Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-03-28
Vbc Auti- 9Iaperp BuoIe.
From the Western Presage.
PRINCIPLE AND POLICY,

A "principle is general truth, law pre-.
honding many subordinate truths, as the principles
OF morality, of law, of government &C." III is
settled 'utc Of action IN human beings" S."--Ncah
Webster.
=. Policy is prudence or wisdom, in rulers or in.
dividuals in the management Of public or private
concerns" 1t also signifies "stratagem, cunning,
dexterity Of management."-IG.
True policy ( e. prudence or wisdom) is the ro-
Butt OF steadtast adherence to principle. But
stratagem and cunning are adopted rs substitutes
for 1t. The wisdom of this world"-ts ideal of
policy, lies mainly in the latter direction. So that
principle and policy have come to stand for oppo.
site ideas, and must needs be contem plated in CON
trast with each other
Principle requires implicit and constant subiec.
zion to the True and the Right Policy is ever.
more in chase after supposed advantages, gains
availsbilities. expedients.
Principlc proposes no end as being paramount
to the dominion Of the True and the Right or ca
pable of being separate from it. Policy, vener-
ates nothing as being True, recognizes nothing as
being Right that cannot be subordinated to its own
estimate of advantage, shown to be productive Of
gains, and to be fertile in avaabilites and
expedient.,
Principle walks by faith, policy by sight. Prin.
ciple contides IN the wisdom OF God-polioy in the
wisdom of man.
The Creator established principle and endowed
it with his own immutabiiity. lie never departs
from it himself and never authorizes any of his
Intelligent creatures to depart from it. The fall
of man was departure from principle under q
temptation founded on policy. The forbidden fruit
was accounted desirable to make him wise. Men
were to become as gUds governed by their own
rules of action, instead of being controlled 10y the
will of a superior This wisdom has been the fol-
ly of the race, ever since.
Principle is abiding, because it reposes upon
Truth, which is eternal. Policy is luctuatng, be-
cause it is founded on circumstances which are
continually changing. P7 nciple is abiding, be-
cause it leans the changeess wisdom of God
Policy is titful because il is shaped by the chang
ing estimates of men.
Policy is forever dividing and subdivdng, ard
distracting its adherents, because two finite
minds cau agree, fully in their estimates Of the
consequences of action. Principle lays a substan,
tal foundation for the unity of its vUtnries be-
cause it only requires OF them recognition OF
''selfevident truths" and honest strait-for-
ward, common sense application of them in prac-
tce. II the friends Of liberty in America would
but agree together to direct their political actvi-
ties in accordance with the plain and known re-
quirements of the ''truths" that they all claim to
'hold as self evident" they wuuld very soon come
to an agreement in their measures, and slavery
would be speedily overthrown.
This would DO indeed acting like practical
business men," 1t would lie acting as machinery
and steam engines--as navgators do when they
guido ships by the truths OF astronomy, over the
ccean--as wise inventors do, when they invent
steam engines, daguerreotypcs, and magnetic tee-
grnphs-as practical chemists do when they
the elements and the laws Of nature, for the pur-
poses of hun,n life. All these find themselves
shut up to the necessity of acting rigidly upon
principle instead of policy That is, they have to
conform exactly to the hcaven-estahished princ
piles and laws: the immutabic Truths existing in
the nature of things, and controlling the depart
men. within which they are operating. No con.
siderations of policy. no anxiety to secure the in
huence of great men, the funds Of the mlionaires
or the votes of the millions, would tempt them to
swerve hairs breadth from the stern demands Of
fired principles established by the God of nature.
They are ''uncompromising in then measures
They ultraists, insisting upon IN unwavering
conformity to the true and the right in the alb
stract" They would be called "impractcubles"
if the old astrologers; achemists, and necroman
GERS OF the former ages were now on the stage, and
bearing sway in company with their Legitimate
successor, the necromancers of expedency who
are still playing of their seiGht-of hand tricks,
and trying their hap-hazard experiments in the
high places of political and ecclesiastical life, re-
gurdless, utterly of the divine laws that controlled
the universe
Principle is the foundation OF the Sciences
Policy teaches its votaries deride to decry, and
to disregard moral and political science--the sci
ence OF government, OF Jurisprudence and OF law
II denies the benefits and even the practcability
of any attempts TO ascertain, and especially to
obey tie divine laws by which God governs the
nations, or, it resolves all these into human cacu-
lations of expediency, human estimates of conse-
quences. avaabilites, mnjorties, as though these
constituted the laws that govern the political
world
Principle or adherence to moral principle, is
but another name for honesty. The old maxim
that honesty is the best policy" is only an afir
nation that 'princple is the best policy
The old maxim has been improved by saying that
"hcnesty is better than policy" which must mean
that 'prnci pie is better than policy
Principle is better than policy, because princi
pie is the power, the wisdom, the goodness ant
the blessedness of God, while policy is the weak
ness, the folly the wickedness and the misery O
man. Earth groans, and has groaned for almost
sixty centuries, under the guidance and the mis-
government of policy. In no way can it be re
lievsd but by the guidance and the government o
principle,
Policy and expediency, weighed in their owl
balances arc found wanting. They are tho mos
impolitic and inexpedient things in the universe
the comprehension of all UNIV isdom, the consuma
tion Of all imprudence. What caa be more un
wise than for man to attempt to be wiser thar
his maker2 Or what more imprudent than for
man to decline the direction of infinite wisdom, il
order to follow his guidance
"Power is 'force, strength, energy" "Ability
the faculty of doing performing ything.
What power can be exerted, either in mechanics
or in morals, without acting in harmony with thu
law of the God of nature, the laws of mechanism
or Of mora'sH
Wisdom is "the right use or exercise of knowl
edge-the choice of laudable ends, and the bes
means to accomplish them" Can such choice b,
made without plicit obedience 20 moral princi
Pile Without obedience to Truth and Law?
Goodness, is moral excellence moral virtue
Can any being possess manifest this, withou
implicit conformity to trutha To law To NOR
al principle?
Blessedness is defined to be Happiness, felicity
heavenly joys. the favor of Cod" Can mar
possess successfully pursue this without priaci
ple' Without obedience to truth? Without con
formity to lap9
Very manifestly, all power, all wisdom, all good
ness, all blsssedness, are wrapped up and identi
fed with adherence to principle The simple com
parison of the definitions of the words as giyer