The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-14

The Psohlbasory Liquor Law end she Fa-
sssive Slave Law-A R1le That Gus Both
Ways.
The friends of prohibition in this State and
New England are much Disguised with the
quiet notification Of the Prohibitory law in
New York. Country journals which are pub
ished in little out Of the way villages, where
three grogshops formerly fourished in well
known places, and were triumphantly put
down, and their owners left to starve with
wives and families, on the morning Of the 4th
these enlightened organs Of public opinion
are wondrously eloquent and severe upon New
York. Other periodicals, which are not but
ought to be published in the country parts,
have passed from the grave to the tender, from
violent reviling to plaintive edmonton, in
their lamentations over the death of their favo-
rite law. They argue that the law was deli
berately adopted by the legislative authority;
that it is as much the law Of the land as the
statute against murder; and that no respecta-
BILE law abiding man will either break it himself
or wink at its violation by others. In pursu-
ance of this line of argument, the chief organ of
the Prohibitory law in this city launches
volley Of what it calls severe kindness" at
the heads of foreign born residents, and warns
them that it is not the custom in this country
to disobey the laws
We rejoice to see such sound advice come
from such quarter. We, too, quite agree that
claws are obligatory on every honest citizen, 90
long as they are not rescinded by the legisla-
tive power, or palsied by the decision of legal
courts" And if the Prohibitory law had not
been "palsied" by the accomplished as well as
the anticipated action Of legal functionaries,
we should say, it is obligatory on every honest
citizen As it is, when the magistrates, acting
under their oath, refuse to convict Tom or
Jerry under this or that section, or when the po-
lice-acting under orders from the Mayor who
acts under the best legal advice he can get
refuse to arrest Bill or Sam, for doing this or
that which the prohibitionists view as . crime
under the law, we can only say: gentlemen,
the fault is yours Why-when you had a fair
chaDce-did you not make a law which could
be enforced, and about which no mistake could
be made? To abuse the foreign born residents,
or the native residents, any other class of citi
zens, because the prohibitionists have made
law which the proper executive authorities Of
the State declare themselves incapa BILE Of exc
cutting as the prohibitionists wish, seems the
height Of absurdity.
Still, the general principle laid down by the
writer is uuquestionable: " the laws are obi
gatory on every honest citizen, until they
are rescinded by the legislative power or pal
sled by the decision Of legal courts" We
say we are delighted to see this ad-
mission, coming from the quarter from
which it does. We hail it as a symptom
Of new order Of things. We can see in it a
tacit confession of past errors, and promise
of future amendment. Nothing that we have
read for many day has struck us as SO deci-
dedly cheerful. For, though the writer pre-
tends to allude only to the Prohibitory law,
and, indeed, repeatedly mentions it by name,
as if to concentrate attention thereon, it is pal
pable that he had, when he wrote, very differ
ent law in his eye, and that when he was laying
the lash on the foreign residents it was his own
party he designed to chastise. It is, we say,
clear to every reader that the real fault held
up to shame in the performance is the audacious
violation of the Fugitive Slave law by the anti
slavery party.
Such instances of self abasement and humilia-
ton are as gratifying as they are rare. When
we find the organ of abolition openly confessing
that "well organized self governing societies
can only exist where each Individual sacrifices
his savage-like egotism or what demagogues
are fond of calling rights for the benefit Of the
community as expressed by the legally consti-
the repentant sinner, and rejoice over his
return to the fold. Savage-like egotism" is
severe epithet to be applied to the editor Of the
sheet in which it appears, especially during
his absence; but no pangs are SO acute as those
of remorse, no partisan so bitter MS q renegade.
1t is doubtless in allusion to the fagitious pro-
ceedings at Boston on the occasion of the slave
Burns that the writer speaks contemptuously
of "what demagogues are fond Of calling their
rights" Too true. Such demagogues as Mr..
Garrison Mr.. Greeley and Fred Douglass have
been fond Of saying great deal about what
they called the rights" of the negro, and
nowhere so often as in the very sheet in which
this disavowal Of the right of private judgment
appears. 1t is cheering, very cheering to hope
that hereafter we shall have nothing more Of
their follies. They will now sacrifice their
"savage-like egotism''-that is to say, their
right to pick and choose among the laws of the
land which they will obey and which violate
and will obey the Fugitive Slave law 10y ally
and help carry it out.
For of course, if they did not, with what face
would they dare to ask foreign born citizens to
obey the Prohibitory law If there be ques-
ton Of respectability or weight between the
two statutes, the Fugitive Slave law must carry
of the palm, as the work OF the higher body
It has moreover the advantage Of age, being at
least as old as the constitution: whereas the
Liquor law is but an experiment. 1t has GER
tainly been passed as "loyally" and as honestly
as the other; for no great lawyer even in New