Squatter sovereign., 1856-01-01
For the ssqpasser .sovers.gn.s
Essay 70 l.

4
| your paper Of the 4tll altino, saw seve-6
raj propositions over the signaaure of i.
Offered for consideration, with Z request
that would write an essay upon them.
The first proposition in the list IS, 8. That
there b no such thing az perfect, that Is,
absolute equality.
A clear solution Of this propoanion viii
dispose Of all the rest, and make an exam
insiion Of them. Individually. unnecessary.
/. Before entering upon the solution of this
proposition, we win preface it with few
remarks Hpoa the Term equality.
In the first place, this term, from its fire.
quent use. and unlimited application. has
become as indefinite and nultifarious In
meaning as the term erpedieury; and no
two words in our language are in more de-
mand than these. among demagogues. ia
naties and fools. knaves use these terms
to deceive, and fools for wisdom, expecting
] TO receive credit for ideas and wisdom
when they have none. They are the
terms in which pride, ambition and sell
fishness hide and cloth themselves: the
ladders and scafolding by which they
mount and elevate themselves above their
fellow men; and when they reach tie
places to which they aspired they throw
aside all equality and expediency. save
the erpedieacy Of keeping themselves in
power and place
| In the second place, these terms are
substituted for the order and economy of
Nature, and for the clearest teachings Of
the word of God. Throw away the BIZ
bIe-which is the only source Of good or
der, wise and just law, and good govern
ment, and your only refuge for safety and
security is in the ever changing phantas-
magoria of expediency. And shut your
eyes to the tangible and visible exhibitions
/ and demonstrations Of Natures truths,
whose order. harmony and consequent: sta
bility are founded upon the inequalities Of
Nature and attempt the hopeless task
of introducing universal equality, and uni
versaI disorder, discord and instability will
be the inevitable result to the extent OF
your success.
| With one class of men erpedtency is
substituted for the principles and precefts Of
tie Billie. and with another class. equality
is substituted for the laws and principles
Of Nature; and with the instruinentality
of these two simple terms they hope to
free the world of all It's social. moral and
political evils And this is the spirit that is
now producing all the anarchy, confusion
and insubordination in our country. And
specific developments as expediency itself,
or the mu!tifarioas ideas that float around
the term equality. They disregard all au-
thority divine and human. when it stands
opposed to their objects and ends. The
fruits of this spirit we now behold in Kan
sas.
There is no such thing as absolute equal
ily. This rightly disposed of and settled.
disposes of allthe rest, as they are mere
" iaferential deductions from the primary
proposition.
This proposition contains within it both
a, negative and an affirmative, and these
are conditional and contingent only in re-
ference to VIVA; the proposition Is applied.
IF to Nature, and 10 all the creatures and
works of God. animate and inanimate,
+ material and 5immaterial, physical and
mental, the negative on the proposition Is
most absolutely true; for among them all
there is no absolute equality. And ev-
cry advance in the discoveries OF science.
in all her departments, go to confirm
this great truth. Nature everywhere re-
iects equality. and makes Inequality the
I law of her actions. And th. sacred scrip
t,lres, in reference to the works Of God
confirm this truth TO US; and Nature is the
manifested acts Of God 10 Us.
I But among men there can tc and there
/ is an arbitrary and conventional equality
/ created for social. religious and Political
purposes. Thus. in the eye OF the law
Fall citizens are on foo.ing Of pcrfecl
/ equality, in a democratic or republican
i state. SO are all the members of a legis-
lative body. State or National. Bat ever
i here there must he one. the Speaker, stl.
perior. in certain rights and privileges, Il
all the rest. But tbs equality is purely
conventional AMI contingent; and it can
no more equaIise all the citizens, leeisla-
tors and rncrnbegssof Congress. in roin; Of
talent, education and mental and moral en-.
dowaents, than il can equalise their phys.
| ical weight or stature. Nor is it within
the power. Of any legal, arbitrary CT con.
rentional enactEnents Of msn to equaliso
the inequalities Of Nature. The fabnlor:
D efforts Of the giants 10 ascend 10 H....r.r