North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-01-11
For the N6rth ca:olina st.pd,,.

TO the LegiS ,ature Of North Carolino
GENTLEMEN In ourelast numberswe promises /.
fore entering upon the discussion asfo the qht hN
State had TO Withdraw from the Federal Union ~
preface those remarks with our notions of the 70
of the obligation which all have come Under both
the State as well as to the Federal Government,
Indeed, there exists such an intimate connexou
between the two and much has been said as to ,L
right of State TO dispose of the obligation of the ri;
;zen, that you cannot understandingIy speak of H..
one, without revousiy having considered the otbar
No man has ever affirmed (if we have understood
the subject arght) that State, even in her hiobe,
sovereign character, could resolve herself into an
clesiastIcal conclave, and dispense with any VOW.
resting in conscience. Such gross and sacrelioion
assumption has been maintained, nor exeTrsaS
by Deity himself.
Ii is alone by the express interp Hsition uf the n
rogative of his mercy, through the vcarious subst0
ton afforded, that sin be atoned for; It NAV h.
forgiven him, but as sin il has and forever will NOEL
condemnation The partoned culprit stands, no,
j4stHdbIe, but justified. '
All that has been affirmed was---not thu, .
perfect obligation could be asde-not that a SI.s
could invade the tabernacle of the heart and ,h
set up images OF us own peculiar orthodozy--but'
that conditional obligation had been entered in,
That the consideration for which il was entered int
was insthe nature of condition precedent" which
having failed, the obligation became nullity tina,
of this the State was the sole judge, when the rights
OF her people had been sacrificed that when lhrouoh
her constituted authorities she thus declared thai !,
was the civil duty of the minority to obey, and her
right to enforce obedience and that oo upon the very
foundation of all organized Government-pubIic er
Pedency for if that be the basis, it is likewise the
measure of civil obedience and that in all this there
is invasion of the rights of conscience but onIv
security that this higher law principle of the few
shall not work practical i'll upon The many
Nay, it is precisely upon this principle that nahum,
and primary allegiance, whether founded on utility
or compact; has its limitations, and may be rghtfy
resisted and thrown off, Whenever rulers, either
State Federal, shall increase our burthens to thai
extent as shall become oppressive, and then no law
Of rational morality is involved.
Does not civil liberty itself claim as much from the
private will, as this "eminent domain - does ther
from the public functionary, or from the humble c,i
zen! Precisely and TO the same extent.
Does not obedience to public Statute and
depend, for its only support, the regulation and
control Of the private will And yet who has ever
affirmed that our constituted authorities couId mt
enforce the law and punish disobedience
Without this admitted power, there would be no
such thing " civil liberty ''-organized society
would resolve itself into its original elemen-man
would fall back upon his natural rights all restraint
upon the person would be removed, and ply steal force
would become the measure of their highest aspira-
tions-physical enjoyment.
Where then are the rights Of conscience invaded
n OF III the performance of civil obedience, for that
obligation has, in addition its necessity, the very
sanction of Christianity TO enforce il.
Lrt it not he said that such sentiment carries with
il the g Divine Right" of Kings. No such thing;
the divine right of Kings is like the divine right Of
other Magistraes-the laws of the land, which COM
msnds our obedience, upon the sole and only priuci-
pie that they are prcmotive of the public welfare.
All that is insisted upon is, that although you may
entertain what opinion you please, that you shall
reduce that opinion to acts preudlca the interests
of the many, who think differently from YOU Neither
shall you interpose that opinion to exempt you from
the "civil obligation under which you have come,
and from which you cannot divesf yourself so longas
you remain citizen of the State. ...
But let return to % allegiance " from which we
have so widely depressed, and confne ourselves
closely to the extent of the obligation. which is due
both to the State and to the Government Of the Uni
ted States. Allegiance is said by learned COM
to he founded upon and the nature of
things. t its technicafies and forms, these being
TO do; for in this, as in every thing else, 90 for
the thing sgu6ed, and not for that which signifies
for the substance, and not for the shadow.
Allegiance whether 10 King, 10 State, or
ConfedeIacy formed by Slaies,. simply means
ithfulness, fidelity, and that resting for It's support
on the authority and veracity Of the Government. 1t
necessarily presupposes benefits conferred, and bene-
fits being conferred which done, it GOES step
further and acknowledges the unqualified right Uf
that superior to command and enforce obedience.
That the obligation thus assumed the part Of tho
citizen has its correatve, and rests solely upon that
for its claim may be seen from the language employed
The same sentment is expressed in your State
Constitution and if we wished 10 it still further
back it is difficult matter show thai this is
ounded in reason and the nature Of things There is
here cannot be but one kind of alegiance-Ihers
bosom at the same iime-you cannot have two Mas
ers )" ye cannot serve God and Mammor."
To the State and TO the State alone, does allegi-
yiance rightly understood, belong. To her, is Pma-
y, original absolute and imposed by which
hat perfect and unqualified right, ~hich the land of
'ur nativity has to services, if for other
rom the fact that she gave US birth, and nurtured
nd supported US in helpless infancy.
"lf forget thee, Jerusalem, let nv right hand
orget her cunning, and let my tongue cleave to the
oof of my month"; These were the affecting excla-
nations of patriotic people, when carried in captiV
Y TO Babylon and these the sentiments which
american allegiance inspires, either TO the place Of
ativity or to the place of adoption. By the British
Constitution, native -" born subject cannot divest
uf institutions: they are more in accordance with
ne attainment of that object for which Government
'as established 10 make life secure, and a people
rosperous and happy.
We proclaim to all 60 in the pursuit of these, and
'herever you find them, stay, enjoy, protect and de-
md them. If you proper to remain with US,
UGH being the home Of your choice, must become
iiher of your birth adoption demands and will
,ceive nothing short of the entire homage of heart
verfowing with gratitude. for the benefits which
he confcrs and stands ready to confer.
A divided, haiting, equivocal affection, she will
OF have. Such is idolairous worship in religions
is in politics for the language of both is, {" Son
i've me thy heart.' But although there be but
ind of allegiance, every citizen has under two
bgations. differing not in degree, but in kind, foE
9th perfect to the extent they have been eitheF
ssumed or imposed. PEDEE,
fessage Of The Gouernor Of Lndiana-IHe FHgihre
St0re LaU approved. y ..s
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 4, 1851. Governor Wright of
indiana, in his message the Legislature, express