The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1851-02-14


/ case, there would be articles Of agreement -
the protocols. or original documents. would /
i Kept with care, and transcripts made of then
But suppose that in process of time. some Of N
people in one OF the Swiss cantons. or in n
herman States, should fiEd fault with som
4 things in England, and say, @We want 10 rpct
| " these matters" England would reply
/ those people, "We don't much like these thing
you speak OF, ourselves; but we will not perm
you to rectity them. They are our affair
not yonrs. They are not in the treaty. Whs
would the world say as to the difference? VIII
i would say tothese abolitionists, .Yeu have n
right TO &C into another country, with ydfir pro
pagandism, to interfere with its institutions
l'he protocol only relates TO mutual defenc,
against the encroachmenis of the Gar.
wow, admit that our Union OF States is NOR
Intimate than such a confederation would he
yet the constitution contains no right or author
ny tor one State to interfere with theinterna
laws OF another. would also state that ths
iaW of contracts is made sacred BY the higl
moral principles os ethics. While contrac
lasts there is no alternative but 10 adhere to it
before any OF The parties TO it can be freed from
ITS obligations, il must be honoraby dissolved
| 90 mol wish to be epeisonal, but it is n0toFiou:
that our members Of Congress swear at Wash.
Ington 70 keep the contract of the constitution
thus adding The sanction of an oath to the die.
tates Of justice, and periiag their sous, il they
TAIL 10 keep it. Even, the ancient Papans re.
garded the breaking Of contracts as one Of the
greatest of crimes. The Latins expressed it by
the phrase. Non stare pactis,-nei to stand by
his engagements. The God os tie Christian
never could be accused of non stare pactis, for
he Is described in his own word as covenant
Keeping God; and those who profess. TO believe
in him. ought to keep their contracts
sour duty as Christians, is to pray for III.
freedom of the slave, but not to force that free
dom against principles of justice, and in the
face OF the most fearful consequences; and it
should be ever borne 10 mind thai the Christian
code OF morale classes stbe busy body in other
mems matters" in The condemned category Of
the tfiee ard the murderer. was in the South
last summer. and saw great deal of consci-
ence there, and could not bnt appreciate the
difficulties under which the Shareholders labored.
They know that the colored race has come from.
Africa, where they have been accustomed 10
murder, bloodshed, kidnapping, and ihs most
horrible cruelties for ages, where they sell each
other into slavery as the alternative of a worse
tate. DO to the great town of Timbuctoo. and
you find its inhabitants the same now that they
were one thousand years ago, brutifed, barba-
rons ard vindlctve 1t is not wonderful, there
fore, that the white and civilized men of the
South shouldbe afraid to give equality of poll
teal power to that race, especially in States
where they constitute a large majority OF the
whole population
Rev. DR.. LORD, OF The Central PRESBYTERIAN
Church in Buffalo, delivered an able and elo-
quent discourse, which we have perused with
much qualification. He demonstrates with great
cearness, from the Scriptures and from the
course oe Christ and his early followers that
obedience to governments, in the exercise of
their legitimate powers. is religious duty, pos
hiyely enjeined by God himself. We make an
extrart touching an objection which is some
times raised TO this doctrine:
''Bnt it may be said vour argument proves
100 much. You resaffirm Tie olo doctrines of
yrants, of passive obedience and non-resistance;
gour position would render all revolutions nm.
awful; all changes of government impossible
FU this, It may be said. that it does not belong
% the church in her organized capacity, nor To
Christians, considered soeiy as such, and with
reference TO their religious duties, to revolution-
re governments; for this reason. the Gospel is
silent on this subject. while enforcing the gene-
al duties OF the citizens under all governments
ie tdcto, whether revolutionary or otherwise;
whether despotie or democratic Fiat, under !
certain circumstances. the people, BY which is |
meant the large majority, have right to Fevo- !
ationize government is conceded Pfesbyte- |
ans have ever resisledihe High Church and /
frff ss,fI 4t.a II
state;an Pfelates in the church. They stood, I
0 man, witllthe patriots who achieved, under I
iod, the independence of our beloved country;
heg have maintained the principles Of civil aud
ellgious liberty, at the hazard OF life and for /
une, in both hemispheres. The Presbytefians
+ Scotland, and the PnriiaDs of England, were /
he founders of English liberty; by the admis-
ion Of Hume himself. who hated them with in-
Idel and tory extravaganee. The right Of
eople to select their own form OF government, /
question entirely distinct from the factof gov
ernment. which is Of necessity by Divine
constitution, has ever been maintained by US as
xisting not only in The nature Of the case, but /
S warranted by the word Of God, Of which, /
be choice by the Hebrews Of king, aud the +
election Of their aneitnt democratic mode Of +
government. which they received from the Su- I
rene Law Giver himself is anexampe. This {
hange was expressly allowed them at fheirsd De. +
ire, though with plain intimaiion that tier
hoice was bad one. So the revolt of the ten
ribes upon the declaration of Rehoboanl, that
e would govern them in a deSpolic and arb- 4
rary sway, that '.his little finger should be
Kicker than his fathers ons,' appears after
yards to have been sanctioned by the Most
Iigli; who gave them Jeroboan for king. and
ent Israel forever tromthe house Of David and
solomon.
a1he right of revolution is ciuil righ,
which can be properly exercised only, dy a dect-
ed mdjoritg, under circumstances Of aggravated
ppreSsion, and upon drsasoaabie assurance IF
uccess tits not for the church,a as such, 10 de-
srmine when a just ground Cor revolution ex.
SIS, it belongs to the body Of the people IN their
lf,inihe judgment, for example
{ great majority OF the citizens of the United
tates, it would be better to abandon our Union,
the South. in her exasperaiioB against the
lorth, for interference with her domestic feia-
ons, and in the vain hope to secure All increase
wealth and population corresponding with
rat Of the free States, desire disunion; If we.
+ the Northsare unwilling TO observe The guar-
ntees os The constitution, and think it worth
lille to abandon the advantages OF The confed.
raey for the sake of making our territory
lace Of refuge for runaway slaves; fhe Union
ill be dissolved by revolution. the most dis
strous the world ever saw But while The
institution remains; while the government con-