The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-03-24


10 be interpreted according TO its legitimate meaning in
stead OF your real meaning. You cannot apply one rule
Of Interpretation 70 your own language. and another 10
lnat OF the New Haven meeting What 10 right proper
and Just IN the one case, is in the other So name
your rule, whatever il may be, and will abide by il
Either allow your ellow-cizens 10 be understood as
they meant or else allow yourself to be understood not
as you meant but according to the legitimate meaning OF
your language,
Again, am aware that there is such thing as the
law oil Nature; and, ii you will pardon the presumpton
even knew, before you told that IL "was not in
vented by Gov. Seward" Instead OF taking your dehn-
lion OF this law, beg leave TO copy the following from
brandes Dictionary OF Science, Literature, and Art;
"Law of Nais1e.The law OF Nature however extensive
In It's philosophical meaning is much confined in that
sense in which alone Il is within the province of jursp
dence Regarding IL merely applicable the relative
duties OF men in community. is sufficient for practical
purposes observe, with Gous that IFS first principle is
the sociabiy Of man; and consequently, that the
walton Of society in It's actual state whether from the motive
Of mutual disrus Hobbies maintained, or from innate
benevoence, his sdvesaries conended, Is the duty
which a imposes on every
"Let as suppose, therefore, that in community such as
our own there could occur suspension Of all civil
positive law, and that at the tme the sanctions OF
Gods revealed law could be withdrawn Men would thus
be restored 70 state of natural liberty The natural law Is
that code Of duties which would then take the place oil
other legislation. Every tending nure igh
to disturb or impair the frame OF socielywoula then be
prohibited by natural law prohibited by laws
human and divine. Undoubtedly the natural law, in the
sense in which il Is commonly used, comprehends far
wider range Of objects The duties of personal holiness
the relative duties Of the members of a family, the
duties of active benevolence-al these dictated
to rs by conscience, as much as abstinence from
loo limited 10 admit of the consideration OF these higher
parts Of morality 1t with judicial society only that she is
concemed.'
Noah Webster defines Desm to be-
The belief in natural religion only those truths in
doctrine and practice which is able discover by the
light Of reason independent and exclusive OF any revela-
II these definitions are correct At will be difficult to
show wherein the law of Nature, the natural law
Brande expresses it. differs from simple Desm unless il
Ter dscards it. And yet would not disparage the law OF
Nature nor have done so, except compared with the
inspired word of God, the only rule OF faith and prac
tice." Were destitute OF the Bible, the law OF Ma
ture. or the light Of Nature, as is sometimes called
would be invaluable. So is lamp in dark night; but
i loses its brightness when the arises. by of
slant appeals the law Of Nature" if the Bible were
not sufficient and ample to instruct us in all our duties TO-
wards God and man. and dlstrus them the more when
h h Rsy are generally made ~ men men Who
wish TO find in regard TO slavery and its appandages
do not deny that the law OF Nature good law, and
far as goes, concident with the law oil God But
said in the Review, il is an unwrten law, and compare
lively obscure law, and therefore gives scope TO divers
errors and neutrality-suspicious. Again: do not deny that
the light which il sheds upon mans pathway is sufficient
10 leave him without excuse for not knowing God"
and "glorfying him as God" But, taking man as he is,
where, in point OF fact is the nation community with
only the law or the light OF Nature for guide. which
has not gone far, very far asray from the right path
nay which has not sunk into all OF and
vice. and into the depths of idolary and its degra
ding aecompanmen'sl Yet 10 that law, 50 Intellectual
by Governor Seward as regulating part OF the con-
suiion OF the United States" constitution (io use the
language Of the Rsvew) framed with great deliteruon
and By Christian men, at least by Christian
men, in the best OF the word NTH he Bible an their
hands, and prayer to God in their hearts" Against
instrument framed, and sanctioned by the approving
voice OF the nation, and OF nearly all the good menn the
nation. from that day TO this am 10 accept Governor
Stewards Interpretation OF the law Of Nature
ruling authority Never.
Governor Seward belrays lis own sense Of the inds-
lnctness OF the law OF Nature by pointing out .'the
hearts and conscences OF reemen the book in which
II IS written As you have endorsed this language OF
Governor Seward, will you be kind enough TO tell me
whether the law in question is written IN the con-
science oil each individual freeman or only in the aggre
gate conscience OF freemen l-by which mean the
science OF majority OF such men Ii you say "in the
conscience OF each individual fireman., must ask you
10 explain how II is that in one copy OF the book the
law affirms precisely what in another copy il denies.
And how am 10 know which copy is correctl IL you
say the true copy is 10 be found in those conscences
which are thoroughly enlightened and entirely free
from prejudice and other sinister influences, both from
within and from without" how am 70 know which set
OF conscences are thus enlightened and free And
again will you tell me how il happens that the law OF
Nature is written only in the "hearls and OF
iIeemen" Why not OF slaves also, and OF despots
Have not all men consciences and not all con-
sciences, as they come from the hand OF the Creator
right consciences II seems 10 that the possession
OF freedom personal or political, or the cherishing OF free
principles, or the enjoyment OF free institutions q know
not which was Gov. Stewards meaning) is sing uar APP
puTenance oil mans conscience, and the ii in.
dspensable 10 enable that conscience 10 reflect the law OF
Nature. The connexion presume, is something like
that OF quicksilver with the plate OF looking glass
But perhaps you will say am 10 look Tor the law OF
Nature not IN the consciences OF individual feemen-
which differ widely from each oher-bui in the consci-
entious opinions OF such men in the aggregate think
are by h. time nearly out OF the range OF conscience
properly called which has 10 do chiefly with the heart
and conduct OF It's possessor but will proceed TO
sider for moment the proposition here presented.
And by way OF Illustration will take the very pTovls-
ion OF the constitution declared by Governor Seward
be Tepudaied by the claw OF Nature written in the hearts
and consciences OF eemen"to wit, the provision for
the surrender OF fugitive slaves What are the facts in
regard 10 this provisionl In the first place. II was
adopted in the convention which framed the constitution
"by the unanimous vote OF every State and every dele
gate from every Stale, without dissenting vote from the
North"' 10 the next place, for than sixty years
has been part OF the fundamental law OF the land, and
no effort worthy OF the has been made in any
quarter obtain its modification repeal In the third
place. laws have been enacted by Congress TO carry H.
into effect; and among them the law OF 1850, much
dsappfoved by yourself, with only IS dissenting voices
in both houses, out OF 2p5 Misunderstanding greater de-
gree OF unanimy than existed almost any other OF the
compromise measures. Now, II the government under
which we live is in any proper sense representatives
government the votes OF the members must be supposed
in general to express the opinions and views OF their
constituents. And, moreover, we are bound 10 believe
that both the representatives and the represented acted
scientiousy and they deemed right and proper
der all the circumstances Hence II follows that, accord
ing to the best evidence which the admits Of, the
claw OF Nature written n the hearts and conscences OF
large majority OF the freemen OF this republic pfonounces
favor only OF the constitutional provision for the
surrender OF fugitive slaves, but also in favor OF the as
adopted by Congress to carry II into effect
II this lesson from the law OF Nature IL not according