The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-06-24
The New Danger.

70 the peTpetuity Vi our INSTITUTIONS III
every ebullition of popular passion. We
have kept calm as a clock, through the
most exciting Of national and sectional
controversies. We have INDUCED in no
spasmodic attempts towards saving the
Union. We have endured with eAom.
plary patience the insane rhapsodies of
fanatics, north and south. We have
kept up quiet, abiding faith in tho in.
tegrity and intelligence of the people,
and we have felt steadily increasing
confidence that our system of pclty is
fully adequate to meet the exigencies of
Slavery, Mormouism, Democracy and the
Manifest Destiny.
But we confess the events of the past
year have somewhat shaken US. There
is one symptom of unsounduess in the
body polite, which may we'll awaken the
apprehension of rejecting minds. We
allude to the fact that there is rapidly
developing tendency of the American
mind towards irreverence of constituted
authority and disregard of law. Not
as formerly is it regarded as the sole
prerogative of the constituted courts to
settle the validity and binding force of
the law nor on the other hand are laws
enacted with deferental regard TO the
organic laws of the country, and the ma.
ture of the circumstances to which thew
are sought to be adapted. In the first
place the Legislatures are not scrupu.
lous in investiga ting the grounds of the
authority on which they seek to make
laws. 1t is enough, often, that popular
clamor or the needs of party require the
exercise of doubtful powers. Not sell.
dom are laws forced upon an unwilling
people with the ferocity and passion of
an imperial ukasa; and then, and nj.
most as often, obedience is refused bv
parties interested, on grounds equally
reprehensible. Each man in the com.
munity Immediately constitutes himself
court-of.authority, and prouounces up.
on the validity or constitutionality of
the law, according TO his own "inward
sense of right or rather upon the rre,
dispositions, and prejudices, which 90 to
make up his character. The result has
been that all respect for authority is
rapidly dying out. To such pitch has
this sentiment already arrived, that dur.
ing the past week the Mayor of the great
city of New York has taken upon him.
self to judge, in regard to the obliga.
tions of law imposed upon the city, by
the State authorities, and has actually
resisted tho execution of legal process
upon him, to the shedding of blood.
Nor is this the act of single man, who
wants only the means to mako himself
q dictator, but his conduct is fully en-.
dorsed by powerful and determined
party, who. profess to entertain similar
view The principle of this action, and
the action itself, are not even regarded
BY any body with surprise. 1t is taken
quite as matter of course. The strong
arm Of military power was alone sufii.
cient to compel this Mayor to an ac
knowledgement of any power paramount
to bis own. He claimed the right to
say whether the law was obligatory upon
him or not, and this right he indicated,
not by an appeal to the constitutional
tribunals, but by resort TO direct and
force.
Nor need this state of things excite
our wonder, when we reflect upon the
successive steps which have led to the
result. Everywhere upon the stump and
rostrum throughout the country, has the
doctrine of self.constituted authority
been set up, as the true measure OF ODE.
dience. Even the pulpit, disregarding
that peaceable admonition everywhere
enjoined in the Great Text Book of
obedience to the powers that be, has in
some instances rung with violence upon
the exciting theme and somo Religious
Newspapers, which ought to have been
in batter business, have paudered unceaS.
ingly to the atrocious sentiment, until
At length large class of people is found
who treat with indifference or contempt
the measure of obedience deliberately
settled upon by the highest tribunals of
the country.
Now if any one thing may be regard.
cd as an axiom, it is this. Respect for
law and unqualified obedience to it, so
long as it as law, is indispensable to the
of free institutions. 1t is
the duty Of every good citizen TO stand
BY the laws. If they should chance to
be unjust, the means of repeal or of re,
Tisal are left Immediately 10 his hands