The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-14

We all know the miraculous denyerance
vouchsafed to Daniel, the attestation, borne by
an angel from Heaven, Of the appreciation Of his
Maker for his obedience to the higher law, and
his refusal to obey constitutional but wicked
enactment; and we also know the execration
which, for a long series of centuries, has at
tached to the memories of the Babylon politi-
clans, who, for selfish purposes, procured the
passage Of hideous law, and then sought the
life of righteous man for refusing to obey it.
The conduct of Daniel, expressly sanctioned
as it was by God himself is an example for us
and teaches us our duty in regard to such legal
requirements as we believe to be sinful.
The politicians of Babylon sought Office by
Offering incense to the vanity of the King. The
slave power is with us the source of Office.
When this power was recently about to select
q President to dispense its patronage, our rival
politicians, greedy for Office, with oriental OBJ
sequiousness, courted its favor by crying before
it, not, indeed, ooh, King, live forever" but,
"the Fugitive Law-it shall be enforced, it shall
not be repealed--it is q rNALITY." Yet this
law, which is 70 be like that of the Modes and
Persians which altereth not is one 80 cruel,
unjust and intensely odioas, go oppressive to
man, so insulting to God, that it was passed by
minority Of the House Of Representatives,
and under the gag-its advocates not daring
to permit discussion of its atrocities
The politicians of Babylon sought to put
Daniel TO death, ostensibly out of compliment
to the King and the Constitution. How nearly
akin TO this policy were the recent efforts to
condemn to the gallows thirty-nine of our own
citizens, on the audacious pretext that they had
levied war against the United States Had
Casper Hanway, who was tried for his life for
declining to assist in arresting fugitive slaves,
been put to death, would his executoners have
been less guilty, in the sight of Heaven, than
those who cast Daniel into tho den of lions
Hanway acted on precisely the same principle
with Daniel-that of obeying God rather than
man; and there can be no question that his
conduct was approved by his Maker.
If it be asked by any, What is the duty of
Anti-Slavery Christians in reference to the Fu-
gtive Law Z the conduct of Daniel affords in
my opinion, full and satisfactory answer
open, fearless, but passive resistance. No man
can innooently perform acts, in obedience to q
human law, which he deliberately, conscien-
tiously believes is forbidden by God. But such
belief does not authorize him forcibly to inter-
fere to prevent others from obeying the law or
enforcing its penalties.
The Apostles laid down their lives rather
than obey laws of far less questionable consti-
tutional authority than the Fugitive Act but
they never attempted to resist the execution of
those laws by force Of arms. | refer not here
to the fugitive himself He has all the rights
of a soldier escaping from the enemy. Let il
not however, be thought ws have done all that
is required of us, when we have refused or
avoided compliance with the unrighteous de.
mands of this execrable statute. Remember
that Daniels defiance of the Kings decree was
Intentionally public. We owe it to the religion
we profess and to the Master we serve, to let
our hatred and defiance of this law be unre-
served and unquestioned.
Nor is this alias Christians, as patriots, as
lovers of God and man, let US labor, without
cessation and without WEAKNESS, to defeat the
attempt of our politicians to render this law as
Interchangeable as that of the Modes and Per-
slams. Let us pray against it, and speak against
It, and write against il, and print against it
and vote against it, If need be, let US 60 to
prison, rather than outrage the obligations Of
humanity and the precepts Of the kodecmcr.
A few incarcerations under this horrible law,
for loving mercy and fearing God, will bring
down upon our Northern cotton politicians q
weight Of odum little less than that which fell
on their brethren in Babylon, and may, like
Daniels confinement, hasten the revocation Of
vile edict
AS to the poor, hunted, innocent fugitive, LEI
US take care that we do not, through fear o.
man, subject ourselves, at the final account, tc
the awful rebuke, al was an hungered, and ye
gave me no meat; was thirsty, and ye gave
me no drink; was a stranger, and ye took me
not in naked, and yc clothed me not; sick and
in prison, and ye visited me not Verify / say
unto you, inasmuch rs ye did it not unto one of
the least of these my brethren, ye did it not
upto mall