Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1854-04-07
Violating Law.

Violating Law.
1t is recorded, that in the early history
of the earth, one of the Governments of
that time passed law prohibiting the of
fering Of prayer to God, under heavy pen
alties. Then, as now, there were 'higher
law" fanatics who disobeyed the law, who
,eouid and did pray, and went to the fiery
furnace in consequence. 1t has been sup
posed by some that these men who thus
braved the law and submitted TO its pen
alties, were really to be commended. and
we are not sure but there are pulpits (per-
haps those which preach politics. where
the example of these men is held up as
worthy of imitation-as an excmplifica-
ton of the duty of the race to their own
consciences. But the eyes Of the world
are at length opened to the fact that this
is all wrong. The last KenOSha Demo-
crdt tells us that,
" To violate the laws of the Country,
lrhdterer they may be, and whatever the
excuse may be, is treason against God and
man."
Here it is manifest that these men who
1could and did pray, were guilty not only
of treason against the country, but against
God also, for uhdterer the character of
the law violated, such we are told is the
result.
And we are to obey law Whdtcrcr its
character, or be guilty of treason to the
country and God. Our Legislature some
time since, enacted that no man should
use or pass one dollar bill. 1t was a
law with all the solemn sanctions and all
the sacredness of the Fugitive Law. Does
any person believe that this pious editor
who tells US to obey everything Whaterer
its character, recollected his duty to God
and his Country sufficiently to refrain
from its violation. Alas we fear he. in
common with the rest of mann nd, has a
large amount of treason against God and
his Country to answer for in that re-
spect.
His assertion, it will be seem is with
out qualification. Hhdterer the charac-
ter of the law, it must be obeyed 1t may
command theft, murder, burglary, arson,
incest, but 1rhdtcrer its character, all good
citizens are bound to obey it, or be guilty
of treason to God and Man. Was ever
a more abominable, or infdel, or basphe-
nous sentence penncd? 1t would dis
grace Hottentot! We say, man who
would utter it is without either head or
heart, or the commonest attribute of HUI
manity.
The Fugitive Law commands US to vi
olatc the plain and positive dictates of
humanity, and the plain and positive re-
corded commands of Christ. Commands
a man to amman and make brute of
himself, undera penalty ola thousand dol
lars and Imprisonment What then is
''| H"NSt'Oii IICoSiIICu IL 10 pIcClSGI1
the question which was presented to
the men of old, whether we shall obey
God rather than Man" Whether for fear
of the fiery furnace we shall deny, stulti-
fy, and cruelty our own undying nature?
or, to apply it, whether for fear of
a penalty of thousand dollars and pris-
on, we shall go down on all tours and be
brutes instead of Men,
Those who lovea thousand dollars and
fear jail, more than they love God and
fear to violate themselves, will obey this
law. We trust it may never be our lot
to so far forget ourself, and whether we
shall be worse citizen for obeying those
impulses which all feel and admire, we
are quite willing to let the public judge,
We take our share of such treason with |
pleasure.