The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-27
THE HIGHER LAW AND IT'S PRACTICAL EF-

labor, prepared national constitution, which the
people of the States adopted the supreme law OF
the whole Union II provides that the President
judges members of Congress and all officers under il
shall to support il. The oath is required
to be taken by the members of the several State le-
gislatures In most, and probably in every State,
all State officers required TO be sworn to support
the constitution of the United States and that of the
State itself In the days Of ancestors these oaths
deemed sacred and binding upon the conscience,
and he who violated them was deemed a perjured
man. Until within very limited period, none but
the venal and corrupt denied the binding efficacy of
these solemn obligations They were deemed equal
ly as sacred as the oath of witness upon the stand
No honest mall--no one who cherished respect for
our institutions, or for his feowman- would have
advised the disregard of an official oath. Whoever
had 80 advised or had followed such advice, would
have been universally condemned, scorned, and
stunned as moral leper The rule of action APP
proved by our whole country was ito support tho
constitution and laws, " and to consider and treat
him as traitor who wond not do 80. A conscien-
tous respect for constitutions and laws pervaded the
public mind and commanded the respect oSal classes
who were not in fact violators. All good citizens.
high and low, paid Difference and respect to consti
buttons and laws made in conformity to them The
homage paid them in the United States formed the
basis Of the hopes of the patriot in other countries
for the protection Of persons and property Ours
was deemed the model republic, and formed the pre-
cedent upon which other nations acted in framing
their institutions.
The annunciation in this country of new and con-
icting principle has materially injured the credit of
our institutions and counrynen abroad, and has in
troduced a growing want of respect for all human
obligations at home In inaugurating the republican
party, Gov. Seward announced that there was law
higher than our constitution and legal enactments
under it, which was entitled to command and control
both throughout the confederacy. The declaration
of the existence of this higher law 7 with it's com
handing consequences, has seriously injured with
many that consideration and respect due to the con-
sttution and laws which they formerly commanded
among all classes OF our people We now witness
the extraordinary spectacle Of in high positions,
well in low, openly denouncing the constitution
and endeavorng to bring it into contempt and to de-
stroy it's binding authority and in setting the laws at
open defiance, and studiousy encouraging others to
do Nay, more. We have apolitical party formed,
whose greatprincple ofacton based upon arecogni
ton ofa law higher than the constitutions under which
its members claim that such higher law absolves
them from all obligation tosupport the constitution and
law Of the land, where they deem such higher law
to conflict with either. This higher law has food
ed our country with countless and varied evils It is
held up shield for violation Of every duty Every
person judges for himself Of its controlling influence
1t is justification for every crime committed III It's
name. II makes every pian judge Of what he thinks
the law may ought to be conclusive, as there is
tribunal charged with the interpretation or adj
minisration of his higher law and there is no APP
peal from individual judgment 1t has been the
author of numerous horrible acts. 1t has justified
resistance to constitutional laws and of murders COM
mitted to prevent their execution. 1t has arrayed
man against his fellow-man and encouraged those in
legal servitude to instruction and bloodshed, and
has denounced the courts for conscientious dis
charge of their duty in declaring honest opinions
concerning the constitution and laws of the
land. It has introduced disrespect for the
elementary principles of our institutions, and
the laws intended to promote harmony and use
funess. Had the malign action been confined
to those whose characters indicate general hos
tility to all laws, and disregard to every re-
straint, the consequences would have been more de-
served and less appalling But truth declares that
the sentiment which we condemn emanated from the
highest authority in the ranks of political party
whose hopes Of success based upon the expecta-
ton that such higher law will dsplace the consti
tuition and all laws framed under it.
We appeal to the admirers of our constitution and
laws, and the friends of peace and good order, to
say whether this higher law is to be permitted to
have full sway, and ultimately to reign supreme,
dsplacing every other law, until we have none ex-
ccpt such every man, including fanatics makes for
himself as "higher," and above the constitution
Shall conform to the constitution and laws which
are legally binding upon us, shall we obey those
which imagination may deem higher, if such
thing can be Shall every man make law for him
SELF or receive and obey those which the lawfully
constituted authorities have made or may make
Shall we be governed by written constitution and
laws, or be controlled by the unwritten ones which
are contained in the human breast These are ques
tons of deep importance to the American people
and of much interest to all who admire the frame
work Of our institutions. IL they shall determine