Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-07-08


Chrlstlan HTarchy. ere the fall of Rome, OBJ
tanned and welded the imperial government,
even for the suppression of heresy. Falling
with the empire, and forced to struggle for
life through four centuries of barbarism, she
again threw before her as a shield, the mu-
tual Independence Of temporal and spiritual
authority But second time, gaining IN
power and losing in purity through two CEN
turles OF Feudalism, she exercised co ordinate
civil authority. The last downward step was
in 1913, when Hildebrand assumed the ponti-
neal robes, crushed alike freedom of con-
science and state sovereignty, revived the dog
ma OF the divine right OF kings, which had
slept ever since Alexander claimed to be son
OF Ammon, and established over all, that
splendid spiritual despotism which necessitat-
ed the Reformation. Luther and his coadiu-
tors, when they burned the Bull OF Excom-
munlcatlon before the gates of Wittemberg in
l52O, and in defiance OF its terrible impreca-
tions, asserted the right of every man to in
terpret scripture, did not admit the natural
| eorollary that civil laao must never invade the
realms of conscience. Still later, the church
of England was far from admitting it. The
| Puritans improved upon the English Church,
but would not tolerate all Christian sects.-
| The Maryland Catholics improved upon the
| Purtans, but would not tolerate any other
than the Christian religion. To Roger Will
hams is due the distinguished glory Of first
| proclaiming complete federation. But no
large political body fully adopted it, until the
| American people, reverently acknowledging
| the substance of government to be of God,
and fearlessly sorting the form to be of man,
established religious liberty by express arti-
cles i'll their Federal and State Constitutions
| In the revelation that the state exists for
| man, or in oIher words that the culture of
| mans spiritual nature is the great object of
| society and the right OF entire religious liber-
ty, the germ Of another new principle, the
natural equality of all, in political rights,
shoots up into view. The right OF conscience
is no more inviolabe than other absolute
rights The absolute rights of men arise from
Their moral constitution. This moral consti-
tuition is the same in all men. Therefore the
absolute rights of all men are the same.
"For the security Of these rights governments
are instituted. Hence the principle of
equality under and in the government. Yet
it was not admitted in the ancient world
Slaves were the most numerous class in ever
the most free ancient state. The instructive
feeling, the ''sef evident truth" that ''al
men are created equal" was no part OF their
social theory. But the disciples of the new
faith were taught equality-that no man was
master-that all were brethren. Except the
j
slave cannot tread the soil of England, the
principle found no political realization in the
old world, but was first adopted IN some OF
the colonial governments of the new. Its
first authoritative recognition by any consid-
cradle political body, was eighty years ago
this day, IN the Declaration OF Independence
The representative system is entirely OF mod
ern origin, first appearing in Cortes of
spain and Portugal, then in the States q ell
eral of France, aud especially in the ParlIa-
ment Of England 1t is not a little lemarka-
BILE that this simple arrangement, by which
alone an extensive democracy is practicable,
enabling millions to sit in council, seems new
er to have occurred to the ancient statesmen.
And 10 ! another new principle, Of which
history furnishes no prototype-the ANTON Of
the citizens of sovereign states in one SOW
eregn nation. Not mere alliance of comma.
mites, like the Amphctyonic Council, the
Hanseatlc League, or the Helvetic Confedera-
ton, but union of all the people. And while
we admire this skilled device of proioundest
wisdom to secure union, yet avoid centraliza-
ton, while we are struck with the unity of de-
sign and symmetry of proportion of this temple
of freedom, suddenly, without noise or dtsor-
der, its walls recede, its arches lift its dome
expands, and this people of other new, sover-
elgn States find home beside the common
altar
| To apply theory; government, being the
| growth of and tor society, is best when it most
facilitates and secures The twin objects hapDi.
ness and progress; Of which, progress is prin-
| cipal, and happiness incidental. The list So
| cial condition OF such a government before
| which every other must give way, on penalty
| of revolution, is order The second is free
dom-the amplest freedom compatible with
| order. We understand that the republic of
| Plato, the utopia of More, the community of
| Fourier, are hitherto impossible, because they
imply liberty, which, as human nature now
is, would produce instant anarchy. Morocco,
Russia, Italy, and Mexico, crave muster
rigid, impartial, far seeing, man loving, and
God fearing master-tc guide them, to train
them, and, if necessary, to force them into a
stage of civilization, in which order shall con-
sst with freedom.
Have the AnlericanS reached that stage p
This question, oppressive with tremendous
consequences, was asked of our fathers, three.
quarters OF century ago. Accepting tile
principles that the State EXISTS for man. not
man for the State; that government should neUer
meade thp domain Of conscience; that all men
are ABSOLUTELY equal iii natural rights; that
each sovereign State should be merqed, but
not lost, IN one sovereign Uaaaon with these
materials, firmly compacted by the representa-.
tice system, they built the new ship of State
and with confidence in God and in us, which
seemed presumption to the sages of Europe,
and which, even in their own minds, was
mingled with painful soicitude, they placed
within, that tremendous motive power, that
unsteady and dangerous guiding power, the
| popular loiH-and embarked, with all that was
dear, Oh the pillows that roll over the wreck
OF every other republic
"Here int life infant empire springs
Here falls the iron from the soul
Here Libertys young accents roll
Up to the KIM OF Kmgs :"
Such, IN the abstract is our liberty You
| know, and this festival testihes, and all this
republic feels its practical blessings. These ave
so constant, like rain and sunshine, that we
have much reason to fear they may be ell
dangered by being unappreciated. We need
a-contrast The vigilant eyes of an omnipres-
ent police, the necessity of passports, the pre-
seribed and prescribed religion, stihed speech,
compulsory ignorance, the scissors OF censor
ship alternating With the guillotine, the con-
scription and press gang, the burden of vast
standing army, the tax that plumbers half the
hard earnings, the naughty airs of hereditary
nobility, the torturing iron shell of govern
ment, cramping and crushing every energy,
the utter hoEeesness ofchange except through
bloody and hazardous revolution, the SWING
ing lash falling heavily on the quivering flesh
OF men, and even women, whose only crime
is, that they loved freedom, y" not wisely, but
too well, these things we need to endure,
IL order to appreciate it's worth. We need,
besides, to remember its cost The general
bankruptcy that followed the Revolution, the
stagnation of business the sufiorings of a fat