Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-03-04

OALEhy OhlO, luEsDAf ENENlNG, tEB Glt 1901
ny GEORGE SUMTER, JR
MY FRIENDS: OF all popular dolusions, that
which leads people to put their trust in Rulers,
and to acknowledge the legitimacy of their author
ity, is the most disasterous and deplorabe. What
governments are and have been is matter Of great
notoriety. If the past tells any tale with impress
sve uniformity, it is that those organizations have
been the underwriting and malignant foes of lib
erty, knowledge and virtue, and that whatever
mankind have attained to, in whatever enrichcs
and beauties human character and makes life a
blessing, has been won in spite Of them. And to
this hour their character is still the same. The
government of this country is perhaps the best
specimen cxtant, and what it is, may be inferred
from the fact that its highest Office can be utrusted
to no one above the moral grade of a Shareholder.
In Europe government, with slight exceptions,
is crushing, grinding despotism, administered by
nm omniprcsent espionage, and in the spirit Of
jealousy and hate. Truth and the love of freedom
are there the highest crimes, to be expiated by
imprisonment, banishment or death. And this
sweeping sentence against political governments,
applies with at least equal force to ecclesiastical
and all in authority under them, are found alike
the conservators Of folly and sin, the guardians of
every falsehood the patrons and patterns of every
crime With this uniformity Of evil disposition,
and constancy Of evil doing on the part of those
who claim to be the sole legal guardians and law
giyers Of the peoples faith and practice how
comes it that they have not succeeded in banshing
truth and goodness out Of the worldY Some po-
tent, if not omnpotent influence must be in cons
tant operation to countcract the mischief that they
are SO constantly working in the world. To that
other influence, to that other Hyher Law, to whose
operation we are indebted for all that we have and
are that is good, to that law beg to call your at
tention for short time this evening.
The phrase, Higher Law" has become signif-
canty current in this country since the passing of
the Fugitive Slave Law. People with hearts of
flesh found themselves classed with criminals by
Congress-law, for obeying the holiest impulses of
those hearts. Were required by what claimed to
be law to aid in the recapture of fugitive slaves
They instinctvcly decided that such law could not
be right, and that they would nerer obey it, and
they cast about for some Higher Law whereby to
Justify their disobedience That law they found
written in their own souls, and in characters too
plain, and with sanctions too weghty for the soph-
istry of politicians or priests to neutralize All
reasoning designed to show the duty of refusing
aid and comfort to fugitive, or the excusableness
of slave hunting, they would cut short after the
manner of Mrs Bird with her senatorial, law-abid-
ing husband, 81 hate your reasoning, and ! will
break your law the first time have the chance"
A resolution which will presume every one pres
ent applauds. There are logical minds however,
which cannot fail to see where such practice as
this must lead to, if consistently carried out. If
we may rightfully arraign the law Of the land in
one instance, condemn it, and refuse to obey it,
others may do the same in other instances till
every enactment the statute book is left to the
mercy of private judgment. To ignore the law in
one particular, Is tantamount to ignoring all law
emenating from the same authority. "He that
offendeth in one point is guilty of ALL" Either
the passing of those laws settles the right and
wrong of the questions concerned or it does not,
II 1t does if those laws because they are enacted
.sught to be binding on our consciences if we may
mot appeal to any other authority, if there is no
Higher Law, if the Supreme Court of the United
States is indeed supreme then on that principle
the crucifxion of Christ was right, for the Jews
were able to say, eve have law and by that law
he ought to die; the burning Of reformers was
right; the Imprisonment, and fning and hanging
Of Quakers was right the Mexican war, the ex
termination of Indians, the fugitive slave law, and
slavery itself are all right. If your moral sense
rovelts ut this ndscr;minate obedience to "powert
that be-" then you have the other alternative, o.
claiming fo- the individual conscience supreme du
fhority, Of claiming the right to arraign, judge
approve or condemn. obey or disobey. al Congress
Jaw as you Judge best of treating every law al
you now treat the fugitive slave law. That is wha
Despots call anarchy, and Popes, heresy, and wha
many who do not suspect themselves Of having
any fellow feeling with eitheir Despots or Popes
will call any thing but order or right. Such mer
as Drs Dewey and Stewart, and Daniel Webster
men capable of drawing differences from plair
propositions see we'll enough that II this liberty
of conscience--this supreme authority of private
Judgment is conceded, that there is an end OF wha
people usually call Law and Order, to say nothing
Of it's cutting up, root and branch, the occupation
of both priest and lawyer. Therefore they fee
Obliged to ''oyercomo their prejndices," "porforn
tisagreeablc duties" ovon to the sending OF
Mother or Brother back to slavery Choose y