Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-01-09


that time, you stood up in our Legislature, and
said: "The gentleman from Delaware says that j
the adoption of the Declaration of independence |
in our state Constitution, renders slavery in this !
State unconstitutional. | contend that the first !
act of the nation, being the solemn recognition
of the liberty and equality of all men, and that
the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness were unalienable, it was the corner stone
OF our cOniederaey, and is ABOVE ALL CoNsTITU-
TONS AND ALL Laws" At that time, you stood
up in our Legislature, and confessed your NOR
thcation, that, whilst American lips are employ
ed in declaring "all men are created equal"
American hands are employed in lashing slaves.
Whether the Constitution is for or against, sla-
very, IS important, only because we are nation
oi atheists Were we nation of believers in
200, we should scout the idea of the possible le-
gallzation OF the matchless crime Of slavery
were we such, i. would be vain to remind US
that our venerated fathers made law, and this
TOO an organic law, for slavery For were God
our law, and did we Justly estimate our rights
and responsibilities, should be conscious, that,
however much we might owe to cur dead faith
ers, we owe infinitely more 10 our living selves,
and 10 our living God
Slaveholding is man-stealing. Both the Old
and New Testaments SO define it, Now, he is
On atheist, who, in the face of the divinely or
daned distinctions between right and wrong,
consents 10 recognize the obligations, or even
the possibility OF law for sheep-steang More
emphaticaIly is he such, if he consents 10 recoc-
nize them in the case of man. stealing. "How
much, says Jesus Christ, sis man better than
sheep"
80 long, as we shall continue TO be nation
OF atheists, (and such we shall continue 70 be
whilst the reign Of the slaye-powet is over the
whole nauonD ii will be important TO show, that
q AV1sf limit, Il
shall come to make The Bible, instead Oft con-
sutut'on, our Supreme Law, it will then be COM
naFabPety lmnaterial, whether the Constitution
is regarded as Anti-sIavery, or pro-sIavery; for
we shall then "obey God rather than men. -
we shall, then, regard the cluim Of property in
man. rs England in the words of Henry Brongh-
am, regards it as "a wild and guilty fantasy"
Like France, we shall then, to use the words of
her Victor Hugo "EcpudIaie slavery with hor-
Were we not a nation Of atheists, We would as
soon think of cnacling law 10 enslave God
Himself. as OF cnactng law to enslave the be-
ln9s whom lie has mado in His image; as soon
think of having kidnappers chase Him through
Ills universe as Of having ,hom chase the beings,
whose rights lie holds az sacred as His own
Bat you will reply TO ne, that law is law; and
that all law must be obeyed You are literally
right 1t does not, however, follow that ALL
winch prctends to be law, must be obeyed It
Is an exceedingly pernicous popular error, that
the human Legislature has an illimitable province
and has power to legaliZe falsehood, as well as
tuth injustice, as well as Justice The bust
ness OF the human Legislature, Notwithstanding
that the idea ia so ridiculous in tho eyes of Dam
10! Webster, is but to declare and TO apply the
law of God. Hence, an enactment for murder
ing men is not law, but anti-law And YOU
would not obey it-would you? Why, then,
Will you obey the enactment for ensaving men?
an enactment quite as destitute as the other of
all the elements OF law-and even more wrong
tul, crue., and absurd. Yes--John C. Spencer
had better pursue innocent men, women, and
children with the murderers dagger. than with
the shareholders handouts. lie had better
cry "seizo en- to murderers than 10 Adnap-
pers.
But you will tell me that the Fugitive Slave
Law should be Obeyed, until it is repealed -
hon would not, however, say SO of an enact
ihent Tor murder Nay, you would not say so Of
even sumptuary law. Let a law be enacted.
prescribing what you shall wear, and eat, and
drink, aud you will not consent to wait. no nov
even stoop to ask for its repeal; but Won viii de-
~ It, and trample it under foot With what
face thcn-wlth what consistency then-car Won
ask those, who a5hOr the "Furitive Slave NV"
more than II it were law for open murder To
obey 1t uniil it is repeated? They must treat IT,
as you would the sumptuary law, only with
million fold more vengeance. They must scorn
TO petition for its repeal They must tread il
under foot. They must fling it back foutingly
into the faces otits enactors. You dcnounce the
TeScuers OF Jerry al Syracuse, as o mob-where-
as, in point of fact, they were the aw-abilinr
men, aud the kidnappcrs were the mob The
Federal Government tramplcd on all law, and re-
mol yhpp ~
Fugitive Save Law" To break that law is
TO obey law. To obey that law is 10 break law
glory in law, With the great Apostle,
unit II holy and just and good" With the
Fsalmist, can say it is my delights" When
the Immortal Hooker so beautifully and sub
hmey says that claw has her seat in the bos
on of God, and her voice is the harmony of the
world" he thrills my whole soul, will obey law.
But | will not obey the dictates of devHsm,
which impudcntly install themselves in the
place Of law. | will obey law, because believe
it's identified with God.
You lament the tendencies oflawlcssness and
anarchy Wen you may. But you will not d.
miNish them by confounding in the minds of
men, sham law with real law, and by claiming
their obedience for He'll instead of Haven
You can diminish them by intoxicating the doc
trne, that real law, which is the obligatory law.
Is the declaration Of truth, not of falseho0d Of
rea ION not of aaSurdity, of sense, not of non
sense; o, justice, not Of injustice; and that re.
al law is, IN word, for The protection and not
for the destruction Of rights
90 not forget, whilst writing these nara
graphs, low od!ous have made myself by my
enIavors to blend religion with POLITICS, and
how yro6ao.2 1t i, that these paragraphs will be
construed into repetition Of those cndeavors.-
an frank 10 aYow my conviction, that this will
be q wreich'd world, until It's politics are chris
tanned and that | would 'be inS;an, in season
AMI ont Of season To promote this blessed
change. Says the clcar-sightcd Mazzini, "A fa
tai operation has been established between reh
gious and political beHef-batveen Heaven and
esr.h. Itis necessary 10 reunite earth to Hea-
ven. politics to the eternal principles, which
should dlrac: them Nothing great or durable
can be done viii. mt that.
You viii duub,i, $. tA.ak that have done
wrong to w-fa ih!s Ietttr In common with the
"Cnoa Safety Committee, vou dcprecatc all
discussion OF Slavery. woLd j, however, add,
that though lie them you are in,ont on quiet
ing The aa:i-s,4yery agi alton. you art, ever and
anon, dO.NN som otllDy 70 swell IL Dv tho way.