New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-04

Amer; a, ,.y b1 Mo 4, 10 10 idea, hstJr> S!y ht
! oyEt,9l 1.p.ct II The reformation Hne',c' . Pc
nsres: p,ctet against tho pm ,pi. u Aoscinu'ln
| Il offe.s Freedom 20 is1dahsm-lAeeny y slavery;
| D.mo.-s.y j. ne declaration oil br9'he-ncod OK
-ioh.s-ard therefore with snbhme pfopTe.y lore
s.;,y ia destiny ard duty the trst arc iste words
of America were "All zen are BON zee ;hd equa
n. echo n Re )u:hs o. legslaors snd ne Oeats OF
people oft.s ~ nc The Syrs, shepherds hesTd rom
ceIe.al singers Peace on esrh, gOoi Will 10 men.
Now "a conceive L. gentlemen, patriotism IN an
American is simply fidelity - me tmatlran 'uha I'm
Onr GoverDmeA. was established coniessediy 10 ooe
diet ce 10 d sentiment q human Liberty. we arc
sa,.-i.J ma n. repuhlican or democratic form,
Upon the whole, best servesthe interest OF manknui
but quite ga much rom the consideration mat men are
700 bad {, be trusted with despoh, lndividuh
power, 81 from he eonyi?s'on Una, iL,eS r;,h.
good that their collective wl must needs be ngnt.
And Il may well be ssked whether Democracy Is NOT
an educ tfye rather than final form OF government
q process which shall improve 81! men, ~ nst &c"
NAV safely be made rulers For II is conspicuous
fac. in history tina. Democraces have never displayed
progressive power OF organisation and deVeopment.
They proclaimed the popular theory, ad rssea mere
--snd he popular governments Te'td oacA io'o aes'
potisDs.
a,op Of trade sn0 The prevention Of crime but the de-
velopu en-, OF the race. good gov. rnment Is nor
symtozed by system of pslice, but oy process Oh
ra.ure: and he is not the best cl.lz N vino informs
when laws have been broken bu: he who interests
himself tha: only such laws are made - ought 10 De
obeyed. And your duty as patriots 10 TO understand
Gle ally that. by ali its ante cedens your country Is con
secrated 70 the Of Freedom that was dlscov'
cred when The great principle Of Humsn Liberty was
about TO be organized into human institutions that
was settled by men who were e1ed By reason OF their
LOYALTY to that principe that II separated politically
from its mother country because that principle had
been assafed and that il began IL peculiar existence
by form ally declaring its fa.h in Human freedom ard
Equality: and therefore, that whatever in ats gov
L. 1,xNts a. ~ thaf frea-
dom and equality is anti American and unpstriotic,
because America and Liberty are inseparab'e idess.
Doubtless. it every civilized and intelligent society
there is need of saying that The public laws must
be obeyed. But tire rule lie subject 70 very grave
execution. The name Of law has always been the
glove mpfed in which the name Of tyranny has taken
liberty by the throat. w.
Yon have no rieh. 10 sOphis.ica,e your minds. You
are not 70 suppose that law is, under all clrcum
stances TO be obey.d you would be poor children OF
seven years' armed dlsobedence to laws II you BE-
lievtd that. A civilized and Intelligent society ooeys
the law When the law begins 20 grind, that COM
munity changes il. if it makes its own laws or protests
if i. does not. Ii protest lie of no avail and the law
still grinds the community changes the lawmakers at
whatever cost of time, aud money, and blood. ,
You have heard thousand timed II Is foufh
of .July Grafton. Bat We must 60 one step further
to the istue upon which, so far as we can see, the
whole future of the depends. In the world upon
which YOU are entering you will be told that with us
all excuse for di.o5edieoce is removed, because we
can so easily AID often change the laws: that II
Charles l. had really summoned the whole people OF
England to parliament, and had executed their WILL
Cromwell and Hampden would hsve had no reason;
that if the American colonies had been fairy repre-
serted Washington would have been mere rebel
But, gentlemen, amid the JargOn OF corrupt politics,
ard the shiyerDg sOphisries OF tmldity anu lnoher
epce ard ease, which blow upon every generation OF
youpg hearts, the sutfocatinS siroceo blows over
,prnSipg grain, remember steadily that laws are Oh
two kjpdo,hose which concern ns IS citizens, and
those which affect us as men. we are born meL
with certain indefeasole moral duties, wnether oai
birth chance in China or New England; and We are
born citizens with certain obligations to The law: H.
the r, FORE the law of the land, enacted by majority
of tie people declares that you must pay heavy
duty may be levied upon the goods you impoIt-how-
ever injurious the effect may be, you can have no
right to resist forcbly, because the consequences OF
fofcbe resistance would be universal confusion ana
iriury and because if it be found to be grievance
by the majority they will presently put light, ana,
MEANWHILE your pecuniaIy lose is your share OF the
compromise for the general security these are lave
that cOLcern US only as citizens IN our reatiohs ~ no
State, IL themselves they have no moral character
or importance. l., 4,
But il the law of the land, enacted by the
majority, or by any other au,n1nty, declares
that YOU must murder your child under TWO
wears of sge or prostitute your daughter, or deny
cup Ct water the thirsty or return to savage To-
diaus an innocent captive flying for his life, whom
they had stolen from his country, and enslAved for
their own gsip under the name OF eivilAins him. you
have right 70 obey, because such laws nuly theu
selves being repul.ve to the hottest human instincts
and ODE dIence to them nd produce more dsas'
rous public generalization than any possible revoiu-
ton could breed "To authorize an uoIuth by
liberation Of State" said the Cobbler OF Agawam,
ole of the ste old Purtans, two hundred aud seven
teen wears ago "is 10 build sConce against the walls
" OF heaven. TO batter God out Of his chair"
Such laws God ard require Of You to dlsobey Tor
upon a people who, under any pretense, could yield
to them, there is no tyranny no terrible that 1t might
not be imposed
win YOU obey, under the plea that ii is law, and
that YOU have no right TO judge the law, but must try
and alter i, by ard by BY and-by But GOD Is God
to-day, and to-day child born TO you ne Is unaeI
two years cd to dsy the thirsty wretch falls parched
and painting AZ your feet; to-day the csptive from
hose indians red rs murder crouches on your hearth
stoIe, AID the law is knocking at your door: Give
"me that child, give me That thirsty wre,eh' give me
| "tbat frightened fugitive: am the law Yes ana
| God is knocking at your heart Whosoever doeth II
unto the least of these my brethren, doeth 1t unto
"mer
l. believe that our country tmoOdes any Pti nm
oyle that il is peopled for another purpose than ne
eh,ly Spaniards pecpled IT, and that moral agents
aid serespe citing men We have something 70 90 10
America beside turning the ar ~ ana "s,er sn efp
so stror ely this: that no possible law can ohu u
| 10 do moral wrong. All other ioconVeniehces anu
dssdy antsges we may suler Tor the oake 81 raw,
ing how soOn the injury may be repaired; Dat there
ror,nsration of moral injury What excuse IL II Tor
nv Wing. ard theving, and murderi g-for my tramp
ling MON conscience which i God IN me, thgt the
law ordcredtl II is the tcstacy OF atheism. Wueh
ever this neiion shall say IL original barbarian iapses
upon the land; the work OF Wlckliffe, and Luther,
and ell history is urdcre, and the hope OF the wota
il betray ed Can conscience wait, and humanity "ah,
snd duty wait Can the ros, delay blooming, or the
day davLirg, or the child i,s birth
should be sorry to unmindful oil the &c ,Pe o.
what say DO rot think am. think and you THINK
With me- II a, if there were ever douol ~ ~, ntpy
curation of this Government II Is 10 tie NY e,
pssspg; ard because there Is now dearly de oa.e "a
ur minds whether men may not do wrong for the sake