortune and notify crime,
must, nevertheless, refusing 10 meet his
liabilities. be thrown into prison.
Here, it must be admitted, il hard.
and even an unjust law. But tho ab.
sconding debtor, under these circum.
stances, is found on your premises; and
the law requires that you should give him
up. Now, whatever your feelings and
conscience might prompt, having resPect
to the treatment Of this individual, what.
ever be your views of the law under which
he is punished, could you, in surrendering
him, be said to be implicated IN the injus.
tice which he might experience! No
more, in my view, than any other citizehs
Of the commonwealth. The responsibility
| is divided among all the citizens, and II
the law is unjust, there is q legal wsXG5cv
its repeal; but while it exists, no GhgH
individual has, as think, q right Il sesiR
it. In the case supposed, you simP9 40
as a citizen bound to sustain the Law -
they exist, whilst yet you may mourf ne :
necessity of enforcing the particular ofs
in question. The eykresistance would
be thousand fol- greater than the tenn.
porary injusticsl Which the individual in
question mighfbe sdbjected.
But if this Wet does DOT satisfy, a.
think it should; 4 ths great and solemn
obligation of obediSh ice to4he government
laid down in the Ney lFesiament. is OVER
borne by personal scr1 zwhich respect
the enforcement Of gin 61aw, then al
have to say is, that we're it my case, |
would suffer the penalty of non-compli4. .
ance. would thus indirectly support the
majesty Of the law by passive and un.
complaining submissiol no its penalty. I
see not what other COUNSEL could have
given the inquirer. | couM not advise
him to violate his conscience, and cor.
tainly. with the viewsyslready expressed,
| could not justify resi1tance to any exist
ing laws. 1t may. Ikripwybe said, that,
passively TO suffer the penalty Of law is
species Of resistance. Admit it. But the
moral effect is far different than where IN
active individual or organized resistance
is made. The latter is fraught with trea.
son. and leads directly to anarchy. -
Who does npt know that it's impossible I,
tD frame constitution that shall pro q1Q0
for the scruples Of every citizen? Hence
the paramount obligation upon alIits obe-
dence to the Government as it 10. The
individuals opinion is not TO confront the
existing statute and be to him the law in.
stead thereof. His personal rights even
are not to be named in comparison with
the general good, which is compromised
and endangered by resistance to existing
law Government could not last day on
any otheRplan.
tits serious matter to recommend &C.
tive resiStshce 10 the Government, even
where soMes spf Its enactmenrs are "A vQr
view palpAbly unjust. BesidessS Ssr Laws
are not like ffose. of the Medes and Per-
SLAMS. There is remedy, and the citi-
zen has right at the proper time andplacs
to use it. But that remedy ishosfesist.
ance nor revolution. II is responsible.
ty, too awful for me to assume, to antici-
pate that remedy by rebellion, The man !.
who dares doit has more courage than dis
cretion. Evils are inseparable from
all existing legislation. One will be found
to object to one provision, and another to
another; but when the question arises --as
often it will under the practical WUl&ipes
of every government--which oftwo evllS
shall be endured when one must be, Think
every sober, sound thinking msN, win say
surely the least. ,s,Sl
Now, cannot conceive of sn evil 6
much to be dreaded-this side Of eternity
as state Of anarchy, where every man is
an outlaw, and all govcrnment IL at an
end My soul shudders at the ban Thought.
| think Of the days Of RobespieErs. vixen
law and religion were buried Il the, ,sams
tomb, and the streets Of the French cepi-
tai ran blood. | am for Law and gosefn-
ment, even at great persons sic1fcs.
believe, moreover. that wittffew excepr
tons the people of this corhrsopxeal{b;
yea. Of this whole country taken together,
think as | do onthe subject. ssss
In common with many Of my fellow-
citizens, | deplore the evils-sfhs& WRONGS,
il you please--which by sHkIRU Nd pn-,
fortunate class must be eIv Il
hope, yea confidently expect that tie Gms
win come when higher tone Of juslfsp
will pervade all our statute law; whom hetN
particle of the soil bought with patriot y
blood shall be desecrated by the ioot.prfnsS
Of slavery, nor the clank Of its fsttsra
mingls discordan,ly in our jubilant Of 6es!
dom. Yes; that time win come. God
will bring 1t on. But we cannot forestallt
Providence, whose steps are sometimss
slower than our. wishes, and whose msfei-
ful designs are not likely to be hastsi1sd
by our impatience. There is destiny 70
served to this nation. What Il 10, and
how it is to be wrought out, no man can.
certainly say. But in this, a in svsry
other contingency, each one is bound 70