Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-08-05

1 which tnaL LuOV6TnueHlHao oShhO"'S'S
cd rights and legitimate power of inter
ference. am bound therefore to vim
dicate the liberty Of conscience in reply
to the dangerous doctrines of Genera
Cass.
/ When the early Christians appealed
to the Roman Emperors through the
Apologus Of their Justins and Turtulli'
ans, pleading for liberty of conscience
they did not thereby claim tho right to
do all the good in outward actions which
their consciences would have approved.
They pleaded that they might not be
compelled to do any act which the law
OF God and the law of their conscien'
ces had forbidden. At one time for in
stance some glorious coufessor Of the
Christian name, was called upon by the
Fcivil magistrate to offer sacrifice to the
pagan gods. He refused, because he
had higher law in his conscience
What then? He was put to death-he
became a martyr. At another time
some tender Christian virgin was requi-
red to sacrifice her chastity-she retu.
sed and was sent to the wild beasts
In some instances, indeed. torture caus-
ed the christian to fail and to ODE, men
rather than God. But in all this, which
is an extreme case, had the whole
strength of the Roman Empire power
to destroy the "rights of conscience"
the Liberty of conscience" the "free.
dom of conscience" in the heart of
either of these glorious martyrs or this
supposed apostasel Assuredly not
General Cass thinks that if the "senti-
ens being" is exposed to physical suffer-
ings. the freedom of conscience is in
great danger, if not absolutely lost
Every one knows that this is an errone-
Gus position. 1t is only when human
weakness yields to suffering in such cir
cumstances, tina. conscience asserts her
highest power. The individual feels
himself degraded in his own estimation.
Conscience told him at the moment
of his yielding to sinful compliance,
making his declaration contrary to hers,
,ha. he was base hypocrite; and that
same conscience did not fail to vindicate
the sovereignty by her continued frowhs
and repsoaches.
General Cass has not taken the pains
to distinguish the whole Office of con.
science. 1t may be expressed in brief
words. The whole duty of man is to
"avoid evil and to do good" Now al
though evil and good are relative terms
and not judged Of at all times and in
all places by the same standard, never.
theless, conscience is the faculty where
by the distinction is made. A thing
may seem morally evil to man. He
cannot do it, without shining, offending
God and offending his own conscience.
Another thing may appear good, and
there is no obligation on him to do it,
eyon though his conscience approve. un-
less the circumstances warrant its per-
formance. The decaIogue says" Hon
or thy father and thy mother" This is
an affirmative precept, which requires
tha. a, proper times, and in proper cir
cums,ances, we shall honor our parents;
bu. does not require that we should be
always thus occupied. Thou shalt
no. steal" This is a negative precept,
and there is no time, or place, or Cit
cums,auco, in which i. is lawful for US
10 steal. So in the order Of negative
precepts a man may no. do without sin,
any act which the voice of their con-
science tells them is wrong. He may,
indeed, have an erroneous conscience
and be mistaken as to the Intrinsic mo.
ralisy Of the act, but still until his con-
science shall have been enlightened, or,
as General Cass expresses it, "impro.
ved," he must abide by its dictates, and
avoid doing what it has ruled to be un.
lawful. Hence, if any Protestant, A.
merican or not, who travelling or sCjourn-
ing 10 Catholic State, should be call
ed upon by the civil power TO make a
declaration or to do an act which his
conscience condemns, he cannot comply.
lie. US suppose him to be required to
swear that he believes in the Pope's
supremacy. Being aProtestanthis con.
science will oblige him to-refuse. And
If in consequence of this refusal, phys
ical torture be applied, one Of the Two
things will happen,-thas he will suffer
the torture and be loyal to conscience,
or ,ha. he will be,rsy conscience By
swearing to a lie. If anything of this
kind should be attempted in Catholic
country, or any act required which any
Americans conscience condemns, Gen.
Cass will find me ready to vote for the
employment Of the American Army
and Navy to punish that nation which
would iInpiousIy dare to commit so
awful an outrage. Not because the
mans conscience had been violated, for
,ha, is impossiblei but because the law
of such country would have gone be-
yond the boundaries Of all human law,
since these relate no. 10 the faculties Of
the human soul, but TO outward persons.
things and acts. And as the person
here supposed would have done no act