The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-04-09

and overthrow me Gnfefumeuts uAt
quietly and eonscienti0usly submit %
the peaceful sxseatiOn Of the Law.
Bat Ee are told BY some that. The lau
being asarAlly wang. cnnsrienee Tells them
90 Tssisi a. Conscience. indeed. u % he
reysrrnred and nhesed. bot siiIl we mas, re-
member that Il Is fsllible. especially shefr
the rights Of others are roncsrnfd. and
may lead usisdo grrztiniusiice. Same have
an impression thai Il q the divinity within
them, an unening and inlslIis,le guide.
Hence they eann8l believe OF cnncsise
shat opposi,ion 10 ihen views can be con>
s<ieu,ioas. ID is this lurking fsllacy. ihis
tacil assumption of personal infaliibiiily.
,hsi makes Them inipleranl toward Others
and inaccessible ~ argument. speak not
orihose who believe thai ihry hasr special
Inspiration from above. ihai mnacle has
been wrought far lheir guidance.
Such are beyond the scope Of human
reason. and III subjects either Of consrcfa-
ton or q mad-hnuse. according IS their
belief i. founded co reality or delusinn.
Bal with those who are under The donin-
ion ri the established laws of The moral and
intellectual world. Conscience 10 fallible.
The annals of The world abound with
enormilies committed by a narrow and
darkened conscience. A man may incur
great moral guilt. not indeed by following
his conscience. .hui by negleeling The
means Of recliT,ing and enIighiening il.
IL dictates are varied. moi only according
10 The moral constitution. bot The iniellec-
iual power aud extent Of information Of
tie individual. The prrer the motive.
the m.re extensive The knowledge and The
greater he mental ability, the more en-
iighlened will be the conscience. and the
more cnreei its decisions.
Again. certain strangers seek an asylum
amongst u.s.. tine class of our citizens
see in them only fagiiives from oppres-
siou, whom We can easily and securely
receive and pro,ert. Another class be-
l,eve that they bring with them not ply
steal bot moral roniagion. that their pre-
sence will endanger The public peace and
individual safeiy, that il may embroll Us
with other States, and bring upon us the
sufferings and harrors Of external and in
,ernal war and CONFUSION. The one class
urge the obligations Of hospitality and be.
nevoIence; The other the obligations Of
self preservation, aud the sacred duty Of
preserving those whom nature and society
have committed to their protection.
Both are equally sincere, conscientious
and resolule. Which shall yield! Is there
no appeal but 10 force! Yes! And The ar
bitter must I've society, organized society.
pronouncing It's decision through its regn.
larry constituted agents. This is The moral
judgment. the embodied conscience Of The
political community. To this no, only is
each individual bound 10 submit. but il is
new and controlling element in forming his
own moral judgment. An act which before
NAV have been innoceut is now criminal.
and lis commission not only opposed 10
Lie will. but subversive of,he order, peace.
existence Of the political society.
Obedience is moral duty. This ID as
certain as lha, The Creator made man 50.
cial being. and designed Thai lie should
live. moi in perpetual anarchy, but in peace
and security; for human government is the
only means which Infinite Goodness has
provided for preserving us from unceasing
conflict and violence. To obey the law
Of the land il, then. 10 obey the will Of God.
The moral faculty or moral judgment
being thus fallble. there may be a conflict
Of consciepces. let me present an illus
ira,ion. A ship arrives with sick passen-
gers. One class Of men insis, that the
disease is contagious. and that they shall
not be permitted TO land and spread ge-
neral peslilence. Another class insist that
il is no, contagious, and that il would be
cruelty 10 compel them TO remain on ship
board. aggrava ins their suffrrings and their
danger. With both il is question Of hu-
manily-of conscience.
Iimay he asked. is resistance never JUS
,iiable, Is there no exception! answer
yes! When oppression, present and pro.
speclive, is so great as TO Justify re-
sort to the ultimate right of revolution.
But IN is not 10 be done from impulse
or feeling. baI from calm arnd careful
consideration of the dangers and Difficult.
lies OF ,h. proposed remedy. A wise man
will reflect that evils, great evils. must
exist under every human government; that
a perfect fabric cannot be made of imper.
feet ma eriaIs, and ilia, whatever he NAV
attempt, he mast still work BY and with
fallihle man, with all bis blindness, weak
ness. and passion,
II, after deliberate contemplation Of
the commissions and miseries attending the
overhrnw Of The existing government, and
the hazards and uncertainties Of establish
ing better on It's ruins. he firmly believes
the permanent happiness Of The communi
~ requires the attempt. he NAV cnnscien.
tionsly makei,. Under despolism. such
case may occur not nnfrequenlly, but we
can hardly suppose il 10 exist in repub-
Bic. where The laws are made by the peo
pie themselves. through agents freely ap-
poinleJ for short periods By frequent cleo
lions.