Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-01-17
The state ofthe Nation:

foreign State, unless we begin the quarrel; none
4 from famine. The real danger, IA one word, Is
/ this-that we shall try to enact injustice into
law, and with the force OF the nation TO make
iniquty obeyed.
See some of the special forms OF injustice
which threaten or are already here. | shall
| pat them in the form OF ideas.
/ l. Oaa common amongst politicians is, that
the State is for portion of the people, not the
whole. Thus it has been declared that the con-
stitutiou Of the United States did not recognize
the three millions OF slaves as citizens. or ex-
tend to them any right which it guarantees to
other men. 1t would be a sad thing for the
state to declare there was a single child in the
whole land to whom it owed no protection
What, then, if it attempts to take three millions
from undor its shield In obedience to this false
idea, the counsel has been given that we must
abstain from all political agitation" of the most
important matter before the people. We must
leave that to our masters for the State is for them
1t Is not Tor you or me. They must say whether
we Shall 'agltate" and discuss" these things or
not. Inc politicians are our masters and may
lay their fingers on our lips when they will.
2. the next false idea is, that government is
chiefly tor the protection ofproparty- This has
long been the idea on which some men egslat-
ed, but on the 10Th day OF this month the dis
ungoished Secretary OF State, in a speech at New
York, used these words '..Phe great object of
government is the protection Of properly al home
and respect and renoWn abroad" You see what
the policy must be where the government is for
the protection of the hat and Only takes care OF
the mead as tar as II serves to wear Il hat Here
the man Is the accident and the dollar is the sub
stance for which the man is to be protected. |
think notion very much like this prevails ex-
tensvely in the great cities of America, North
aud South. | think the chief politicians of the
two parties are agreed in this-thet government
Is tor the protection, OF property and everything
else Is subsidiary. With many persons politics
are part of their business the State House and
the Custom House are only valued for their re-
ation to trade. This idea is fatal to good gov
eminent.
Think of this that the great object Of govern
m2nt is the protection of property" Tell that
to Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, and Wash
lngton, and the elder Winthrops, and the Brad
tords and Carvers Why, il seems Us If tho
buried majesty OF Massachusetts would start on,
OF the ground and with is Bible in its hand say.
this Is false
g. The third false idea is this that YOU are
morally bound to obey the law let it Be never SO
plainly wrong and opposed TO your conscience
InIs IS the most dangerous OF all the false IDEAS
yet named Ambitious men, III an act of passion,
you and in act OF prayer, shall submit to it
and make it our daily life that we shall not try
to repeal, and discuss and yitate il. This false
Ilea lies at the basis 0! every despots throne the
idea that men can make right wrong and wrong
right. Ii has come 10 Be taught III New Eng |
land, to Be taught IN onr though sci /
dom there, 10 their honor be il spokcn-that if
wrong Is law. you and must do Wnat il demands, /
thou4u conscience declares it Is treason against
man and treason against God. The worst doc |
trines Of Hobbs AMI Finer are thus revived.
| have sometimes been amused al the talk of
men vino call on US to keep taa fugitive slave !
IaW on .. tIe most oIloua laws in u world of
udIous laws ia law not tit to be made or kept
nave o,en amazed that they Should dare to tel .
.o Inc laN OF God, VIII on the heavens and oar
alrts, never demanded we should doobcy the |
.ss>- -: mon! Well suppose il were 50. Then |
Was Old Daniels d4ty at Darius command to |
,Iyt up MS prayer but he prayed three times a
lay Win his windows up. Tnen it was Johns
AMI Peters day to l0rbtar to preach Of Chris
iiauty; but they said, whether II be right in the
the s. GIT OF God 70 hdrlssn unto YOU more than
unto Got, jadge yes then It was the duty oI /
AmrGm and Jochebed to take up their newborn
Moses and cast him into the Nile, for the law Of !
king Pharaoh, commanding II, was ''cOnstltuton- !
al, and political agitation II wa dlscoun;enan- /
csd as much in Goshen as in Boston. But Dan
ell did not obey John and Peter did not fail to |
preach Christianity and Amram and Jochebed
refused passive obedience 10 the kings decree
think Il VIII take strong man all tins winter 10 .
reverse the Judgment which the world has pas /
s-d on these eases. But j; is innocent" 20 trV.
However there i another ancient case mention
cd in The Btole, in which the laws commanded |
one thing and conscience just the opposite !
Here is the record of the aw-"Now both the |
Il !
nandment that any one knew where he (Jesus) /
were, he should show it that they might take !
aim" o. course It became the official and legal
business of each disciple who knew where Christ
was, 10 make il known 10 the authorities. No
doubt james and John could leave all and follow
um, with others of the people who knew not the
iaW OF Moses and were accused nay, the Wo-
men. Martha and Mary, could minister unto bin
OF their substance could wash his feet with tears
and wipe them with the hairs Of their head
They lid it gladly Of their own free will and took
pleasure therein, ANY man can perform an agree
able duty But here was found one disciple
who could "pertorm 4 disagreeabie duty He
went perhaps, with aacr,y and betrayed his
Saviour 10 the marshal OF the district of Jerusa-
lan, who was called centurion. Had he no
affection for Jesus mo doubt but he could con-
quer Ills prejudice, while Mary and John could
not.
Judas Iscariot has rather bad name in the
Christian word he is called "the son of perI-
ton in the New Testament, and his conduct is
/ reckoned 'transgrcssion;' nay, it IS said the
devil "enttrcd into him. tocaase tins hideous
/ sin. But all this it seems was mistake GER
taialy, if we are TO believe our republican
/ lawyers and statesmen. lscarot only fulfilled
( his constitutional obligations" Il was only on
hat point of betraying his Saviour, that the con-
stitutonal Law required him to have anything 10
90 with Jesus. lie took his "thrty pieces of
Isjlvcr"-abCut fifteen dollars, a Yankee is 10 do
/ it fo7 ten, having fewer prejudices to conquer
it was his legal fee, for value received. True
the Chris .j4us thought it ''thc wages of in
{ EQUITY, and even the Pharisees--who common
/ ~ made the commandment of God OF none effect
~ their tradiiions-dared not dehle the temple
WIKI lhjs price OF blood:,' hut it was homes;
( money; it was as honest fee ~ any American
commissioner or deputy will ever get for simi-
lar service How mistaken we are Judas
lscaiotIs not traitor, he was great patriot;
ne conquered his 'PreJudices.' performed "a dis
agreeable duty, rs an officer Of high morals and
high principles ne kept the law ana the "con-
SttutiOn and dlI all he Cou|d IN >aya the F-no,,.'