The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-06-10
THE NATIONAL ERA, WASHINGTON d. C. JUNE TO- 1852.

| of conscience the universal welfare" while
ours is that diabolical instinct of conscience,
which goes to and fro on a bad errand. But
alas! his wisdom passeth all our understand
| ing: and "uniyersal welfare" which requires
us to violate not only our conscience, but our
best affections, our faith, and the instincts OF
humanity and common honesty the wide world
over, that can be no guide for me, nor for any
| Just and sincere man and we must grope our
way, as best we can, without one. And here
leave the matter, merely rescuing the true
issue from the thick fog in which he has hid
den it. The question never has BEEN whether
any mans conscience, in the hardening din
and strife of passion would forgivingly warn
him at all points, but whether ii should b.
obeyed uhen IL does ydyn him No one pre-.
tends that it is discursive faculty, like the
active reason. 1t does not explore, invent pre-
scribe. No; in the inner temple it sits in judg
ment, in calm and unbroken silence while vir
tuous actions and long trains of healthfu
thought and activity pass in review before 1t
1t does not dictate-it forbids. When its voice
is heard, it is a negative, and there is no ap
peal The dishonesty is not in conscience, but
| in ourselves.
He saws the real fact is, that we dislike no,
has no right to shift the ground of our refusal tc
to obey it. and ought not to need such a mode Of
defence for himself do indeed dislike, nay
hate, law under cloak of which he could SC
much as wickedy aid or abet in re-enslaving a
single man. woman, or child but this law is q
wanton insult, a drunken blunder in legislation
and undertakes to compel me also to defle my
self, not merely to suffer wrong, but to perpe
trats it. Assent to the law duplicates us.
| shall disobey it | call upon him, in the name
of Thousand fdgitives. to know on what
grounds he will not disobey it. The hunted
slave has crept for shelter under his roof
hungry, perhaps, and naked; will he a minis
ter of Christ, betray him? Or he is authorita-
| lively summoned to assist in catching or bind
| ing the victim, whose struggles will release
! him or to break in on a wretched family who
can but cling together till death will he do it
| or will he have me do it? crumb of bread
is craved n the fugitive, to support him in his
fight rs af clothing for his nakedness, a
word of information or help to him who has
such sore need will he refuse it? He knows
that villains are prowling around some peace
ful household. that the hounds are on the scent
will he not warn them TO fly will he not be
their neighbor? He could have persuaded men
to shun these dastardly crimes to obey God
rather than man; will he not yet do it?
1t is difficult meeting the argument of de-
fence whose strength is in its rapid contradic-
tons, where "there's nothing true and one
position or defence is just as good as another
Now, the outraged instincts of people alarm
him, and he deprecates the passage of the pres
ent LAWS sure that as for those who called
for such an act, it "has essentially hurt their
position before the world" Then this position
before the world" becomes a dangerous one,
and as he can charge on his own lines as read
lily as ON any, he holds that "the present law
is not more stringent than its predecessor !"
So, too, his hatred Of the wrong of slavery and
slave laws, his dismay at the sure and dreadful
consequences which the morrow will bring, is
unutterable. But why now dread the Just
judgment of God, when slavery is not wrong
but right! Is it right to treat men so? Why
not utter dangerous maledictions against the
cruel walls OF the hospital-why not bay at
the moon
lnfdelity needs no better guise than it has
assumed in this day of guilty compromises 1t
weakens the State, and dishonors the Church
al believe in God, eternal Interchangeable" was
once our stern creed-in God whose eternal
laws wicked men may violate, indeed, but can
never annul. 81 believe in this fashion this
must suffice us now The right and wrong of
q moral principle is considered and adjusted
like the fashion of garment with anxious
glances at the prevailing style. One earnestly
assures us that the thief he met objected to his
honesty as too rigid, as ultra n the debauchee
his virtue as quite questionable; the
robber also was dissatisfied with his scruples
and the Shareholder absolutely ihouthed at
him, and made up faces He cxclaims against
our unreasonafleness; for his anti-savery pat
tern is even pronounced decidedly prim in the
saloons and on 'change, and the Shareholders
have said several hard things of him Oh, how
long will it be before religious men and reli-
gious presses will have done with such dismal
ways! Let us again believe in God, in truth,
not fashion; in Right, not in the dispensation
of indulgences!' How much less wicked the
old careful "sale," than this modern dispensa-
ton for slavery's sake For those who carried
on the trade at that earlier day though they
could debauch the morals had still some hon.
orabe scruples, and icouid not debauch the
minds. They never pretended it was not sin
they were licensing; far from it; it was very
heinous sin, for which only great sacrifices
could atone, and which must be most smarty
paid for. And that it was 80 paid for, the
lottiest temple on earth for human worship
bears saddest testimony. n