Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-11-06
5elrttco ArtitIcs.
THEODORE PARKER on The JERRY RESCUE.
From the Syracuse Free Democrat.
MEsr NEWTON. Sept. %. 1872.


WEsT NEWTON, Sept %, 1852.
My DEAR SiR:-l think you for the honor
you llnve done ne, l,y YOUR invitation to Join
IN celcbraiing the rescue of Jerry from tho
hands of the Government kidunppprs, in the
city ot Syra ] regret that ! shall not
I've able to be present with you on that occn-
SION, aud 10 say how much honor the deed,
the men who did il, aud the motive which
led thereto.
The regular forms of Judicial procedure
are n very Important part of the defense of
public and private liueiW But | respect
the statutes, which men have mnde, only so
far ns they cn'body justice, and conserve the
inniiennble rights OF nen. When statutes
fhil thereof, or go beyond that, have no re-
kprct tor them, more lhnn the dictate OF M
irregular nlolI, ur the rOnuinid of u ,espui.
~ unjust statute is not onIy morally void
II is positively wicked 10 Obey it, or allow il
10 he enforced to the injury Of innnceni nou
u II my duty to resist u wicked law nv all
rrprdien,s illnt are naturally Just. For if
there is II God, who Is the AuiIIor of man
aud Of the Universe, then man owes allegi-
nnce 10 that God, TO the laws Of his own nn-
hire and to the constitution OF the Universe
This allegiance must override all claims of
any human lcgislntor-all claims OF King
Monnlch, or Of King Many. So far, there
fore, ms the statutes of uIen nre Just, con
fOrinnlle To- the moral uninrr Of man, aud the
constitution of the Universe, they are enii-
fled to obedience by the citizens of tine
country where they are made aud known.
.Itu, 81 iar NJ they ARE unjust. they have no
claim To bc Obeyed; il is n sin to obey them.
Who gave me the right to do wrong? lam
bolind TO obey every natural law Of Cod
wrIt IN tile Universe, MS much MS iii were pro-
clninied To me ly mn audible voice of the
Infinite, spenking NJ Sinai or Monadnock.-
Every ihiUg is unienable TO the Infinite God.
A government is body with limited iu.
ris'liciion, aud holds its office subject 10 the
natural universal moral Law of God, which
n the form of all governments, aud the ahso-
lutte rule OF conduct TO nll mankind The
government Of the United States il still fur
.ihcr limitcd by the Federal Constitution,
which is the conventional form Of this go-
vernnlcnt IN particular-thc rule of conduct,
therefore, provided 10y the people of America.
There nre, therefore, Two checks for the
American governments: the constitution 0i
the Universe, made ly God, aud the corisii-
tnlion of the United States, made hy the pco-
pie thereof So f,r ms the government vio-
lnies the first il loses all natural claim TO
obedience; If The last, it loses all cOnyen-
tlenal claim thereto.
Now, the present government Of the Uni
ted Sinies-I mean The men who enacted
the Fugitive Slave hill, and tried to execute
ii-hnve not only therein violated the con
stiution OF the United States, but hnve vio-
lated also the constitution of The Universe,
and practically assumed unlimited nnhoriiy
by clainiing the right TO set the Inv of God
NJ defiance. Some members of the govern
mrnt have proudly aud publicly declared
tlnt there was no law OF God higher ilnII
the Fugitive Slave bill. Clergyniei, greedy
for their recompense, have hcen found eager
10 sanction this claim of government--to do
il in The name of God 1t has always been
so; il is not open speculative Atheists that
are the most dangerous to the wellhre of
mankind, hut clergymen who, in the name
Of Christ, preach up despolsIn, aud seek
athcisiically TO preach down the natural Law
of God.
Under such twoiold misconduct, cases may
happen in which there is no defense for in
diyidunl freedom, hut TO resist wicked stat
ute with the strong hand. For instance /:
~ the National Legislature makes an I'M
Just and unconstitutional statute ~ next,
the Judiciary, which rs composed of the
creatures of government, appointed for none
but political merits, declares the Statute colt
stitiiionnl; (3.) then the Executive seeks to
enforce the penalty of the statute upon some
man who has been accused of violating it,
lie is TO be tried by jury. But the govern
ment Judges allow 10 man TO serve on the
Jury, unless lie processes -(l.) thut he
thinks tie statute constitutional; ~ that
he has no moral objection TO infiict the pen
hlty upon a man who violates il; and, o.,
that he will take that for "lnw," which the
"Court" declares such. IN such case
there is no protection for n nnn, whom the
government sees fl to destroy, except in the
direct interference of the people TO prevent
atbe contemplated wrong. For without That
the government may he able 10 make any
statute II plenses, and execute il on every
man it may see fit TO seize.
~ IN the case Of a man kidnapped by the
officials of Government, under the Fugitive
Slave bill, the peril is greater yet lie is to
be "tried" before an official, who is not even
creature of the Government, but only a
tool of the Court creatures creature
Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Buf