The southern press., 1851-12-11

mode it plerses, and to establish any qualifca-
ton or disqualification it may deem expedient,
by an alteration of the orgac law, through an
appeal to the people. $685..
! merely state these facts to show that the
Declaration of lndepende' ce was not at the
Time, and has not since been, considered by any
rejecting man as an assertion Of individual
rights, but Of national independence, founded on
the principles which it lays down, That cele-
brated instrument asserts nothing, in fact and
intention, but the right of any people to choose
their own COVE rnments. Accordingly, the peo-
pie did choose their own government, by adopt
ing a Con stitution which does not recognize the
doctrine that all men are created equal. They
had n right to do so on the principle also as.
serted in the very same declaration, as directly
derived from this very doctrine that all menare
created equal, and which assumes that it is the
right of the people to institute new govern
ment, laying its foundation on such principles,
and organizing its powers in such forms, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their safe
ty and happiness" VIII any one presume to
say after this, that the people Of the United
States, when about to adopt the Constitution,
had not clear right to do as they thought
proper, without the slightest regard to any pre-
vous declaration? 1t is not for moment to be
presumed that the deputies representing the
Southern States in the Congress Of the old con-
federation, would have assented to a principle
which, in its practical application, would dvest
property, d, at the same time, endanger their
safety. They were thinking of national indie.
pendence This idea of equality, as well as thai
of republic, was an after thought.
But this adroit substitution of the Declaration
of Independence in place of the Constitution, is
comparatively a triAe, compared with otter prin
ciples on which the Aboltionists have based
their opposition to that instrument, and the
rights of property which it guarantees. These
are all comprehended in what is called the
a." higher law" which assumes that all other laws
are nugatory, when coming in competition with
the dictates of consciel ce. That the law OF
God is supreme over all human laws, and that
conscience was intended to be its Interpreter, 10
one, presume, will deny and yet all must ac.
knowledge that if it is in itself, alone sufficient
guide and restraint in directing the actions of
men, then it follows that all human laws, all
human Institutions, for the protection Of person
and property, are perfectly useless, and that all
systems of government are no better than
peevsh, .veX4tious restraints, without any cor
benefits. Thus We are, at one
plunge, brought back to the state of nature,
where men have no other guides than reason and
conscience.
The naked question then, arising from this
doctrine ofthe higher law, is which is best; th.t
is 10 say, which is most conducive to human
'.api mess: state Of nature, in which every MAJ
acts according 10 his conscience, without any
Ctker restraint, or state of social organic ton,
where all ,q:A..y restra' ',ei by Laws. wh,c!,
they themselves have vol1n.arilyadopted! There
il 10 use in dodgng ,'sse questions; to this
complexion il must core at last" Ii is not
merely whether the slave shall be ,mauripated,
but whether the master shall be- equally freed
from all restraints but that Of conscience. H.
such a condition "f things. every man becomes
his own lawgiver and his own Judge, and thus
We are brought back TO the ,tate Of nature, be.
Jog directed by conscience alone.
What would BE- the consequence Of being d.
recied by conscience alone, is easily TO b. gath.
cred from a ref,rcrce 10 tie past history Of
mankind: When Europe poured its millions Of
princes, knights, ~ d Nagabunds into Palestine
TO shed the blood of their fellow.creatnres, and
offer up their own, t'ere can be no doubt that
all acted according TO the dictates Of conscience
When the AlbigrnscS-Dne Of the most piou~
and bamcless sec;s since the days Of the print.
tive Chrisiians-wcrc hunted like wild beasts.
and massacred by Thousands by the equally
piOus devotees Of the ruling church, one acted
according TO the dictates of conscience in cling
ing 10 their filth, even in the Last agohies Of the
burning pile, while the other obeyed the dictates
Of their coascieuces in ,lfefing up the victims
When thou ands, tens Uf thousands Of lIugue.
no,s were massacred in cold blood, by order Of
The King Of France. il is equally ccrtin that he
acted IN strict fccordance With his COINCIDENCE
and vhen Louis XIV revoked the Eiict Of
Nanz and subjected millions of his subjects TO
resolution and exile, he too was governed BY
his conscience hat j. to say, Madame MAISTE.
non his mistress, and PEEg CHArsE, his con.
fessur So, too. Whor ions lIU-s. and JEROME
of Prague, and J, IN ErDGFhs, and Bishop LATI
NER, ard Archbishop CEAsMER, and many more.
were roasted by slow fret was al done
strictly ACCORDING 10 the etates Of conscience
Those who Suffered, and those who inflicted the
torture, both acted according 60 their sense Of
duty 20 their God. l.astly--for ] could I'LL .
volume with these iu.trations-whcn the Pu
ritans Of New 4 gland pcrsecuted poor Mrs
IlU1cmSsoS, for believing what neither she or
they could comprehend; and bani.hed RocER
WILLIAMS for maintaining the doctrine Of free