The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1857-10-16


wiIfily shut their eyes to the fact, that this IS
"a government of Gws, and not of men" that
if ruler exceeds his power, he is punished for
the usarpation and that if he don't exceed it,
he does but execute the will of that majority
which, while the 'sAmerican idea" lasts, must
govern But let Us hear Mr.. Curtis once
more
"Wil you obey, under the plea that it is law,
and that you have no right to Judge the law, but
must try and alter il by-and-by By-and-by /?
But God is God to day, and to day child is
born 10 vou he is under two years old to-day
the thirsty wretch falls parcbed and painting al
your feet to-day the captive from these indians
red as murder crouches on your hearth-stone,
and the law is knocking at your door give
me- that child, give me that thirsty wretch, give
me- that frightened fugitive ! am the law p
Yes, and God is knocking at your heart SWho-
Soever doeth it unto the least of these my
brethren, doeth il unto me y "
With the working OF mans conscience, or
the play Of his mind, as long as they do not
ma 0ifest themselves in open resistance TO the
Law, we have nothing to do. Bot when an in
dividua picks his neghoor's pocket, or cuts his
neigh6or's throat, or raises defiant hand a
gainst lawful authority, and then tells us that his
conscience told him to do so, and that he O.
heyed '.aigher law We have right 10 show
him that, while be may Spurn the obligation,
he must vet feel the power Of the L0Wer law;
that though he may think, and rnoraiiZe, and
theorize as much as he pleaSes in defiance Of
It's commands, his '.daily walk and conyersa-
ton" must be shaped by lis precepts, and bow
to its mqi iesty.
We have chosen to touch at this length up
on the leading idea of MIR. Cults oration-to
which all The rest Of his statements are bGt ac-.
cesSory-not because we regard his individual
importance as giving any weight 10 what he
says, but becad>p be is the exponent OF sect,
not numerous in our midst, but numbering in
New Englanda vast body of the people. 1t is a
somewhat singular, and very suggestive fact,
that the course bv which, in Mr.. C.'S view, pa
triotSn is the best exemplifpd, consists in re-
sistance to the law of the land, which in any
other country would amount to treason TO
that large liberty of speech which the despsed
constitution of the country guarantees, MIR. c. is
indebted for the safety with which be uttersshIs
tfaiiorous counsels We might, if we choose,
expose still further the fallacies on which h,.
trits th yVgner" frfte ast5 miserable sophis
We give at length his eloquent comparison be-
southern States of the Union, and the go!ly pill
grms who were driven by persecution, Or lnred
by the cod-fShrrieS--hiStory cara exactly de-
eide which-to the shores of Massachusetts
bay. The historic portions of the Grafton are,
indeed, the only portions Of it which have
much claim to originality, and impress US rafh-
er farorably, we must admit, with Mr.. CARTS
power of invention.
We bad supposed that the Kansas panic had
faded out OF memory long ago, but Mr. Curtis
gives US one more shrek which our readers shall
hear
During the last year we allowed our broth
ers and friends and irlIow-citizens 10 BE- cruelty
murdered for doing precisely the same thing that
we this year build statues on Bunker Hill 10
men for doing eighty years ago"
We should like TO sre any authority for this
bold assertion TO De- found outside the columns
OF the New York Tribune, which honest people
very generally agree is Just no authority at all.
IN some OF his statements, however, Mr.. Curtis
IS more correct, giving them the sanction of his
own word
':The theory Of our institutions is our pride.
But It Is pitiful truth that our public life has
become Synonymous with knavery. IF poll
tcian is introduced, YOU feel Of your pockets.-
II Is shameful that II is universally conceded
that the best mrn-the men Of intelligence and
probhy-geneiaily avoid politics., and that the
word itself has come 10 mean something not 10
De touched without driilement. ConseQupntiv.
what good men will not touch bad men will
1t Is understood that bribery carries The cleo
tlon, and the presidency is the result OF an a.
droh process of financial engineering. | have
myself been shown handful Of bank-notes.
PuoIciy displayed IN the ante-room of The eeis-
IaluTe, and sagaciouSiy told, That is the logic
Tor legislators
may as we'll add a little circumstance
winch the orator, IN the hurry of composition.
douotieSs, forgot TO mention-that the four black
sheep who We're Scourged out OF Congress for
bribery and corruption were all apostles of that
pure and sublime theory of politics which Mr..
Curtis delights TO preach. aud which he homes
to make universal. We We're not aware. how
ever, until this startling confession Of MIR. c..
that be himself was in the ante-room. and an
actual witness Of these corrupt transactions
What precious evidence the "Hoacqdii, conld
have given before the corruption committee if
ne bad only told them all he knew.
The last quotation we shall make from Mr.
Curtis is teaFfully ominous:
"Gentlemen, YOU will not be surprised whom
YOU discover, as yoA#spon will, that, notwith-
standing the commerdW prosperity OF our coun-
'y' taefe are wise men who shake their heads
already and good men who despair"
we nope the young gentlemen of Dartmouth
ana me other colleges before whom Mr. Curtis
has delivered and means 10 deliver this address,
VIII Keep heart. For Our part, instead of feel
ing alarmed that these '.good men, among
Wnom we presume Mr.. c. of course includes
brother halioch are ''shoking t6cir heqfs,, we
'eei suite delighted toat they are so handsomely
employed, and ainf doing ANYTHING iroyse.