Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1851-04-17
Charge Of Judge Sprague, Of lIass.

trIct Court for the District Of Massachusetts.
commenced at Boston on the 18th ult, Judge
SPRAcuE presiding. The Grand Jury be-
ing empannelied, they were addressed by the
Judge IN an able charge. in which he took for
his text the Fugitive Slave Law. After lay
ing down the law with the penalties attached
ed to its resistance, the Judge thus ably ed-
verts to the moral aspect of obedience to the
Constitution and laws Of the land
In this part of the country, the convictions
OF cur understanding, our moral sentiments
and our religious opinions, are adverse 10 the
institution cfsiavery. Hence some are ready
TO conclude, IN the FIRST place, that the provis-
Ion OF the Constitution tor delivering up fugl-
tive slaves must be morally wrong and, In
the next place, that laws made to carry il in
. to effect are to be disobeyed and resisted.
Neither OF these propositions legitimateIy
follow from the premises.
As TO The first; The States, without the
Constitution, would be to each other foreirn
nations. The first daty Of every nation is the
preservation and protection of its own citi-
zeHs Il IS for this, primarily, that political
societies are formed, and their restraints sub
mltted to. H. then. any ration finds that hos
Pitallty TO foreign fugitiveS is Inconsistent
with ITS own peace and safety, it has a rirht
20 refuse such hospitality, and Il say to all
such foreigners, We cannot receive Won A.
mongst Us, and = y"u come, we mast deliver
you up to the dominion Of your own Govern
ment; and II may rgh fully make compact
with such Government for such delivery
/ W neither the peace and safety of the nation do
IN fact require or authroize such compact, il is
for the nation itself 10 decide and its decision
IS TO be submitted 20, and its engagements
faithfully performed.
Those therefore who have the strongest
convictions II the immortality Of the insitu-
tlon OF Slavery, are not thereby authorized TO
conclude that the provision for delivering no
fugitive slaves IS morally wrong, OF thar our
fathers in Massachusetts did not act wisely,
justly, humanely, il accedins to the compacls
Of the constitution.
But, secondly, even those who 90 to the
extreme Of contemning the Constitution and
the laws made uuder It, rs unjust and iumor-
al, cannot even upon such an assumption
justify resistance. In their views, such laws
are Inconsistent with the Justice and beneyo-
ience and against the will Of the Supreme
Lawgiver; and they emphaucaliy ask, which
shall we obey, the law Of man or the law Of
God | answer, obey both. The incompat-
Ibiilty winch the question assumes does not
exist. Unjust and oppressive laws may IN
deed be passed By human Goyernments.-
But II Infinite and lEscruab.e wisdom per
mIts political society, having tie power Of hu-
man legislation, 10 establish such laws, NAV
not the same Infinite and inscEusable wisdom
peEnt and require the individual who has no
such power to obey them
Can You say that 1t is his viii that we shall
rise a. Ia f0-clbie resistance, overthrow the
Fowef Of tie Government, and, instead of the
peace and security of organized society, in
tFoduce tie dominion 7fanarcay and viulencel
Are such the appointed means for their abro-
cation! Unjust laws have always existed.
tnii recen period, poor and honest debt
orS were even here upPressiycly imprisoned
and in England, stealing, TO the value Of more
than Shilling, was punishable with death,
and their code numbered more than one hun
dred and fifty capital offences The vi e and
the good saw that these laws We're cruel and
unnecessary. They did not rush to arms or
counsel disu5edience. But by the diffusion
of knowledge, by reason and p rsuasion they
changed the public mind and the laws We're
Feaceaoly ameiIoTated. The fruits Of Justice
and beueyOieuce, like those Of the natural
world, are to be matugeI by mild and genial
Influences. The punishment Of death IS still
inflicted by our laws. Many good men firm
y believe hat society has 10 rIgtt to take the
life cf one cf its members. " ith them, a
capital puni-huent is the highest injustice
and tae greatest wrong that can be inflicted.
society and overthrow the government, but
quietly and conscieutiously submit to the
peaceful execution cf the law.
5ut - are told BY some that the law be-
ing morally wrong. conscience tells them to
resist it. Conscience, indeed IS 10 be rever-
euced and obeyed, but still we must remem-
Der taat II Is ialhbe, especially where the
rights o! others are concerned, aad may lead
rs tJ do great Injustice. Some have an i'm
4
an unerring and infaiiibie guide Hence,
they cannot believe or conceive that opposi-
tiua 10 their views can be conscientious. 1t
Is this lurking failacy- this tgcls assumption
Of personal IntaiiIhlIly ihat makes them in
tolerant towards others and inaccessible % ar .
gument. ! speak not Of those who believe
that they have special inspiration from above,
thai Il miracle has been wrought by their gull
dance.
Such are beyond the scope Of human rea- +
som, and fit subjects either Of consccraiion or +
mad house, according as their belief Is foun-
ded on reality or delusIon. But with those
who are under the dominion Of the establish (
cd laws Of the moral and intellectual world. .
conscience is faIAbie. he annals of the
world abound wiki enormities committed by
narrow and darkeHed conscience. 4 man I.
may incur great moral guilt, net indeed by
following ms conscience, bat by negleciing
he means Of Teci:lyIng and cH!ightening it. (.
It's Dictates are varied, not only according 20
The moral constitution. bat the intellectual I
power and extent Of information Of the indi- /
yIdusl. The pure the motive the more ex- (
tensive the knowledge, and the greater the .
mental ability the more enlightened will be +
the conscience and the more correct its decis- (
ions.
Again: certain strangers seek an asylum /
amongst US. One class OF cur citizens see +
in them only fugitives from oppression, whom (
we can easily and securely receive and pro-
tect. Another class believe tHat they bring
With them not physical bat moral coutagiou,
that their presence viii endanEer the public +
peace and individual safety, hat it may en- I
broii Us with other States and bring upon rs
the sHifeEiugs and horrors Of external and in
urge the nhIiratinns of hnsnit4lifv ar1 herev- I