The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-28

From the Boston Transcript.
The Peace and Dignity OF the Common
Wealth.-No. xxxfv.

=
wealth.-No. xxxiv.
The editors of the CHRISTIAN Register OBJ
serve:
"No attempt is made by our great public men to
reason the matter out ethical grounds or TO re-
concile the law to the moral and religious convic-
| tons OF our citizens. Legal authorities are held
up over u.s. and, by those who sit upon the bench,
these are all that need TO be considered. But they
| VINO undertake to inform the public mind, and
prepare the way for an unpopular law, instead OF
| showing how we may obey and enforce il without
| violating the most solemn principles which have
been instilled into our minds from childhood be-
gin by scoffing at the principles themselves and
| branding them as 'prejudices' which must
overcome Instead of enlightenng and direct
ing the conscience Of the community, they attempt
| TO override and break down the authority of con-
science itself either by ignoring its existence, by
| ridiculIng its claims, or by contemptuous asser-
tons respecting its insufticiency and Weakness
The words ''preiudices" and '.ouercome" are
distinguished by quotation marks, and are well
| remembered as words employed by Mr.. Web
| ster. Among "otT great public men" he stands
first--in the foremost rank To him, there
fore, pre-eminently the opinions expressed in
this passage from the Register are intended to
be applied.
In their weekly outpourings from the pulpit
reverend gentlemen may say pretty much what
they please to say, and it may pass in at one
| ear OF the congregation and out at the other.
| But sentiments uttered in this manner, and 50
very extraordinary in their character cannot
be suffered TO pass without peremptory chal-
lenge. ask the editors of the Christian Re-
| gister If these charges are not false and fool
ish allegation? ask, less in the spirit of in
quiry than of surprise, when or where did Mr..
Webster, or any other OF 90 our great public
men," fNbegin By soothing at the principles
achich hare been ilstilLed into our minds from,
chitdhossT'i When did he or they ''attempt
TO Override or break doion the authority of con-
science Itself, either by ignoring lis existence
ridietshng It's claims, or by contemptlous Gsser-
lions respecting It's iIlsubiciency on ipeakness2"
| Ii is deeply to be deplored that public organ,
protesting TO be religious journal, should be-
| come the conduit for such nonsense as this.
What do these worthy editors suppose MIR.
Webster meant by the words ''ouerconaing our
| prej1dices2" Do they suppose him to have
| meant that we at the North should overcome
oar settled moral corrections against slaue,y?
Upon this point his opinions have never varied
| the 1.-THE OF hair. He has always expressed
his aversion to slavery, and his desire for its
constitutional and legal extinguishment, from
the very first hour of his political existence to
the present. His clear, frank, unqualified aver
ments on this point in western New York
few days ago convey the same unalterable SEN
timents which he has ever entertained and
avowed, without the least modification or
change.
What then do these worthy editors suppose
him to have meant? There are certain debts
which men pay acknowledgements obligations
which they grudgingly perform. They have
strong prejudices-they hate the creditor, or
they think their fathers had no right to make
the contract binding their heirs. Some of our
States upon this principle have repudiated their
debts. They had strong prejudices. But
stronger prejudice in favor of maintaining I'M
impaired the obligation of contracts, spreading
tar and wide among the nations, and rolling
back with all its moral energy upon these repu-
dating States, has taught them to knock harder
at the portals of their conscences for an answer
more consistent with right reason. Thus their
prejudices hare been overcome. Thus, also,
when called upon to perform those constitutional
obligations entailed upon their children by our
honorable fathers, our prejudices interfere with
the prompt and graceful performance of our
duty. 1t is to these that Mr.. Webster refers
when ne speaks of overcoming our prejudices,
and this, without any change of his or our opin-
ion In relation to the evils of slavery, or the de-
slrableness of just and lawful termination of
those evils.
But, say the editors of the Christian Regis
tor, '.No attempt is made By our great public
nieft TO reason the matter out on ethical grounds
on 10 receas The ta,c to thc moral and religious
conpictsbns D our eitiSens.'' In the first place,
our great public men would be engaging in
very unusual task, and greatly adding to their
official labors, should they undertake, in the
case of every unpopular law, to reason the mat
ter out on ethical principles. | have never
known case In which moral and religious
protegonlina have been prepared by our great
public men and sent forth with any law to sat
lsfy the citizens. Incidentally, the ethical and
the legal may be found blended together, com
fortlng and sustaining each other, as in the
charge OF Judge Sprague to the grand jury in
March. Mr.. Webster, as the organ of the Pre-
sident, in his letter of March | O, observes that
che is quite sure they (the people of Massachu-
setts) regard the aac Of the land not as senti-
nlent or an opinion, but as a rule of conduct
prescribed by The general authority, and ,chich
oil are bound to obey"
The ethics, about which the editors appear
so anxious, lie here, in the compass of nut
shell. Like some essential text of Scripture,
they may be attenuated and diluted through
the compass of homily or sermon. Their
effective operation on the common mind is
quite as sure, however, in a condensed form as
AZ oPAouo llll piu lIdHScenQ6HldllStIl.
What would these gentlemen have2 Is it
not enough that all writer's on ethics acknow-
ledge obedience TO the la,cs to be part thereof?
If this be SO under a monarchy, how much
more in republicl Reid, in his Essays on
Active Powers, &C., page 270, says: "When
the laws are equitable, and prescribed by just
authority, they produce moral obligation in
those that are subject to them, and dlsobedence
is crime deserving punishment"
cay, but the Fugitive Slave law is not
equitable" say these learned casuists Who
shall settle this question for the whole people
for the South have an interest in the settlement
as well as the North-who shall settle this
question Garrison and Sumner, and Miss
Kelly, and John P. Hale, and Elizur Wright.
Wendell Phillips, and Miss Abby Folsom,
Theodore Parker, and Mistress Mott, and the
editors of the Christian Register? Not so; the
whole people shall settle this question for
themselves If they do not believe that it is
equitable toperform the promises of their fathers,
made understandingly and in good faith-how-
ever hand the bargain--they will say SO at the
polls, quietly, Intellectually Untili be repeal