American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-12-02
The Pr1ncinln nf ohedience.

Il
tude OF given law and giving due obe:
dienre to il. A law rOnstitutiOnally enacted
must 6rst Of all be obeyed. Right or wrong
good or bad. il it bs the act Of a majority
OF the peoples constitutional represents.
lives it admits 20 hesitation OF conuoveTs
on the question ofabsdIence its require
ments No prin' ipls Of social policy is
better established than this Everything
would be at loose ends. il the people were
permitted to conIroyert the laws. and
choose for themselves whether they will
obey them or not The very l,viiy of the
administration now complained Of, the
very fact tina, at the present time so many
Of our existing laws are treated with con
tempt, nd broken with indifference. is at
tIihutahie to this tendency. already ton
prevalent, towards an anarchical liberty
Of ohoicr in regard to the laws that we will
oh-v or disobey. rs we chance to choose.
Every law is Of course fair topic Of
dis. rission; hut so 10 as it continues the
law of constitutional authority. il must be
enforced. EveD while we protest and ar
que. and cousplaln and condemn, and prove
| it to he unjust and oppressive. we must
still consent to he governed by lis reslric
tons until it shall he consiiulionally re
pealed That il does not sui, Us. or that
il in'erfefes with our Individual righls. or
that il operates un qually, may be good
reasons why the Law should never lave
been enacted. and why We should take the
Trooper steps foI bringing ahoH is repeal
bet these are no reasons why We should
refuse to obey Il, so long as il retains the
constitutional sanction W. cay this priD.
cipie Is only apt to he overlooked in the
popular discussions thai so frequently .rse
touching the operation Of certain objoc
tionabIe laws This appears TO be the case
indeed. Just COW. in relation 10 The laws
regulating the observance OF the Sabbath.
/ Il is not an uncommon thing to bear
these laws denounced. and very frequent
" with much good sense and justntss OF
opposition. But tn. question Of suhmis.
sion 10 the +, quirements OF these laws,
however dnwisr or rppulsive they my he
is no part Of the discussion. The only
QUESTION practically speaking for shop
ke, pers. ha"k and omnibus drivers, and
what not. is whether a law prohibitiuQ
them from pursuing heir regular avoea
lions on the Sabbath day real exists. =
l ibdops US good cilizsns they should al
once yield 10 the constitutional authorities
of The State, and submit to The requsitioDs
Of the low
They may Uetiiioh for relief. and fnay
move the community TO effect rrpral.-
They may discuss the principles involved
in the obnoxious prohibition 8. and si ow
their oppressive and in onsisient charac,
ter. with what force OF principle and arQu
ment they may he able to produce. Blu
at the same time they should cheerful,
arqui-sce in the txistirg restrictions. anc
sacrifice their individual interests for III,
greater good Of maintaining Ibe Conslitu
tional authority in this respect.
This principle OF ready and exact ohe
dience to the laws. is too genearIy ignored
and disregardpd in evsry community. :
Bows and v'Vrants in the public streets ar,
daily committing acts prohibited nv the or
dinancrs, and with harden ing and tncour
aging impunity. Sop any one Of ihyst
vagahohds in the midst Of an unla wfu act
and tell him the law iorhids him commit
Ting the mischief or offense he is engaged
in. and with his thumb upon his nose. h
will laugh In your face, and claim exrmp
. ton from responsibility to any such imag
mary law.
He knows too well that in this ant
many other particulars the law. howev.
well il may rad in the law library, il
without rffect IN actual life. H. sees 9th
ers disregardiDg the laws. and finds a
in his own numerous inlraclions he pa,st
on unmolpsied. and soon comes to lool
; upon the whole statute hook as 9 farce
from The pretended scarecr penalties o
which 1t Is avery easy thing 10 escape.
And he even has the example OF older ant
more respectable citispns. who in MATTERS
relating to their own personal business
and convenience, not hesitate to uisre
gard such restrictions and ordinances a,
interfere herewith.
AID thus one after another, by old and
young, hy we'll behaved riliz-n and disor
derry vagahond. puhlcly and privately
thu laws are disoheyed, and looked upol
hb meanlngleSS Hnu uehu WOTus, hlIOgelnt
pow erless u enforce their own sanctions. =
Children disohey he laws and command
OF their parents. and take at the domestic
frpsde their frs, 10 on in that sad expert
ence of dlsob-di-nce, whirh ultimately
leads to open defiance Of the ordinance
and laws OF the land.
What is wonled is a the CROUCH and irli
mate personal cultivation, in old and vounl
OF ths divine principle OF ohed nee = cml
; dren to parents, puents TO the ltws-aI
laws human and divine. Crime stalks a
noon day through our civilized land, be
cause the example Of so large portion O
community, is in open Encouragement an,
palhation Of disobedpnce to the laws a
they stand. Il a minor law may BE- brv
: ken at will, why not greaterf Or shtul
> there really bs any degrees in the nigh
amt imp-raiiv meas OF the CONSTITUTIONAL
enacted lawsi-ICin. Times
,, TIE TEHuANTEPEo RoUTE. 1t is no,
:, established h,y, und doutt that this NJ,
: rout to the Pacific is iairly and successfu
!. Iy opened, California news has been r,
ceivpd At New Orleans on the goth, undt
v d,ta ~ th. 6th. roakin,, ~ 49, of 80.