Litchfield enquirer., 1851-01-16

ment, simply because it is the behest
? government, betrays total ignorance c
E he first principles of obligation, and a
e utter want Of correct knowledge on tn
subject of government. II the objection
be offered, that, upon this priacipIe, Their
is no government exercising rightfM al"
tltOritg because none are perfect; l an
}swer, that we see in the light of these
gre at FIRST truths, the necessity OF a gov
eminent being founded on right prlncl'
pies A government may not be periec;
in its formation, or in its administration,
but if its foundation is RIGHTEOUSNESS,
Its defects will be tolerable, and may
easily be corrected.
Power has a binding and corrupting
influence upon those who possess it. 1t
has always been so; and no one who
knows anything of the history of the
world, will think Of pointing to the gov>
eminent, the dynasty, or the adminlstra-
ton, that has not needed checking and
opposing 10 prevent its running headlong
into the grossest tyranny and oppression,
Our own government, which regard
as the most perfect of any of the govern
ments of earth, furnishes abundant Illus
trations of this lamentable fact. Had
there not been a most watchful supervi>
sion of this government, by men out OF
Office and out of power, who have from
time to time zealously and effectually op'
posed the aim and drift Of those in now
or, I think ! hazard nothing in saying, that
long ere this, we should have ceased to
be a federal government. Talk no more
then, of sacrificing, or Of compromising"
Fundamental principles Of right, in order
to preserve the Union: If you would
destroy it, act thus; but if you would
saveit, be true to equity and truth. The
history of Greece, during the reign of
the "Thirty tyrants," is not an isolated
"way mark" and should be thoroughly
studied by our modern advocates for OPP
preston.
The reign of the "Thirty" was so tyr>
anncal and cruel, that multitudes of the
citizens of Athens who could no longer
bear so shameful slavery" fed, land
sought elsewhere an asylum and retreat,''
but the Lacedamonians had the inhu>
manity to deprive those unhappy fugi
tives Of this last resource. They pub
lshed an edict to prohibit the cities Of
Greece from giving them refuge, decreed
that they should be delivered up to the
Thirty tyrants,' and condemned all such
as should contravene the execution OF |
this edict, to pay fine Of five talents"
Two cities, +" Megara and Thebes, reject
ed with dtsdain the unjust ordinance
Thebes making a decree to punish all
persons whatever who should see an
Athenian attacked by his enemies without
doing his utmost to assist him" The
sequel of that oppression should be lesson
of warning and of instruction to our own
country. The historian Rollin, in speak.
ing of this matter, remarks, "and what lbs
creases our wonder is, that this passion for
tyranny should SO strongly actuate republi>
cans, born 10 the bosom of liberty, accus-
toned to an equality OF condition, on which
it is founded, and formed, from their earliest
infancy to an abhorrance OF all subsection
and dependence. There must be- on the one
side, in power and authority, some violent
impulse, TO actuate in this manner so many
persons, many of whom, no doubt, were not
without sentiments OF virtue and honor;
and on the other, an excessive
propensity in the mind OF man to subject
his equals, to rule over them imperiously,
10 carry him on TO the last extremes Of OPP
preston and cruelty. and 10 make him for>
get at once, all laws, nature and religion"
In this connection, the same historian re-
marks again, +" II is too com non for those
in power, to be little affected with the vex>
atoms and expressions laid upon persons OF
low conditions and credit, and to be deaf 10
their just complaints, though authority is
principally confided in them for the defense
of the weak and poor, who have no other
protectors"
1t would seem that such facts and such
comments ought to serve as warning TO
this country to "deal justly and to love
mercy" for the sceptre of universal sover>
eighty, and the rod OF Him that avengeth
the poor and the oppressed, is over as, as ii
was over Carthage, and Rome and Greece:
Are not we, in kind, acting over the same
follies, and praclicing the same suicidal
pranks that undermined and ruined those
once glorious, but now defunct republics?
| shall here leave all that has been said
in previous numbers, on the question under
consideration, TO the sober reflection AMI
good sense of your readers, promising to
trouble them with but one or two articles on
the other side of the question.
AN OLD ANTI SLAVERY VOTER.
Solar Phenomenon. - One day last