Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-03-08

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What can be said sufficiently strong t,
express our detestation of that policy whicl
counsels systematic violation of our laws, an,
appeals to what is misnamed "higher law?'
/ The incendiary who applied the torch tC
the temple of Diana, was blameless, in com
parison with such OF the advocates of thi
policy as no act with their eyes open.--N'
imputatfon' of motives is intended; for it i.
known, that some good men, in the mysterou
dispensations of Providence, have been vis
ted by this awful blindness of mind. Thei
number, Notwithstanding the conduct of Mas
sachusetts, is confidently believed to be few
If many were affiictedwith this strange fanati-
cism we sho uld sadly remember the maxim oi
the ancients-whom the Gods wish to destroy
they first deprive of understanding--and
look for the downfall of the country.
1t is the plain duty of the citizen to obey
every law promulgated by the supreme power
of the State If he cannot, by the aid OF
the press, the forum, and the ballot box
change it; and his conscience is sensitive
he must leave the country-he must be ready
to suffer for conscience sake. He has no
right to claim the privileges of citizenship,
and refuse to perform its duties. When he
violates the law he forfeits its protection. 1t
would be indecent in the extreme for any
judicial or legislative body to entertain the
idea, for a moment, that a citizen can ever be
justified i'm disobedience of the law, or that
the private and Individual conscience can
ever be set in opposition to the expressed will
of the supreme power; and an idea, which
could not be tolerated by the constituted auI-
thorities, cannot be justification Of the
private citizen. Any other doctrine would
dissolve society in day. The scene of
order and beauty, which now prevails, would
be broken by "volcanic irruptions of anarchy
and crime" and chaos would come again.
The wretched creature who, lika Theodore
Parker, supposes himself the martyr to princi-
pie and the imitator of our revolutionary
fathers, can only be likened to the poor maniac
who imagines himself king. The men OF
the revolution were law abiding men. Their
acts were not the acts of isolated and unau-
thorized individuals, resisting the community.
Their proceedings were protected by all the
majesty of legislation. The voice, which
spoke resistance to tyranny, was the voice of
the Supreme power of the State, pronounced
with all the forms and solemnities of law,
uttered from legislative halls and judicial
tribunals, and echoed in one grand diapason
of universal accord.
The prophetic genius of Washington has,
in his Farewell Address, anticipated and re-
buked the reasonable designs of these high
er law I" agitators.
The very idea of the power and right OF
the people to establish government, ,pre-suppo-
ses the duty of every individual TO obey the
established government All Instructions to
the execution Of the latos, all combinations and
associations, under whateverplausible charae-
ter, with the real design to direct, control
coumteract, or awe the regular deliberations
and action of the constituted authorities, are
destructive Of this fundamental principle and
of fatal tendency They serve 10 or0anize
faction to mt in the Mace of the DELEGATED
will Of the nation the will of marty
often a small. but artful and enterprisine mi
nor;tv Of the community
Ulu .oo<,,l f.+lo. of L.. .~,.,.+-x. A-l-o..
4 Jackson. bas in his Farewell Address bee,
still more explicit. Our readers have n,
doubt. read this passage, but every Democra
sbould stndv Jaekson,s Farewelt Address a
the Christian studies his Bible it should b,
lamp to his path. We make no apoloo,
for the quotation. The voice of,the MAJ
who hurled back into the sea the dense am,
diseiplined battahons of England of IN