Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1851-07-17

pION.Cu WY tiot VIC ht w SVss
mand from al citizens necessary assist
ance? And who compose their posse
cOmmiidiHs ?-who can they resort IN
for aid bu, the people OF each District or
State "a people. who belong to the
government of the Union as well as TO n
State. and who are often operated upon
directly and individually by that gov.
ernmcni. A d # each State can in this
way legally exhoneraie its people from
obedience to the summons Of the Mar
shall what becomes OF the supremacy
OF the laws of the Union and how ex-
posed OH this principle is every sacred
and Invaluable right enjoyed by you
and others under the wing OF our Union.
Congress provided the very first year
of its existence, that every Marshal
''shaH hare poner TO command all ntces-
s,ry assistance in Me erpcutiOn Of ms
duty" Q Statute al L. 81. 81 Section
OF act of Sept. Gath, 1881 And II the
Statute OF "A Stale provide, that whoev-
er gives this assistance in "a slave case,
snail be punished, q State might just
as properly attempt to exhonerate its
citizens from all obedience TO the gener-
al government-even from serving as
militia, on the orders OF the President
to repel murderous invasion of your
coast, or TO help execute the laws against
pirates who plumber your cargoes-or
murderers Of your sons on the ocean,
or the wretched tcons. who wiliully
cast away your vessels, or mutiny a
gainst your ohiccrs-in the lonely wastes
of the Atlantic or Pacific.
The only other justification for vio
lent resistance TO these laws and the
Constitution, which has come under my
notice. is, that conscience. or "higher
law" than these, dsapprovc of them.
But if they do, they will, if enlight-
ened, alike disapprove of sedition, riots
and violence, against the laws made
by majority till repealed by a major
ity, or TILL quietly pronounced unconsti-
tutional by the judiciary. 1t is this
compact, which must not be violated
or all compacts may be treated with per
fdy. Ii is no justification that we dis
like the compact or laws else all COM
pacts or laws, disliked, as many are on
one point or another, might be violated
with impunity. In such cases in our
political system, il is obvious, that obe-
dence Is Il duty, till majority agree to
changes; and an enlightened conscience
teaches that when obedience can be
rendered no longer by a minority, they
should withdraw from such a compact
and Government rather than oppose
it with tumult and violence. A dis
tinguished statesman (Bo,ingbroke) has
said, that "our obligation to submit to
the civil law, is n principal paragraph
in the natural law" Christianity and
the Bible. too, instruct all conscienccs
to obey the existing laws till repealed,
unless resorting to Il revolution, which >
is exposed to prosecutions Tor treason,
and never justiiable except under op-
pressions intolcrable, and not other
wise remediable, almost impossible in
a Government ike ours, which these oP-
poncnts have adopted, if not helped TO
make, in which they are fully repre-.
scented, and which "A majority can peace
fully change at the ballot boxes. How
very different is such Il case, from that
between Great Britain and her Colo
MES, when our Revolution took place;
ard how is the ground for any resort to
violence wholly overturned, and moth
ing left to justify rash and bloody in
surrection.
Look to another consequence Of this
doctrine Of a higher and uncontrolled
law 10 each citizen IN Government Of
regulated control and fixed laws. Each
will then have his own law for every
thing for hmsclf-which is the state Of
nature with no Government but that Of
the strongest-with dcspotism by
mere force with con tant war and the
miserable anarchy, where, as a saga
cious divine once said on another Occa-
zion, assassination will become the law
with onc-robbcry the law with anorh-
er--lust with another tyranny and
unbrdled power with others.
Recollect, too, amidst all other con-
siIerations, tn It if these violent courses
are insisted on, even to Il dissolution Of
the Union. that III, abettors of it do not
thereby abolish slavery, but leave the
South free and independent to perpct-
uatc the institution forever, and gain
to the North thereby merely the loss
OF their trade, and perhaps border wars
more atrocious and bloody than the
worst of antiquity.
A statement of these things is repeat
ed, in order TO place the subject-matier
Of the recent Gutrages and some of the
apologies tor them, in their true Light
And beg leave 10 assure you, IL is done
more in sorrow than anger, and gives
quite as m Ich pam to the Bench, as it
can to those who may feel that they
have been exposed to reproach, merely
by the occurrence among them Of these
iorcibe outbreaks. in a manner so alien
to New England habits and education
and SO unlike its usual patriotism and
religious respect for law and order as
by the blessing Of Providence, to show
Oh its very face different parentage.
But to wipe off entirely any stigma
from the mass of the community on this
account, it behooves all the innocent,
like good men aid true, TO stand forth
in the light OF Heaven. and, under their
duties and oaths TO their Maker and
their country, TO assist in pulishing Of
tenders and thus, it is hoped, prevent
ing repetition of misconduct so fla
grant, as in principle to prevent the
whole administration of the laws, and
overturn the very foundations of social
order.
Your attention is next invited to some
other offences, connected with those al
ready described, in relation to this un-
fortunate subject; but which depend on
general principles or on Statutes passed
long ago touching other duties 10 the
General Government and it's officers,
and yet have been trampled on indls-
criminately and wantonly, in order TO
defeat the Euultiye Slave Iaw and with